Hands Massage Therapy is a simple but highly beneficial practice that you can give to others or to yourself. This article looks at the benefits of hands massage therapy and how you can give great hand massages.
Apart from the face, a persons hands are one of the first things noticed by others. This is why many people can become quite vain about their hands appearance. Have you ever noticed how a person can look very youthful in the face but their hands show their true age? But if people took the same care of their hands as they did with their face, their hands could also maintain that youthful and healthy look.
Of course an additional benefit is that scalp massage can be intensely soothing and pleasurable. In this article we’ll discuss some scalp massage techniques as well as some other scalp massage tips for getting the most out it.
Common Scalp Problems
• Various skin problems resulting in itchy, dry, flaky, and possibly inflamed skin.
• Various hair problems resulting in dry, thinning, or falling out hair.
Naturally for any serious issue, particularly skin issues, you need to consult a health care professional, but here we will discuss scalp massage techniques that can be done for the maintenance of scalp health, and techniques that may relieve or assist in the treatment of various scalp problems.
For the best results you should have your scalp massaged regularly, even daily, which is why everyone should learn how to give a great effective self administered scalp massage. It not only feels great, it enhances scalp health by improving circulation to the scalp area. This will eventually lead to shinier, healthier hair. You can also incorporate scalp massage oil which can benefit both your hair and skin.
Scalp Massage Techniques so YOU Can Become a Great Scalp Massager
• First decide if you want to use a scalp massage oil. Choose an oil such as sweet almond oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil as a base. Then, select an appropriate essential oil for its therapeutic benefit. For example, lavender and tea tree oil for dandruff, peppermint and rosemary oil for hair loss, and rose and chamomile oil for excessive dryness. For each tablespoon of base oil, add two drops of essential oil.
• Next is to brush your hair. This is to de-tangle the hair and remove loose flakes of the skin. If comfortable, bend from the waist and brush your hair upside-down to increase circulation to the scalp.
• Now you’re ready to begin. It’s beneficial to massage the scalp while upside-down to increase blood flow to the scalp. This can be done by bending at the waist if comfortable, or lying face up on the bed with your head over the edge and pointing to the floor.
• Dip your finger tips into the oil and begin at the hairline, massaging with small circular motions, slowly working your way back over the entire scalp. Add more oil to your finger tips when necessary.
• You can do this for as long as you are comfortable to continue. Be sure to apply enough pressure so you feel the skin moving over the skull, and not just glide your fingertips over your skin.
• When finished, warm a dry towel in the microwave and place it on your head. Let the oil set and absorb into the scalp for ten minutes or more.
• Finally, shampoo and condition. Get in the habit of giving a good scalp massage while shampooing and conditioning as well.
• If your scalp is extremely dry, you can leave the oil in overnight and wash out the next morning.
How to Give Great Hand Massages
• Start by placing about a half teaspoon of vegetable oil or other massage oil into the palm of the receivers hand and using light strokes, spread it out to cover the skin of the whole hand.
• With the palm facing up, support the hand with your fingers underneath and use both your thumbs starting from the midline and working their way out, away from each other.
• Hold the receivers hand with one of yours and with your other hand take each finger in turn and move it left and right, up and down, and in a circular motion, around its range of motion.
• Next do the same with the thumb taking note that it has a greater range of movement.
• While doing the fingers and thumb, use your thumb and finger tips to ‘grip’ the finger applying pressure for a moment, then releasing and repeating while moving down the finger at 1cm intervals. This is to promote circulation; you are basically encouraging movement of fluids. You are not actually massaging muscle; nearly all the hand muscles are located in the arms. The hand is predominantly made up of bone, tendons, fat, nerve and blood vessels.
• Next, turn the hand over and you can feel the 4 long metacarpal bones under the skin. Using both your hands to grasp adjacent metacarpals, lift them up and down independent of each other. Do this will all the metacarpals.
• Then, using gentle strokes massage the oil into the back of the hand and knuckles. This is a very bony area so this if predominantly for the benefit of the skin. Remember that the skin over this area is often exposed to sunlight and therefore ‘ages’ faster than many other parts of your body. Regular massages with quality oil will help keep the back of the hand youthful.
When giving a ’self’ hand massage treatment, you are obviously restricted with what you can do. However, having practiced the above on others, you can easily modify each step and apply it to yourself.
Hands massage therapy is intensely pleasurable for the receiver and if giving to yourself, it is a simple habit to form that is exceptionally beneficial to both the health and the appearance of your hands. Use the steps outlined above to give great hand massages to yourself or someone you care about. you can be Published without charge. You can to republish this article in your website or blog. Please provide links Active.