What benefits does combing your hair frequently bring to your body

Sun Simiao was good at health preservation and insisted on "combing hair frequently". He was still strong and energetic when he was over 100 years old. The first thing Empress Dowager Cixi did when she got up every day was to ask the eunuchs to comb and massage her hair. It is said that at the age of 60, her hair was still thick and black.

Since ancient times, combing hair has been highly praised by health experts as one of the health care methods. There is a saying in "On Health Preservation" that "In the three months of spring, comb your hair 100 to 200 times every morning." There is also a famous saying in Huangdi Neijing: "Comb your hair and beard three times a day to keep them thick." When talking about combing hair in the book "Health Preservation Prescriptions", the magical effects of "hair growing without falling" and "head not turning white" are described in great detail.

The phenomenon of premature graying of hair and hair loss among modern people is becoming more and more serious. In fact, the ancients' secret method of combing their hair is to promote blood circulation through the reflex action of the head nerves, speed up cell metabolism, increase blood oxygen supply to the scalp and hair, and make the hair black and shiny.

The human body's meridians are spread all over the body, and the transportation of internal organs' qi depends entirely on the conduction function of the circulation function. The "Baihui Point" in the center of the top of the head is an acupuncture point that combines various meridians. The best time to massage your head is in the morning, when Yang energy rises. It is best to use a horn comb, wooden comb, or jade comb. Every morning and evening, stretch out your hands, touch your scalp with your fingertips, start from the center of the forehead along the meridians, and comb towards the top of the head, occipital area, and neck with even force. Gradually increase the speed, with slow and gentle movements, and then comb the left and right sides to the top of the head. The comb teeth should be tilted at a certain angle to the surface of the head, and comb in the opposite direction along the shape of the head, about 20 to 30 times per minute, for 3 to 5 minutes each time. If your scalp itches or you experience a small amount of hair loss, you can increase the number of repetitions by 50 each time. This will stimulate the nerve endings and acupuncture points on the scalp, promote local blood circulation, eliminate fatigue, and promote hair growth. It is best if your scalp feels hot, swollen, or numb. Intellectual workers and professional women often comb their hair with a comb for a few minutes to dredge the meridians, promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, making them feel relaxed and comfortable.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes that pain occurs when the circulation is blocked, and pain disappears when the circulation is unobstructed. “The head is the master of the body, where all yang meet and all meridians are connected. Hair is the residue of blood and the flower of kidney.” The human body’s twelve meridians and eight extraordinary meridians all converge on the head, with nearly 50 acupoints. Combing the hair can massage these acupoints, which can make the head meridians and blood flow smoothly, strengthen the communication between the scalp meridian system and various organs of the body, clear the mind, wake up the eyes, open the orifices and calm the spirit. When combing your hair, the frequent contact and friction between the comb teeth and the hair can generate static induction, which is a benign stimulation to the peripheral nerves of the scalp, beneficial to the regulation of the central nervous system, enhancing the memory of the elderly, delaying brain aging, improving scalp and intracranial nutrition, and has a certain effect on intractable insomnia and neck pain.

Combing your hair can not only clean dust, dirt, sebaceous gland and sweat gland secretions from the hair, but also improve the metabolism of the head skin and the secretion of sebaceous glands. It is truly an amazing way to keep fit.