Tag: baldness

THE INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE

Its origins stem from an Indian remedial and grooming practice which had been and continues to be part of the Indian daily ritual for over 4,000 years. The ancient Indians believed that when energy channels become blocked and the flow of positive energy is obstructed, negative energy builds up and increasingly leads to a wide array of ailments and dysfunctions such as stress, depression, poor sleeping habits, localized and remote pains and aches, hampered and sluggish blood circulation, overall poor health, as well as loss of hair or baldness. The main focus and intent of the Indian Head massage, therefore, is to open up the blockages and to allow the positive energy to flow freely through the entire body and in the process to get rid of the amassed negative energy.

Indians in times of yore, young and old and mostly women but not exclusively, sat in large groups and massaged each others heads. They began by applying a variety of nut and grain oils (coconut, almond, olive or sesame) which were to nourish the hair and scalp while, at the same time, the massage promoted improved circulation. Todays modern Indians get their head massage treatments regularly in beauty salons and barber shops.

The Indian Head massage was introduced into the Western world in the early years of the 1970s by Narendra Mehta, a native of Bombay, India and an osteopath and a massage therapist. As countless techniques for the Indian Head massage were passed down through the generations, Mr. Mehta developed his own particular technique by integrating the head, neck, and shoulder and massage into a single robust therapy which promotes and elevates the body to heightened states of physical, mental and spiritual health and wellness. Mr. Mehta branded his comprehensive massage treatment as Champissage. Champi means head massage in Indian and it is also, by the way, the origin of the English word shampoo. With the help of Mr. Mehtas promotional campaign, Champissage rapidly gained popularity in Europe and elsewhere around the world, and he summarizes his own belief which, in fact, echoes the belief of his ancestors by making the following statement out of his current home base in London: Unfortunately, in the West, many people worry about their hair’s health only when they start to lose it. Healthy hair should be promoted from childhood with the help of regular massage.

The body has seven chakras which are centers that regulate the flow of energy all through the body. Champissage works on the top three energy centers or chakras which are found on the crown of the head, the forehead and the throat as it aims to bring the entire body into corrected alignment and proper balance. The resulting effects are strong, silky and shiny hair, relief from stress, restful sleep patterns, increased energy and sharpened mental clarity.

The Indian Head Massage or the Champissage is performed in a quiet place where the client can sit comfortably on a chair and the massage therapist can either stand or sit directly behind him or her. The sequence of the treatment is as follows:

* The shoulders. Gently squeezing the trapezoid muscles at the base of the neck and moving outward toward the shoulders. This is repeated three times while slightly increasing the pressure.

* The neck. The neck is massaged with small circular motions, beginning at the collarbone and ending at the hairline. This is repeated three times.

The sides of the neck are then stroked with a rolling motion beginning under the jawbone and ending at the shoulders. This is repeated three times.

Avoiding the vertebrae, the back of the neck is pressed with a gliding and rotating motion from the collar bone up to the hairline and it is repeated five times.

* The head. The head is moved slowly and gently forward and backward three times.

The entire area of the scalp is massaged with rolling gentle pressure four or five times and then the scalp is rubbed briskly without causing pain for a full minute.

* The hair. Fingers are run through the hair from the forehead back three times.

* The temples. The temples are worked with small circular massaging and pressing movements three times.

* The end. Slowly stroking the entire head area from the forehead to the back for a minute and progressively making the strokes lighter and lighter.

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Planning for Your Hair Transplant Surgery

It takes courage to take the first steps in going through with hair transplant surgery. Planning for the procedure is necessary before you even make the final decision to have it done. Once that step is completed, you will be ready to start the preparations for your surgery.

Before you are approved for a hair transplant procedure, the doctor will have to sign off on you. You must be deemed appropriate for the surgery. It may seem that everyone would be approved, but there are several reasons why you may not be.

The doctor will explore both the hair loss you have suffered, and the hair growth you still have. This is very important, because knowing where the donor hair for the hair transplant will come from is imperative.

The doctor will also want to know the patterns of baldness and hair growth in your family history. This will give an idea of whether there is hope for a good result that will last for a fair amount of time. You will also need to reveal to the doctor if you have had any hair replacement surgery before.

To get an idea of how you will react to having a hair transplant procedure done, the doctor will ask many questions. He will want to know the basics of your lifestyle as they relate to your health and hair.

The doctor will also want to know what you think will change when you have your hair transplant. If your expectations are too high, you may be referred to counseling before a reputable doctor will perform a hair transplant. If you are positive yet realistic, you may be ready for the next step.

Next, the doctor will get all the facts on your health that are related with surgical procedures. Uncontrolled high blood pressure would be a problem. If you are on anti-clotting medications such as Coumadin, you would have to stop taking them for awhile before having a hair transplant.

People who have a history of excessive scarring might want to think twice about getting a hair transplant. Scars are usually a part of the procedure because the donor hair is taken from the back and sides of the scalp. There, scars are formed when it is removed.

If you get this far into the plan and are approved for surgery, the doctor will begin to discuss the day of the hair transplant itself. You will be assessed and told exactly what hair transplant procedure will be done. The doctor will discuss where this procedure is to take place.

The doctor will give you information like how long it will take for you to treat you transplants like normal hair. He will also give you an idea how different you will look after the hair transplant.

Getting a hair transplant is a big step, but with good planning, you can be sure you are making the right decision. Any respectable doctor will work with your well-being in mind to make sure you are doing the right thing.

Making the Decision to Have Hair Transplant Surgery

Having hair transplant surgery is a big step. The decision does not come easily to most people. There are many aspects of your life that are affected by your choice to have or not to have the procedure done. There are several questions to ask yourself.

1. Do I think about my hair all the time? If you cannot think of anything but how your balding head looks, it is a good indication that you need to do something. This kind of thinking can distract you from enjoying the good things in life. It can also mean that you are not fully focused on the activity you are engaged in at the time. This could go so far as being dangerous.

2. Have I lost confidence at work because of my hair loss? It is possible to become so attentive to your balding problems that you feel that others look down on you at work. If you can maintain your self confidence, that will probably not be the case at all. However, if you feel inferior when you are dealing with new customers or clients, you will likely not do well at your job. A hair transplant procedure could help your career.

3. How do I feel about my hair in social situations? If you are constantly thinking about your hair loss when you are with friends or colleagues, your social life will suffer. You will find it hard to carry on conversations with others on an equal level if your baldness is an issue. Hair transplant surgery can help you get back in the loop.

4. Do I spend too much time at the mirror? This is an interesting question, because one would think that looking in the mirror would be more a problem of people who have already had hair transplant surgery. Actually, quite the opposite is true. When people are concerned about balding, they spend much time looking into a mirror to double-check and re-comb their hair to make it look like it covers more of their heads.

5. Do I feel comfortable around the opposite sex? People who have serious balding issues often feel as if members of the opposite sex look at them with contempt. These people do not strike up conversations with the opposite sex or seek them out. It is only with drastic measures, such as counseling, that these people can get past their timidity. Hair transplant surgery can give them more confidence as well.

6. Will having hair transplant surgery change anything? You have to look long and hard at your life to answer this question. You have to determine whether the baldness is really the problem or not.

The issues may be too deep for a cosmetic procedure to fix. In this case, you will have to decide if the hair transplant surgery will be worth it. On the other hand, the surgery might be just that extra something that gives you the incentive to learn to deal with your problems.

How Many Hair Transplant Grafts Do You Need?

When you shop for a hair transplant surgeon, you will find that different doctors give widely varying estimates of the number of grafts you will need. This can make you very uncertain about the wisdom of even getting a hair transplant. It helps to have a fair idea of what to expect.

Unfortunately, there are hair transplant surgeons who do not take their position of respect seriously. Some doctors are even transplanting donor hair into areas where the patient still has hair. Perhaps this is easier than placing it where it rightfully belongs – on the balding spots.

For whatever reason, some hair transplant patients are not getting the number of grafts on their balding areas as they are billed. This is testified by certain doctors who have seen the results. The density of hair on these patients’ heads is not commensurate with the number of grafts they supposedly got.

The best hope a patient has of getting what he pays for in a hair transplant is to learn to calculate the number of grafts he needs to cover his balding area. If the surgeon he sees is not in that ballpark, it may be wiser to look for another surgeon. If however, the surgeon estimates a similar number, just make sure all the grafts go onto the balding parts of your scalp.

To calculate the number of grafts you need for hair transplant surgery, there are several factors to take into account. The thickness of the hair shaft makes a difference. Whether the hair is curly or straight determines if the hair will lie flat or stand up, creating more fullness.

Another important factor for hair transplant is the color of the hair in contrast to the color of the skin. For a light-skinned man with light-colored hair, or a dark-skinned man with dark colored hair, it takes a certain amount of hair to cover the baldness. However, a light-skinned man with very dark hair will need much more hair to provide the same amount of coverage.

You should figure that the average number of hair transplant grafts needed to cover a balding area is 25% of the original hair that was there. You can move up or down from this figure according to your other factors such as thickness, curliness, or color. Then, you can use this number to figure up the grafts needed.

Based on the fact that the average Caucasian male has a density of 2 hairs per millimeter, it can be assumed that the average density of hair is 1250 hairs per square inch. Figuring at an average of 2 hairs per follicular unit, it would take 625 follicular units per square inch.

To get 25% of that, you would need 156 follicular units per square inch. All that remains is to measure your balding area and multiply the number of square inches by 156. When you know what number of grafts to expect during your hair transplant surgery, you will be a savvy consumer. It does not hurt one bit go into the process with an idea of your own about how the treatment should go.