Accelerated Hair Growth And Reduced Hair Loss With Tapotement?

First of all, what is tapotement?  It sounds very exotic, but in reality it's a specific type of massage technique utilized primarily in Swedish massage.

Wikipedia defines tapotement as a rhythmic percussion, most frequently administered with the edge or cupped hand or the tips of the fingers.  When the edge of the hand is used it's also called Hacking.  Finger methods including wiggling, drumming and lightly tapping on the body.  The name of the stroke is taken from the French word "Tapoter" meaning simply to tap or to drum.

Tapotement massage stroking and taping is primarily designed to release lymphatic build up in the back, shoulders, under the arms and other parts of the body where lymphatic drainage might be deemed appropriate and helpful.

Is Tapotement Helpful For Accelerated Hair Growth Or Reduced Hair Loss?

Is this type of sports massage helpful for the scalp to generate accelerate hair growth?  Many hair growth and hair loss experts recommend scalp massage as a way to stimulate the hair roots for reduced fall and stronger roots. But it tapotement the best massage methodology to utilize?

The answer to whether tapotement would help with accelerated hair growth or reduced hair loss is maybe.  Like all types of treatments designed to improve hair growth and reduce hair loss, there are a variety of factors involved.

While many hair experts caution against the use of sharp fingernails, rough brush bristles or scratchy combs directly on the scalp, tapotement movements are usually delivered with partly-flat finger tips.  If the fleshy part of the fingers are used and there is no contact with sharp fingernails or rough skin, the tapotement type of massage may offer some circulatory benefits for a congested or sluggish scalp.

Lightness or Heaviness Of Tapotement Force Applied To Scalp

When tapotement tapping is applied to the scalp in a very light manner it definitely might offer benefits to the hair roots since it is known to help blood circulation to the area being massaged.  Besides stimulating the blood circulation, the skin and the muscle reflexes, it is known to facilitate the flushing of toxins from the tissues being tapped.

The key is how intense or heavy the force of the stroking and tapping was performed.  It is a well known fact that tapotement should never be done to areas of the body which have fresh bruises, strains, sprains, swelling or other obvious damage.  It is also not advised for anyone with high blood pressure, heart disease or artery damage.  Tapping massage if often used for clearing lung congestion and may deliver too much force to the area and tissues beneath the surface.

Tapotement May Be Double Edge Sword

Some massage experts consider tapotement massage movements as a double edged sword with both helpful and harmful effects.  For tapotement movements to be beneficial, they has to be applied briskly and rhythmically for a certain duration in order to tone and assist with dispersing of fluid build up. Pummelling movements utilized with tapotement are recommended to be applied at a rate of 6-10 contacts per second.

Overly Aggressive Massage May Be Too Much For Scalp

Generally speaking, true tapotement massage movements such as accelerated and vigorous finger tapping, pummelling, pinching, slapping or stroking would most likely be too aggressive to apply to the scalp for any extended period of time.  Even if the fingers and the hands are completely free of sharp fingernails or skin, any amount of strong or concentrated force of tapping and, pummelling could actually be too aggressive for the scalp area.

In that case, overly aggressive massage could prove as damaging as scratching the scalp with fingernails, sharp brush bristles or razor thin teeth of a comb.

Bottom line?  Tapotement massage movements are probably not the best for encouraging  hair growth or slowing hair loss.

While the tapping, pummelling, pinching, slapping and stroking can be fabulous for those in need of a good sport massage, consider other massage therapies options if you wish to pursue scalp massage.

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