How to Stimulate Your Hair Follicles

Co-authored by Patrick Evan

Last Updated: July 16, 2024 Approved

Stimulating your hair follicles is one way to encourage hair growth. In addition to making dietary and supplementation changes, stimulating your hair follicles can help your hair grow slightly faster than its average rate. All of these methods have had proven results and are mostly natural methods of stimulating hair follicles that can be done at home.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Massaging Your Scalp

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1
Choose if you would like to include oil in your scalp massage. Many professionals recommend massaging oil into your scalp while you massage it. This not only stimulates your hair follicles but also nourishes your scalp and roots.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Patrick Evan
Professional Hair Stylist

Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.} If you don't use oil, you may end up tugging or tangling your hair. Recommended oils include:^{[2]
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Research source}
- Coconut oil
- Jojoba oil
- Olive oil
- Almond oil
- Egg oil (eyova)
- Avocado oil
- Castor oil
2
Decide when you would like to do a scalp massage. You have a few options here, mainly depending on whether you would like to incorporate oil into your scalp massage.
- In the shower while shampooing (no oil necessary)
- Before showering
- Before bed
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3
Warm a small amount of your chosen oil in a ramekin.^{[3]
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Research source} If you would like to massage your scalp with an oil, then warm a small amount of it. You can warm it with boiling hot water, or you can melt it in a saucepan over low heat.
- No more than one tablespoon of oil is recommended.
4
Place your fingertips on your scalp and begin to massage in small circles. The pads of your fingertips massage and stimulate blood flow to your scalp.
- If you are using oil, then dip your fingertips into the warmed oil before placing them on your scalp. Then, massage the oil into your scalp in small circles. Use only a minimum amount of oil to avoid making your hair too greasy.
5
Massage all over your scalp for up to five minutes. You can part your hair into sections, and massage each section for about one minute, or you can just work your way slowly all around your head.
- Use a variety of touches and movements. Try tapping, kneading, stroking, and rubbing your scalp.
- Some methods suggest flipping your head upside down while massaging to further stimulate blood flow to the scalp. This is not a proven method, so try it with caution, especially if you have health conditions such as pregnancy or frequent dizziness.
6
Wrap your head in an old t-shirt, light towel, or shower cap. Wrapping your hair gives the oil time to absorb into your follicles and hair shafts, providing extra nourishing power.^{[4]
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Research source} Allow your hair to stay wrapped, absorbing the oil, for up to two hours.
- Heavy bath towels tend to cause hair breakage, so good alternatives for wrapping your hair include old cotton t-shirts or light microfiber towels.
- This step is not necessary if you did not use oil while massaging your scalp.
7
Wash your hair thoroughly, if you used oil. No matter what type of hair you have, too much oil in it will make it greasy. This is especially true if you have fine hair, for which oils are usually too heavy.
- Shampoo and condition your hair as you normally would.^{[5]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Patrick Evan
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview. 17 January 2019.} You may need to shampoo twice in order to get all of the oil out of your hair.^{[6]
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  Research source}
8
Use a store-bought scalp massager if you don't want to use oils. These can be bought from drug stores or beauty stores. These tools will massage your scalp for you without the need for oil. Some may require batteries.
It is not recommended to do scalp massages daily, as washing the oil out of your hair daily can dry it out. Instead, limit yourself to two or three times a week. You can do both dry scalp massages and scalp massages while you shampoo or condition your hair in the shower.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Adding Essential Oils to Your Scalp Massage

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1
Purchase rosemary and peppermint essential oils. These can likely be found in natural living stores, health food stores, and online.
- Rosemary and peppermint essential oils have been shown to stimulate hair growth when used during scalp massages.
2
Add 3-4 drops of both essential oils to a base oil. Any of the oils you used for a scalp massage can be used as a base oil. When you are doing a scalp massage with an oil, add a few drops of both the rosemary and the peppermint essential oils to the base oil.
- Alternatively, you can look for shampoo and/or conditioner products that have these essential oils in them already.
- Do not use essential oils without a base oil, or they may irritate your scalp.
3
Massage the mixture into your scalp.^{[7]
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Research source} Work in small circles with just your fingertips, not your fingernails. Slowly massage all around your scalp for about five minutes.
- You can part your hair into smaller sections, if you would like, to make sure you massage all areas.
After the scalp massage, you may choose to leave the oil in for up to two hours. You can wrap your head in an old cotton t-shirt or in a light towel, or you could put your hair in a shower cap.^{[8]
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Research source}
In order to remove all of the oils from your hair, you might need to shampoo your hair twice. Then, condition it as you normally would.^{[9]
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Research source}

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using a Boar Bristle Brush to Stimulate Your Hair Follicles

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In order to best stimulate your hair follicles and encourage your scalp to produce its own natural oils, a boar bristle brush with natural bristles is most recommended.
2
Brush out your hair to detangle it. Start brushing at the ends and slowly work your way up to the roots. You can apply a leave-in conditioner or dry conditioner before brushing to stop tangles from forming while brushing.
You will temporarily stand upside down so that you can brush the underside of your hair at the back of your neck.
4
Brush your hair in long, gentle strokes starting at the base of your neck. Brush your hair forward over the crown of your head and down to the tips, toward the floor.
- Move all along the back of your neck and up to the sides of your head, beside your ears. You can also move sections of hair to brush hard-to-reach layers.
- Brush for 3-5 minutes.
Avoid getting dizzy by standing back up slowly so that your body has time to adjust.
6
Repeat brushing your hair as you did before, starting at the roots and brushing downward to the tips. Again, brush for another 3-5 minutes, moving all around the top of your head.
- Brush in slow, gentle strokes to avoid hair breakage and to stimulate the scalp.
- Part your hair to brush in different sections as needed.
Brushing your hair with a natural boar bristle brush can be done up to three times per day, but doing it at least once daily is recommended.

Jen Atkin, Celebrity Hairstylist

Practice proper hair maintenance. "Brushing hair is the easiest way to keep hair healthy. Knots or tangles in the hair often cause breakage, so brushing hair on a consistent basis can help to prevent knots and detangle. Last but not least, brushing can help to smooth out any frizz and flyaways."

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Applying Onion Juice to Your Scalp

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While it is best to make the juice in small batches so that it does not go bad, it will be helpful to have extra onions on hand for when you need to make the next batch.
Peel it off using your fingers, or you can cut the onions into chunks, which often helps the skin come off easily.
3
Decide how you will obtain the juice from the onion. You have three options for doing this, based on what kind of kitchen appliances and tools you already own:
- A juicer: Cut the onion in small chunks and feed them through the juicer.
- A blender or food processor: Cut the onion into about four chunks and process the chunks in the blender or food processor. Strain the mixture through a metal strainer or cheesecloth over a bowl so that only the juice remains.
- A grater: Cut the onion in half and run each half over the grater. Strain the grated onion through a cheesecloth over a bowl to extract the juice.
4
Test the onion juice in a small, hidden spot on your skin to test for an allergic reaction. Fresh, pure onion juice is potent and can cause a reaction if you are allergic.
- Do not proceed with the rest of the steps if you are allergic.
Carefully pour the juice over your scalp, and then use your fingertips to massage it into your scalp. Adding the massage gives the process extra power to stimulate your hair follicles.
In order to achieve the best results, the onion juice needs to sit on your scalp for at least a half an hour.
Once the time is up, shampoo and condition your hair as usual to remove the onion smell.
It is recommended to repeat this method three times per week for best results within a couple of months.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Do hair follicles grow back if pulled out?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

The hair follicle is actually the divet in your skin that hair grows from. You can't pull it out, but you can pull out a hair's root. Doing so roughly and repeatedly may damage the follicle enough that it won't produce a new hair.

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Question

Can you grow new hair follicles?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

No, follicles are divets in the skin that produce hair. You can't make new ones, but you can improve the efficacy of the ones you have through proper diet and scalp massage.

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Question

Can you regenerate hair follicles?

Laura Martin
Licensed Cosmetologist
Laura Martin is a Licensed Cosmetologist based in Milledgeville, Georgia. She has been working as a hair stylist since 2007, and began a career as a cosmetology teacher in 2013. She worked as a teacher at Arrojo Cosmetology School, teaching cosmetology practices, hairstyling, and hair color application. She also brought her cosmetology expertise to her work as a staff writer for fashion blog Style Noted, writing pieces related to hair and fashion. She received an MFA in Creative Writing from Georgia College & State University, where she was also an English Teaching Fellow. Additionally, she received a BA in Creative Writing and Literature from New York University.

Laura Martin

Licensed Cosmetologist

Expert Answer

You can reactivate sluggish follicles with treatments ranging from tea tree oil and scalp massage to minoxidil and finasteride. None of these are 100% effective.

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Tips

Always use your fingertips when doing a scalp massage so that you do not cut or scratch your scalp with your fingernails.

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Clean a natural boar bristle brush by running a wide-toothed comb through it. Lay the comb flat, so that it is perpendicular to the bristles, and gently push it through to remove hair stuck in it. Then, rinse the brush with water and lay it flat on a towel, with the bristles down, to dry.

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Warnings

Test any new method on a small section of your scalp before fully using it so that you can test your skin's reaction to it.

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