Indian Champi Head Massage for Relaxation

Head or Scalp Massage (Champi) is an Alternative therapy like yoga, deep breathing, meditation and acupressure and is known to help relieve stress in a person. A good head massage relieves stress and stress caused headache as well as creates a medium for nourishment and treatment for the scalp.

An effective head massage takes 3 matched aspects: Type of Oil, Seating Posture and Ambience and Skill level and technique of the masseur.

Aspect 1: Type of Oil

The type of oil that is used during a massage is almost as important, as the massage techniques that are used. Always use natural or herbal hair oils for a head massage as it provides the required nutrition to the hair making the hair healthy and strong and even contributes to stopping hair loss. The best herbal hair oils include Amla, Hibiscus, Neem oil, Brahmi, Bhringraj as ingredients and are blended in bases of Sesame, Coconut or Olive Oil.

Avoid Cooling Mineral Oil blends as these do not provide nutrition and are not compatible with the natural scalp oils. Some of the preferred plain oils for a head massage are cold-pressed Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado oil, Sesame Oil, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, and Grapeseed Oil. In fact the Virgin Oil obtained from the Coconut (known as Virgin Coconut Oil) is known to provide the hair with immense nutrition and also be extremely healthy on the whole. Blending your Oil with Castor Oil provides deep nourishing treatment for denser hair. For people requiring Hair Therapy, like Anti Hairfall Treatment, Anti Dandruff Treatment, Hair Folicle & Scalp Vitalisation, etc using appropriate blended therapy oils during massage will allow maximum effectivess of such treatment.

Aspect 2: Posture

The upper part of the body is particularly vulnerable to stress and poor posture. Tension accumulates in the neck, back, shoulders and head. Always be seated in an upright chair with proper neck, shoulder and back support. Feet must be flat on the floor and hands relaxed in the lap. The therapist will encourage the client to close his / her eyes and take deep breathes before the massage begins. Soft music and candlelight is desirable and followed in most Spa’s but not common in most Hair Salons.

Aspect 3: Good Head Massage Techniques

It is very important to use the right massage techniques, or else it could have adverse side effects on the body. Therefore, in case you are visiting a spa or a saloon, make sure that the masseuse is well versed with different neck, foot, face, hand and shampoo massage techniques. Good head massage techniques basically include a combination of different pressure points, right positioning and strokes as these aspects tend to play a very critical role while giving a good head massage. A shoulder massage combined with the head massage allows the person to relax the muscles of their shoulders, neck, head as well as back.

The Indian Head Massage (Champi) is based on the principles of alternative medicine and hence revolves around surrounding chakras or flow of energy. The techniques of the Indian head massage are known to be very beneficial for providing relief from fatigue, insomnia, stress, sinuitis, migraines, increasing ones mental clarity, hair loss, scalp tension and hair thinning. Heat some warm oil in a small bowl and spread the oiled soaked fingers over the scalp and stroke it gently downwards and upwards. Using your fingertips, apply slight pressure on the muscles of the scalp and the neck to help the head relax. One of the good head massage techniques is to spread ones fingers on the head and then stroke the head gently in a downward and upward movement. Pressure should be applied on the head only using ones fingertips and thumbs. The direction of the fingers should be changes after preferably every five minutes. After moving the fingers upwards and downwards, they should now be moved anticlockwise and clockwise. The pressure should be applied to the back of the head and the sides only using ones knuckles to enable the person to feel relaxed. Pressure should also be applied on the eyebrows with the help of the index finger and the thumb. This too, is an effective technique for relieving stress and a headache. Thereafter one needs to pull the top of the ears with their fingers till they are able to hear a kind of a cracking sound which helps in reducing tension and also in expanding the ear muscles. Finally using ones index finger and thumb one should apply pressure on the eyebrows to get instant relief from a headache. This head massage technique should be concluded by closing the eyes and then very gently massaging the sockets with only the index finger.

Benefits

1) A head massage is considered to be a very effective stress reliever. The head massage helps the person relax the muscles of the head, shoulders, neck and even back.

2) Head massage if done correctly can be very effective in providing relief from acute and chronic headaches. Please remember that, certain medical conditions or even eyesight problems, lead to frequent headaches in people and it is important to ensure that you consult a doctor, if the headaches are too frequent.

3) A good head massage allows the individual achieving sound sleep and it also helps in the rejuvenation of the brain cells.

4) Apart from relaxation and stress reduction, massaging the muscles of the head using warm oil, at least once a week, on a long term basis, gives the hair follicles nourishment and allows for better blood circulation to the scalp and neck area, helping in hair growth enhancement, preventing hair fall and split-ends, and general sense of wellbeing.

5) Regular conditioning and lubrication of the scalp, prevents flakiness and dryness, promotes the growth of new hair and adds strength to the existing hair. It also relaxes the scalp, increases flexibility, replenishes and rejuvenates hair that has been dry and damaged, softening the hair and making it easier to manage and strengthening the roots of the hair, by nourishing the hair shafts.

6) Protecting the hair from the harmful effects of certain elements, like the harsh sun.

Treatment Frequency

Champi should initially and ideally be carried out once a week for maximum benefit. Clients are advised to book a course of between four and six treatments.

You can do maintenance Champi massages to keep the body balanced at least monthly.