No, Scalp Popping Is NOT The Way. Try This Instead...

Have you seen the viral videos going around of scalp popping? 

Yeah, we will NOT be promoting that here. It's dangerous, not even proven to be true...

And frankly, there's a MUCH better way of promoting health!

The viral videos show a wad of hair being twirled tightly around a few fingers and pulled, creating a cracking or popping sound in the skull.

Similar to the sound you would hear when getting a Chiro adjustment.

Now, WHY would someone do this?

And WHAT benefit would this type of release offer?

Well, to begin...

Just like with other parts of your body, the skull itself has multiple bones that adjust based on things like daily movement, sleep position, and posture.

If you're like me and you've had a concussion...or two...you've likely experienced a movement in the skull bones that can affect everything from:

Tongue positioning

Breathing

Chewing

Bite alignment

Vision

Cognitive function

Facial symmetry

and even Immunity.

But here's the thing...

It's not just moving the bones around that creates the healing benefits.

It's about understanding how fascia works and learning to work with THAT.

See, fascia is the 'silver skin' that envelopes your muscles. It's also the connective tissue that mounts your muscles to your bones.

When it's bound up, you feel like your joints are stiff, your body may ache, and generating natural energy may be a bit of a struggle.

The 'older' you get, the stiffer...aka more DRY..the fascia gets.

Why?

Because you stop moving as much.

Because you have YEARS of toxins built up, wreaking havoc on your body.

And because you may be undernourished and dehydrated.

Fascia requires a LOT of movement to stay supple.

But it can only do so much without proper diet, sunlight, rest, and adequate hydration, of course.

And because the health of your fascia affects literally EVERYTHING, supporting it DAILY is key to living a long, FIT life.

Remember...

There is NO individual system in the body that works independently on its own.

This is why we say...

Your toe is literally connected to your skull.

The fascia binds it all together!

(I'll show you how that is another day. It's pretty cool actually.)

So, back to scalp manipulation. Or shall I say:

Supporting scalp fascia health.

Scalp massage, and GENTLY pulling groups of hair while massaging, shows incredible promise in supporting fascia health.

By GENTLY stretching the fascia through this GENTLE pulling motion, you're...

Promoting hair growth

Supporting lymphatic flow

Increasing blood flow and oxygen to the brain

Releasing tension through the sinuses, eyes, and neck

Promoting optimal alignment of the skeletal bones from the head down to the toes

and even, relaxing the STRAIN on your facial muscles that can lead to wrinkles and headaches.

It all begins with fascia!

NOT popping your skull.

Now, how to do it:

-To practice this exercise SAFELY, start by massaging your clean, dry scalp to begin softening up the fascia and gently increasing blood flow to the area.

-Using both hands, gently grab a wad of hair between your fingers and make a lose fist on each side of your scalp. Move your hands in a circular motion, clockwise and counter-clockwise.

Go slow and gentle at first. 

There may be some knots that really need your compassion. 

In time, and as your hair folicles get stronger, and they will, you'll be able to get a deeper pull and a longer massage period.

A couple of important notes:

-Do NOT do this with wet hair. Wet hair can be vulnerable to breakage.

-The body holds onto energy, trauma, and pain. So there MAY be moments where your scalp releases an emotion, similar to a deep stretch in yoga that makes you want to cry. Be gentle, compassionate, and loving with this process.

*If you have a chronic condition, please consult your healthcare provider before attempting this.*

If you try out this technique, let me know how you like it!

I habit stacked this into my morning and evening routines for the past few months.

At first, my scalp HURT.

Usually the ache was RIGHT in the spot where my messy bun goes every day. And the more I did this the more I realized there was a 'dent' RIGHT in that very spot from perpetually putting weight on it.

YIKES!

Over time, that dent diminished. And now I can barely feel it.

Thankfully!

Also, through consistent practice, I've noticed that certain parts of my scalp hurt based on different levels of stress, my overall sleep quality, my mineral balance/hydration quality, and even how much time I spend on my computer.

What I love most about a little tool like this is that it gives me a chance to assess my current lifestyle and take note of how it's helping or hindering my overall health.

Habits like this are GREAT to use for daily health assessment!

And for getting those tiny WINS in each day.

Oh, and if you got this far and are thinking "But Alida, I don't have hair anymore!" you may not get the SAME benefits but you CAN do a daily scalp massage...or TWICE daily for optimal benefits.

For you, that would be a deeper, more intentional massage using the finger tips to gently press down and move in a circular motion, clockwise and counter, all around the scalp for around 2 minutes.

Your health can almost always be traced by to your lifestyle habits.

Choose those habits with great care!