How Meditation Can Help Your Hair Growth Routine
It can be super frustrating when we feel like we've tried everything to achieve healthy hair growth, yet we're still dealing with excess hair fall and thinning tresses. If you feel like you've tried everything to combat thinning hair and you're still experiencing hair loss, it might be time to try meditation for hair regrowth!
If you're skeptical, that's understandable. After all, how does being more mindful help our hair? What on earth can meditation do for hair growth?
The answer is that it's not the act of mindfulness and meditating that promotes healthy hair and skin. Instead, it's the numerous physical benefits we reap from meditating that support healthy hair growth and glowing skin.
Read on to learn more about meditation benefits for hair and the connections between meditation and hair loss!
What Are the Benefits of Meditation for Skin and Hair?
The most important benefit we get from meditation is a whole-body feeling of calmness and alleviation of stress. Research shows that chronic stress is associated with increased cortisol and an increased risk of heart attack, high blood pressure, digestive problems and inflammatory responses. Meditation also helps us better manage conditions like anxiety, depression and problems with our sleep, as well as enhance our ability to focus and be present.
The benefits of meditation for our skin and hair come from alleviating the symptoms of stress. When we are stressed, our bodies produce more cortisol (the stress hormone), and when our hormone levels become unbalanced, this can cause increased hair loss and thinning by triggering the telogen (resting) phase of our hair growth cycle.
In fact, the hair loss that results from excess cortisol has a name: Cortisol-Induced Hair Growth Disruption. According to the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, too much cortisol causes dysregulation of our natural cycle of hair growth and accelerates the degradation of hyaluronan and proteoglycans, which are important proteins for skin health. Meditation aids hair loss prevention by reducing high cortisol levels.
Another meditation benefit for our hair and skin is better nutrition. When we are stressed and anxiety, insomnia or depression start to creep up on us, our diets tend to suffer. We often reach for convenience foods, which usually aren't nutrient-dense. We either overeat or don't eat enough to properly nourish our overly stressed bodies—our hair and skin require nutrients to thrive!
Implementing meditation for stress relief, practicing intuitive eating and enlisting the support of a nutritionist can help us rebalance a diet that's gone off track due to stress. Even something as simple as adding a daily vitamin or supplement that supports skin and hair health, like our Significant Other Hair, Skin & Nails Supplement, can help give hair a healthy boost!
Stress also impacts how much collagen we produce. We know that collagen production slows as we age, but researchers have also found that stress causes a lower quantity and quality of collagen in the skin. Supplementing with a marine-sourced collagen like our Power Within Skin & Scalp Collagen Gummies can help combat this dual attack on our collagen production and promote healthy hair and skin!
Meditation helps center us and makes us more mindful of how we're feeling. Checking in with ourselves is important! Taking even a few minutes for deep, measured breathing or to consciously relax a tense neck and jaw muscles can help—many of us don't realize how much our stress manifests in muscle tension!
Beyond releasing tension, meditation can also help hair grow by improving blood flow in our head to nourish our hair cells. A study revealed that meditating for 30 minutes for five days significantly increased blood flow in the left frontal lobes.
What Are Some Meditation Techniques for Hair Growth?
The best part about meditation for hair growth, skin health or general relaxation is that there is virtually no barrier to entry! Meditating is free and requires no equipment to get started. It doesn't require guidance (though you can definitely find guided meditation practitioners if you prefer!) And you can meditate in silence or try calming meditation music for hair growth.
The act of meditation itself can take many forms. Here are some of our favorite meditation techniques for hair growth, skin support and whole-body wellness:
Breath-Focused Meditation
If you have the space to lay down, you can try diaphragm breathwork, which is excellent for calming the mind. (Plus, we're supposed to breathe from the diaphragm, which is located at the base of our lungs.)
To try this technique, lay on your back and place a hand on your chest about 5 or 6 inches below your clavicle. Breathe deeply from your belly, while keeping your hand as still as possible. Consciously think about the movement of your breath and focus on nothing else for the duration of the meditation.
Meditative Prayer
If you are a spiritual person, prayer is a great meditative practice that helps us corral our thoughts and focus on the present moment. Those who practice meditative prayer note that it helps them tackle issues and obstacles in their lives head-on. Speaking or writing their thoughts about the problem, identifying a desired outcome, and focusing on that result reportedly helps practitioners take positive action toward that particular goal.
Focusing on a Mantra
Practicing positive affirmations is a great meditation option for hair regrowth. Whether you want to manifest healthy hair growth or simply practice gratitude for having healthy, strong locks, the most important part of mantra meditation is focusing on the positive. Don't say "I hate my thin hair and wish it were longer." Instead say "I can envision the long hair I want, and it's within my reach." Check out our list of 10 positive hair affirmations for inspiration!
Doing a "Body Scan"
This meditation practice is great for becoming more mindful of your body, and it's easy for meditation beginners! Starting at your toes, mentally work your way up your body, noticing any tension or pain points. Go slowly—this should take a few minutes. Body scan meditation helps us focus on how each part of our body feels, which enables us to get to know our bodies better. This way, if new pain or tensions emerge, we're attuned to the new sensations and better equipped to address them.
Shower Meditation
Who doesn't love the peacefulness of a steamy shower after a long day at work? It makes sense that this relaxing, private space is a great place to practice meditation for hair growth!
Shower meditations work by helping us relax and focus on mentally washing away stress, tension and anxiety present in our mind or body. The heat from the water helps with muscle relaxation and also stimulates oxytocin, the body's "feel good" chemical.
For an added boost to washing away external stressors, try adding a purifying scalp cleanser with invigorating menthyl lactate to your shower. Our New Dawn Activated Charcoal Scalp Cleanser has a massaging applicator to support healthy blood flow and activated charcoal and lactic acid to leave your scalp feeling rejuvenated and free from dirt and oil!
Pro tip: Don't go too hot with your shower! It should feel good, but scalding water temps can dry out your skin and hair. If you can't go without your super-hot shower, try to lower the temps while washing your hair to prevent dryness, damage and color fade!
Tell us: Have you implemented a meditation routine for hair growth? Do you use meditation music for hair growth? Share your favorite meditation practices in the comments below!
Like what you read and want more hair-care content delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up to receive our weekly newsletters for the latest hair intel and exclusive promotions for your hair needs!