Connection between Detumescence and Guasha

Guasha is the Chinese method of taking a smooth object to scrape against the skin. As detailed in this article:

http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/press-releases/1198-the-science-of-gua-sha.html

What basically happens is that blood is pushed out of semi-permeable capillaries into tissue. Besides increasing surface microperfusion, anti-inflammatory effects are seen:

"A group at Harvard used bioluminescent imaging with a mouse, and showed that gua sha upregulates gene expression for an enzyme that is an anti-oxidant and cytoprotectant, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1)".

"HO-1 and its catalysates (biliverdin, bilirubin and carbon monoxide (CO)) exhibit not only anti-oxidative but also anti-inflammatory effects [5]. For example, augmentation of HO-1 expression attenuates allergic inflammation. HO-1 plays a protective role in allergic disease in part by inhibiting Th2 cell-specific chemokines"

Perhaps this is what Detumescence is really doing?

There are the following theories on Detumsecence

1. Grease --obviously BS. If anyone had 20 years worth of grease trapped in their pore, the pore would be giant.
2. Decalcification --no evidence of calcification in the TISSUE. Only one study talking about calcified skull bone. Totally different.
3. Fibrosis --there are studies showing perifollicular fibrosis in the follicle. But who knows if Detumescence remedies this or if there is even a connection between fibrosis and poor hair growth (causation correlation fallacy)
4. Dome shape of skull/skull expansion theory--the HK study marked a change in skull shape. However there is no direct link between skull shape and hair loss that they showed. Again its a causation correlation fallacy to assume hair loss is caused by a change in skull shape.

5. Rebuilding of micro capillaries (wasn't there some research of observation that when the scalp of dead bald and fully hair folk was compared the haired blokes had a lot more capillaries, or some such thing) ...perhaps via VEGF or some such mechanism. Edit this is interesting and links two of the theories partially together...

In specimens of skin from aged subjects, the capillaries supplying a single sebaceous gland may be derived from a number of arterioles. In bald scalp, together with the retrograde metamorphosis of the hair follicles to vellus types, the sebaceous glands undergo a prodigious increase in size. The follicles of vellus hairs are supplied by a vestige of capillary nets, while the sebaceous glands seem to usurp the capillaries that were once around the larger parent follicle (Fig. 5). With ageing there is an increasing disorganization of the blood vascular system of the skin and these changes are reflected in the vascularization of the sebaceous glands.

http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v30/n3/full/jid195826a.html

Maybe it re-distributes capillaries in a way that favours follicles again, vs glands? (Would explain perhaps why scalps become less greasy with manual methods over time?)

6. Lymphatic drainage, flushing all the crud out your scalp


My guess, is it's probably a combo of the things.

I am certain they are the same thing

one theory of baldness is calcification and dead skin and generally junk and waste has accumulated in the scalp area

The is the calcification theory of hair loss.  

I think gua sha is the solution to it.

Clear away all the built up grease and dirt and calcium deposits.

You cannot do it by just taking magnesium and vitamin k2.

You literally have to scrape it away.


Of course, this is just the theory.

Dr. Frederick Hoelzel introduced his "ivory dome" theory of bald
ness based on observations he made in 1916 to 1917 while serving as a technician in
gross anatomy at the College of Medicine of the University of Illinois. During that time
he removed the brains of about 80 cadavers and discovered a correlation between the
blood vessel supply to the scalp and the quantity of hair present. In the cadavers with
baldness, blood vessels that nourished hair had been "pinched" off by excessive calcifi
cation in the cavities (foramen) of the skull bones through which these blood vessels
passed, thereby impairing circulation to the scalp. Dr. Hoelzel concluded that "hair
tonics" or vitamins were not likely to restore blood circulation, through blood vessels
that had practically become impeded by “solid ivory”.

This suggests, maybe, that no diet or supplement can help.
You would have to literally break it down with something like gua sha or DT.

Also look into fire cupping

and vacuum cupping

to bring renewal and new life to the scalp