General Consensus of Manual Methods

Just wondering what the general consensus of manuals methods are here. Let us know your experience with it, which method you employed, and how long you did it, and what kind of results you got.

My Experience: Here is why I started the thread.

Started towel method from July - September = 3 month.
From November to Today, I stopped the towel method and switched to brushing.

With either method, my hairline has only gotten worse. It has receded more than it ever has since I started losing hair 4 years ago. Its scary to see it get worse in a short amount of time. Even in the past 3 weeks, I've seen it get worse than it is now. The crown seems to have thinned some too, though the rest of my hair seems to be the same.

All that being said, I've been only doing this for 4 months total, so I know way more time is needed before results might show. But I was hoping I would at least maintain while doing it.

Anyway, share your experience. Also curious what CS and Jdp think of manual methods. Thanks!

Not sure, but I'd feel pretty silly if I spent time every day using a brush until my scalp bled or assaulting myself with a towel. Just my opinion.

Some of us did something similar back in 2009. It was called occlusion training. Can google for info. But instead of applying occlusion training to the arms or whatever, it was applied towards the head.

The way you do it is you buy a gigantic blood pressure cuff which can be bought on ebay and you inflate the blood pressure cuff for a bit. It basically cuts off the circulation for a short period and then when you release the blood pressure cuff, there is a huge rush of blood to the area.

It was helpful but that was about it. I wouldn't use it as one of the most important parts of a regimen. I would more recommend removal of 100% of the food sensitivities and such by experimenting with an elimination diet for the average person as being much more important but that's just my experience. As well as other basic info. But everyone is different.

IMO, what's easier to live with than occlusion training on the head is to brush your hair every hour or couple of hours or whenever even just for a couple seconds. This will help stimulate the lymphatic system which IMO, is more important than blood circulation.

I don't do any manual methods myself except light massaing, especially on neck.

Skipped the towel after the shedding stories. Started brushing towards the end of ?March? I think. I some initial shedding but it stabilized and all but stopped for me. This was at the same time as I started brushing in the direction the hair grows more and incorporated the hot/cold showers, not sure if that was coincidence.

I use BB and little "shampoo brushes" as well as a regular soft wide toothed brush and don't usually go too hard. I use the smaller brushes to massage the head more than brush it by pressing into the scalp and moving the skin.

I've since started doing more massage (I did a bit before but now I feel like I do it better/get more from it so I do it a little more). My scalp was VERY tight before and some areas felt dead/didn't get red easily and now it's very loose. My hair has thickened considerably and my hairline is slowly growing back in. When I started these methods I was getting close to forming the "island" patch at the front of my head but that is WAAAAaaay gone now. I'd liken my current hairline to that of a couple years ago when I was on meds. The colour has also darkened a bit and the quality has vastly improved, less tangling, stronger hairs and seems to be getting straighter. I also almost never wear a hat anymore and before it was rare to see me out of the house without one.

FWIW I also do headstands almost everyday.

I also noticed since starting to massage all around the base of my head and the forehead that I have a LOT of tension in there and the massage feels AMAZING sometimes. Since starting it my ears now flush intensely with blood when I get embarrassed or after massaging. This happened to me my whole life until about the time I started losing hair. I had only noticed a couple times that it didn't happen anymore as an adult but figured it was just maturing/being less excitable or something. Turns out it wasn't.

In September I added in a laser helmet and so far it's too early to tell but I definitely get a "pump" pulsing feeling in my scalp after using it for about 15 minutes.

As always I should note that I also put various topicals (natural stuff though) on my head (not always the same thing but just kind of rotate them based on how my head/scalp seem to be doing) and use some supplements. I'm also a big proponent of diet. If I eat crap I get some mild itch in my head for a day or so. It's definitely not coincidence.

Basically for me manuals and clean living with some supps seems to ahve cured my hairloss and if all the velous hairs keep thickening as they seem to be, in a couple years I'll be back to my highschool hairline. I know that's far fetched, but a guy can dream right?

I just posted this in the Ferox Method thread today. Then this thread started up. Seems appropriate that it be posted here:

8 months into manual methods and have experienced some great success but recently undergoing a shed. Here's the details.

mid March - start manual methods including margo towelling method, inversion/headstands, massage, scalp exercises. Within couple of weeks the beginning of a huge shed.

April - shed continues. Bail on the towelling method and take up brushing with a good boar bristle brush. Continue to shed pretty intensely but brushing just seems to make more sense to me so I continue. As well I kind of figure that it's my last stand so have nothing to lose.

May - shed continues. Hair starts to look really awful so I cut it progressively shorter which makes it look better but hair loss becoming more and more visible. I use a digital microscope to check out scalp occaisionally and I discover lots of new vellus hair growing. I figure I'll try the Maliniak method as well so start that massage and order a violet ray.

June - shed slows but hair looks brutal as new vellus hair of no cosmetic use

July - explosion of new growth, vellus hair turning terminal. By end of July hair looks great, growing out and looking thicker than it has in months

August - good things continue. Routine is almost exclusively brushing now, morning and night about 400 to 500 strokes each time. Shedding minimal, hair feels strong and looks great. Continue to do some massage and use violet ray. The program has not only made hair growth better but scalp has much more laxity which is probably resulting in better circulation and growth.

September - hair at its best. Growing longer and still looks good

October - towards end of the month shedding increases slightly

November - still good through beginning of month. Last couple of week shedding has picked up. Definitely in a shed period now. I can see lots of vellus hair growing in and turning terminal (albeit weak terminal) when I look with the microscope.

Am wondering if any other long time brushers who have had some success have experienced this shed after initial success. Thinking rationally I know it should be a sign of good things, particularly as I can see new hair coming in, but it is still disconcerting, especially after having made such good progress. There is always the fear that treatments are losing their affect. It takes some resolve to plow through the sheds and not get discouraged.

Hey Huli, maybe you're experiencing a normal seasonal shed. As I've paid closer attention over the last few years I've noticed a seasonal shed around November every year. I think this is normal for people with and without hair loss issues. Thanks to everyone posting their manual method results as they are on balance positive and have encouraged me to try them.

huli wrote:I just posted this in the Ferox Method thread today. Then this thread started up. Seems appropriate that it be posted here:

8 months into manual methods and have experienced some great success but recently undergoing a shed. Here's the details.

mid March - start manual methods including margo towelling method, inversion/headstands, massage, scalp exercises. Within couple of weeks the beginning of a huge shed.

April - shed continues. Bail on the towelling method and take up brushing with a good boar bristle brush. Continue to shed pretty intensely but brushing just seems to make more sense to me so I continue. As well I kind of figure that it's my last stand so have nothing to lose.

May - shed continues. Hair starts to look really awful so I cut it progressively shorter which makes it look better but hair loss becoming more and more visible. I use a digital microscope to check out scalp occaisionally and I discover lots of new vellus hair growing. I figure I'll try the Maliniak method as well so start that massage and order a violet ray.

June - shed slows but hair looks brutal as new vellus hair of no cosmetic use

July - explosion of new growth, vellus hair turning terminal. By end of July hair looks great, growing out and looking thicker than it has in months

August - good things continue. Routine is almost exclusively brushing now, morning and night about 400 to 500 strokes each time. Shedding minimal, hair feels strong and looks great. Continue to do some massage and use violet ray. The program has not only made hair growth better but scalp has much more laxity which is probably resulting in better circulation and growth.

September - hair at its best. Growing longer and still looks good

October - towards end of the month shedding increases slightly

November - still good through beginning of month. Last couple of week shedding has picked up. Definitely in a shed period now. I can see lots of vellus hair growing in and turning terminal (albeit weak terminal) when I look with the microscope.

Am wondering if any other long time brushers who have had some success have experienced this shed after initial success. Thinking rationally I know it should be a sign of good things, particularly as I can see new hair coming in, but it is still disconcerting, especially after having made such good progress. There is always the fear that treatments are losing their affect. It takes some resolve to plow through the sheds and not get discouraged.

thanks for your experience huli. Gonna continue brushing and headstands. Keep us posted with your progress.

General consenus on manual methods: they don't work. If they did, hair loss would have been cured thousands of years ago as massaging the scalp is the first thing one can think of when he is losing hair. My grandma when I sarted balding: "you don't have enough circulation in your scalp!"

I sort of slipped into stop doing the maliniak muscle massage - I did get alot of good results but not consistent results on the hairline and frontal area. Now I am losing those results so I better get back doing the message everyday.

The frontal area seem too tight and if the massage losen it up it only last for a little while - next day (latest) the tightness is back.

cpio wrote:
Now I am losing those results so I better get back doing the message everyday.

Are you loosing the temple regrowth you had?

Yeah .. and along the upper perimeter of the skull - it is getting see-through again there, and dry spots develop at the extreme scalpends - if you understand what I mean.

After not getting consistent - only sporadic results at the front my focus shifted away from
manual methods. It is also a drag having to do it for 8-10 mins, 2 mins here and there doesnt work for me.

theseeker86 wrote:

cpio wrote:
Now I am losing those results so I better get back doing the message everyday.

Are you loosing the temple regrowth you had?

Damn that sucks, are you going to go back to a consistent routine with the massages?

huli wrote:I just posted this in the Ferox Method thread today. Then this thread started up. Seems appropriate that it be posted here:

8 months into manual methods and have experienced some great success but recently undergoing a shed. Here's the details.

mid March - start manual methods including margo towelling method, inversion/headstands, massage, scalp exercises. Within couple of weeks the beginning of a huge shed.

April - shed continues. Bail on the towelling method and take up brushing with a good boar bristle brush. Continue to shed pretty intensely but brushing just seems to make more sense to me so I continue. As well I kind of figure that it's my last stand so have nothing to lose.

May - shed continues. Hair starts to look really awful so I cut it progressively shorter which makes it look better but hair loss becoming more and more visible. I use a digital microscope to check out scalp occaisionally and I discover lots of new vellus hair growing. I figure I'll try the Maliniak method as well so start that massage and order a violet ray.

June - shed slows but hair looks brutal as new vellus hair of no cosmetic use

July - explosion of new growth, vellus hair turning terminal. By end of July hair looks great, growing out and looking thicker than it has in months

August - good things continue. Routine is almost exclusively brushing now, morning and night about 400 to 500 strokes each time. Shedding minimal, hair feels strong and looks great. Continue to do some massage and use violet ray. The program has not only made hair growth better but scalp has much more laxity which is probably resulting in better circulation and growth.

September - hair at its best. Growing longer and still looks good

October - towards end of the month shedding increases slightly

November - still good through beginning of month. Last couple of week shedding has picked up. Definitely in a shed period now. I can see lots of vellus hair growing in and turning terminal (albeit weak terminal) when I look with the microscope.

Am wondering if any other long time brushers who have had some success have experienced this shed after initial success. Thinking rationally I know it should be a sign of good things, particularly as I can see new hair coming in, but it is still disconcerting, especially after having made such good progress. There is always the fear that treatments are losing their affect. It takes some resolve to plow through the sheds and not get discouraged.

I'd just like to say thank you for reporting back to the forum. These types of reports are essential whether positive or negative.

I think I might take up the brushing again as I only gave it a few weeks. I realized that the spots where the thinning was the worst.....the more pain I had. I guess I'm wondering if I need a new brush and how often to do it in which directions etc...is there a consensus on technique for brushing?