| Author | Message | ||
     tighty |
when you do the scalp squeeze, i presume it should burn if you have a tight scalp ( cuz it burns for me!...) so, doing the exercise will make my scalp all flexible and dandy, meaning all the burning will end when i do the scalp squeeze. conclusively, when i no longer feel a burn on my scalp when i squeeze it, thats when i'll know that I no longer have a tight, prude scalp??? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Tightly: The scalp exercise will not make your scalp "all flexible and dandy" unless you do it correctly and for a period of time. It takes discipline and perseverance to get results from the program. The "burn" comes from the contraction of the occipitalis muscles at the back of the head. Some people experience this burn, others don't. The burn does not come from a tight scalp. I may be wrong about this though. | ||
| Terri F |
Tom, I don't feel a burn. Have others commented how difficult it is to switch from the frontalis contraction right to the ears moving back & occipitals contracting without going to the normal "resting position"? Naqi said that there shouldn't be a rest pause inbetween, and Im doing my best to eliminate it. It takes all my concentration. My alternating rhythm seems so slow, and I lose it easily. Its hard to do 20 in a row before I break the rhythm. Is the lack of burn do to the fact that I just don't have strength in the muscle and can barely make my ears move backward? Or could it be because I have to stop and restart the exercise frequently to get the alternating contraction going again without the pause? My scalp feels itchy because of the blood flow, but I can't feel the "burn". | ||
| naqi |
Terri, perhaps the reason you don;t feel the burn, is becasue the muscles are not being used as much. 20 reps doesn't sound like alot, but i guess thats becasue you're starting out. So, perhaps, yes the muscle isnt strong enough to be worked on - i dont know if that makes sense. When I started, i never had the burn. I found the burn would come the more i worked on the muscle. Overtime it now takes longer for me to feel the burn if at all. Naqi | ||
| Terri F |
Naqi, I didn't mean I only do 20 repetitions and then stop exercising. I spend a good 15 minutes or more trying to do the exercise. Tom had said, I think either on the video or in his booklet, that after 20 repetions you'll feel the burn. I meant its difficult to keep up 20 concecutive alternating contractions without pausing. I lose the rhythm, so I pause for a second to get my concentration focus back to alternating the muscle movements. In other words, I lose the flow. Didn't you experience this when you first began? One other thing you might be able to advise about is how much intensity should you exert on the contractions? If I use a lot of intensity, the flow of movement seems to slow down. If I make the frontalis or occipitals contract as hard as I possibly can, it takes them longer to release from their contraction, thus it seems my flow is much slower than Tom's demonstration. Also, do you feel a tightening of the muscles under the cheekbones when you pull back ears & contract occipitalis? Ive just started to be able to get my ears to move, & this is what I feel as the ears rise. Im concerned that I might be making the ears move with my cheek muscles rather than the occipitals. Terri | ||
| Terri F |
Naqi, Aha! I tried my electric facial stimulator (which I never use anymore) on the back of head to see if I could zap the 2 muscles. I started on the left side. I could feel a tingle (like a mini-shock). I barely got a contraction & my ear didn't move in the beginning. The longer I kept stimulating the more I could feel a pull in front of left ear & under the cheekbone. My ear finally did move a little, but also did when I placed the stimulator above the ear. After I spent quite a while stimulating the left muscle, I switched to the back of head on the right side. I was surprised to find that the left side began contracting again, even though I had the current on the right side! I stopped before I gave the right side much stimulation. That was l/2 hr ago and left side is still feeling quite stimulated and the ear is moving better, but still not a lot. The right side, which I didn't work long, feels like its dead in comparison. Because I can feel a pull under the cheekbone when I put the stimulator on the back of my head, it must be coming from the occipitalis and not a contraction of my cheek muscle as I thought. What do you think? | ||
| naqi |
Terri, When I first started out, I could move my ears. So it really wasn;t a problem. I did however have to concentrate initially to make sure I was doing it right, and that it was just those two muscles being brought into play. On the intensity, yup, the more you use (intensity), the slower the motion will get - initially thats how it was for me. However now 8 months into it, I can use as much intensity as i like and rock the scalp back and forth as fast as a like - this I could not do when i started. When i do the exercise i do a bit of both, perhaps the first 5 minutes are slow the last 5 fast. If you are doing the exercises for the effect it can have on your face, I don;t think the rate at which you do them will matter too much. I'm pretty sure the first few months i did them slowly. On the ear movement, I reckon (guess i could be wrong), if you contract the occipitalis muscles the ears have to move. I know when i do the exercise, the ear movement is involuntary I think a psot of mine might address that issue, below). Note: I'm not saying that if your ears do not move that means you're not contracting the occ. muscle. When you start off, and i guess depending on your age, if this muscle (occ.) is weak it obviously isn't going to move that much, and hence you won't notice any ear movement either. Over time, when the muscle gets stronger (you can contract it more), you should begin to notice the ears move aswell. I've pasted two posts of mine (below) taken from the thread (you may want to read the whole thing): Occip. Muscles - Scalp Not Moving Back When Contracted I think they may address your question on the cheekbones. 1. I can move my ears whilst contracting my occ. muscle with and without the mouth open - kinda goldfishy. On the jaw business - to be honest i'm a bit confused on that myself. See i dont think my jaw moves up or down whilst doing the exercise, I can verify this by looking in a mirror. However if i am not it certainly does appear that my jaw moves up and down slightly. I think what this actually is, is the skin being pulled. See, if i place my fingertips below the ears at the side of my jaw and do the exercise i do feel my skin in that area getting pulled back aswell - there is a definite movement. There is no movement of the jaw as such, placing the fingertips in that area should confirm this, it is not the jaw i feel move but actually the skin over it - hope that makes sense. On the ears - I cant say that their movement is a 100 percent requirement for the exercies to be done correctly. To me the fact that if you, both, place your hands at the back (where the occ. muscle is) and feel the muscle bunch up/move does mean you are working that muscle. Naqi 2. Initially i thought this was the jaw myself. I posted a thread on this to clarify my suspicions. Tom, from what I rememebred tried this and he too experienced the skin movement. I've concentrated hard on that area, and i'm sure that it isnt the jaw that is moving (in my case), as Tom indicated. If i place my fingertips on the jaw bone whilst doing the exercise, it doesnt move at all. This is why i am sure it has to be the skin. Try placing your fingertips, at various areas on the jaw (while doing the exercise, it may feel like it moves, put i'm sure the fingertips tell a different story. Another thing, place your fingertips, (using both your right and left hand) on both sides of your jaw. Now grit your teeth. You'll feel what is the jaw move (you should notice your hands move outwards slightly aswell), this movement is quite different to the movement experienced when i do the exercise. Although they do to some extent seem quite similar. naqi | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Naqi: You're the man. You have good descriptive skills and the willingness to help people. Thanks | ||
| Terri F |
Hi Naqi, I am not clenching my teeth to do the SE either. You suspected the jaw was moving the ears. The muscles (I know my muscles well from doing facial exercises)involved in chewing, biting down or clenching teeth are the temporalis inside the zygomatic arch, and masseter outside. When you grit your teeth, yes, you really can feel the masseter contract & bulge out as you said. These are not the muscles I am concerned that I might be using. Im certain Im not using those. The muscle I am questioning is called the Zygomaticus. This muscle draws the corners of mouth(obicularius oris muscle) outward and upward to the ear. During the exercise, when I relax my forhead and pull back ears, I see my mouth corners lift slightly and I have tightness in front of ear. I cannot determine if the occipitalis muscles are causing this or if I am involving my zygomaticus muscles. What do you see happen to your facial muscles when you pull back the ears, especially at the mouth corners? I am going to look at Tom's video again to see if I notice any movement. I wish I could view the video in extra slow motion! You have a very keen eye to observe that Tom did not go to a "resting" position when he relaxed his brow! I didn't see it until I read your "Observations". You must be an artist. They have superior visual skill. My reason for learning the exercise is two-fold. For the face lifting benefit, and also for my hair which has thinned on top. The two corners of my upper hairline are the worst. Certain hairstyles do not make the spots obvious, but if I pull the hair back or a part is visible you can see a lot of scalp. I usually spray the part with Mirage, hair enhancement system. It's like a colored hairspray and washes right out. I don't think the SE will help because I think my problem is hormones, but it can't hurt to try! Thank you for taking so much time & trouble to reply to my posts. You have been very helpful & Im very grateful. | ||
| naqi |
I thank you for introducing words over 2 syllables into my vocab. especially for when i have to play one of those games 'write down a word begining with the letter.....and its z'. I've just done the exercise in front of the mirror, I did not notice the corners of my mouth lift. However after a few minutes (well I wanted to be sure), I did indeed see a slight movement - however its not consistent. Seeing as I no longer do the exercises in front of a mirror its hard to tell how often my mouth moves. Having said that I do not think its the zygomaticus muscle that is doing this. I still beleive that any movement experienced (as I mentioned on the confusion of the jaw muscles) is casue via the contraction of the occ. muscles. What do I notice as i do the exercise - The most obvious thing I see is my skin being pulled back, during the transition from contracting the frontalis muscles to the occipitalis muscles (This transition also involves the temporalis muscles, i'll explain this later). This seems correct to me, as my face has definetly become more defined since i've been doing the exercise. This also ties in what i said earlier - as to any movement, on the face, being casued by the occip muscles. As I contract these muscles, i feel what seems like 'a tug' (reason for face lift?) on the skin. Tom did say the exercise is a 'fluid motion' with respect to those two muscles - which should really mean it is these two muscles that are in play. However, Tom also mentions the temporalis muscles - I really believe these move 'as you contract the occip. muscles'. Try to move only the temp. muscles (its not easy, in fact it maybe impossible - unless i've mixed them up with some other muscle), this will casue the ears to move back, but you should also notice there is a movement in the occ. muscle - the muscle, i beleive controls the movement at the ears (perhaps via the temp muscles), resulting in that tug on my skin, and further the slight movement at the corner of the mouth, the zygomaticus muscle . Ok, I think the paragraphs above are me more or less just saying the same thing over and over again. On me being an artist - I'm far from that, i just want to regrow some hair back. Naqi | ||
| Terri F |
Naqi, Well, I think you should take up art! What kind of name is Naqi? Very unusual indeed! I think I am involving the Zygomaticus along with the occipitalis. The Zygomaticus and some other muscles pull face into a wide smile back toward the ear. It is not the same feeling I get when I do the facial exercise to contract that muscle, but I think Im using it slightly to "help" things along. This muscle must get worked during the SE, otherwise Tom wouldn't have those beautiful cheeks all us "mature" women would like to recapture from our youth. I just hope it doesn't make me look like Clint Eastwood! I remembered reading a post that said the SE would make you look like him. Hopefully, I will look more like the "younger" wife he has!!!!!!!!!!! Try one more thing for me. Contract your occipitalis and tell me if you feel (by use your hand or fingers on the muscles) any contraction (tightening) on the face anywhere besides the temple area. I don't mean just the skin moving, but actual contraction. What do you feel in front of ears, behind ears, on cheek etc.? Does your nose flare outward, does your forhead and the area between the brows pull outward? Usually, when you move a muscle, others come in to play. There is no way to isolate moving just one muscle if they work in a group. I want to be sure Im involving only the group I should. Excuse so many questions. I am one of those people who needs to know all the minute details. I always seem to have to try harder to grasp things. It may take me longer, but eventually it sinks in! Thanks. Terri | ||
| Hair Running Away From me |
Hey tom Just an update, I have been doing the exercises for about a little over a year now, i am satisfied with the results. My hair looks the same from when I first started doing them, so I have definately achieved stabilization. Sometimes I lightely press my fingers against my forhead for increased resistance, it works well for me cause I can feel the burn faster that way. The exercises have done well for me, and I am satisfied with the results my hair is no longer running away from me, i do hope it continues that way. I also recently (like a week ago) Started putting ALoe Vera and Olive oil in my hair, it seems to help make my hair a little thicker, maybe its my imagination or wishful thinking but to me it seems to be helping,it definitely makes my hair alot softer hehe, but both Aloe and Olive oil have things in it that help with psoriases and scaling also regerated the skin. I also use Neutrogena T-Gel, its a good shampoo, at least it works for me. but overall the exercises have done well for me =o) | ||
| naqi |
Terri, Perhaps I may be wrong when i say it is the skin that moves - it could indeed be the muscles. I really do not know much about the various muscles, except for the three that Tom discusses in the video. Now that said, I definetly feel a movement in front of the ears - on my placing my fingertips there, but it looks like the skin being pulled - I could be wrong it could actually be muscles (I really have no clue when it comes to facial muscles, it just 'appears' visually to me as the skin being pulled). Now, if i do the exercise, and place my hands one on each cheek and do the exercise, there is a slight movement of my hands as i contract the occ muscle. The faster i do the exercise the more noticeable is the movment of my hands on my cheeks. Behind my ears, i feel what i think is the occ. muscles bunch up - an inward movement - the formation of a v if u like - it appears the muscles are converging to one point and drawing out a v at the back of my head below the ears. As for the forehead and area between the brows, I see the same happen there just like it does to Tom when he is showing the advanced exercise. I also do not see that 'wide smile' you mentioned earlier in your post. Have a look at the video from 5:37 , thats how my mouth looks when i do the exercise. As for the name Naqi, its a persian name - i think - if not its arabic then. It means 'one who is pure', 'free from guilt' (hmmmmm - yeah right). Perhaps thats why its unusual - you'll find that name more amongst the shia muslims. Naqi | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Terri and Naqi: When I was writing My Approach, I tried to keep the description of the scalp exercise simple and logical. In my effort to do this I sacrificed some important details. Sorry about that, Terri ("I'm one of those people who needs to know all the minute details.") Naqi, you've contributed to our understanding of the scalp exercise by giving a lot of detail in your descriptions. Terri is right. You have a very keen eye. I was amazed how you broke down my demonstration of the exercise in the video CD almost frame by frame in helping some person last month. After your post, he understood exactly how the exercise should be done. You do not write like an academic though. Your words and sentences are not stiff. Your words are full of irony, wit, and good humor. Terri, you're correct about the muscles working in groups. I think the group the scalp exercise works, though, is just the occipitalis, the frontalis, and the temporalis muscles. The occipitalis and frontalis muscles are worked actively; the temporalis muscles are worked passively. In my quest for simplicity I used the word temporalis for what are more properly called the auricularis (superior, anterior, posterior) muscles. I don't think the zygomaticus muscles, major or minor, are brought into play while doing the scalp exercise. I do an exercise for the obicularis oris muscle (the muscle around the mouth), though, that brings the zygomaticus into play. Almost all the muscles of the lower face are attached to the orbicularis oris muscle. When the scalp exercise is done properly, getting the full extension and contraction of the frontalis and occipitalis muscles, the whole face definitely moves up and back. This movement of the face I notice does pull up the corners of the mouth. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Hair Running Away From Me: In your update, there is no dramatic progress but your progress is certainly adequate. Stabilization is definitely a plus. It's too bad that progress in hair stabilization and regrowth is very slow. The follicles have to go through the various stages of the hair cycle - a lengthy period of time - before they start producing a healthy hair again. You put olive oil on the outside; I put it on the inside. For the last year olive oil is the only oil I use for everything. I think it's the best monounsaturated oil you can get - and it tastes good too. I've heard many good reports about Neutrogena T-Gel - and no bad reports. This coming week I'm going to get some and try it. Thanks for the update. | ||
| Hair Running Away From me |
Hey Tom The smell for the T-Gel shampoo is not the best, but it does work though, it is worth a try, it used to dry out my scalp in the beginning but for some reason it doesn't anymore, don't know why but its good though. The stabilization it also a big plus because when my hair grows longer, you cannot tell that I was thinning, my hair looks fuller when it is longer, usually people say when you are losing your hair to cut it short and it makes it appear thicker, in my experience, cutting my hair actually makes my hair look thinner, but when my hair grows longer, it looks thicker, and better and people cannot tell that i was ever thinning, so that is really good, so i am glad the execises have helped me maintain what I have so far, and besides I looks better with longer hair than short so that good. One question tom, i do hear many benefits of using Olive Oil Internally, I use it topically because it is excellent for dry scalp, which I have, and it helps a great deal, it also helps with my scalp scaling so it is very beneficial topically. I also hear read it is very good internally also like you said you use it. so my question is, it definately helps topically with hair, but does taking it internally have any benefits for hair? I heard that it lowers cholesterol, which in turn can inhibit DHT. this is exactly what the site said: "Olive oil has been used for many years in the prevention of hairloss. Since olive oil has the ability to reduce cholesterol, it is able to reduce its accumulation in the scalp. Since it reduces cholesterol it also inhibits the production of the enzyme 5 alpha reductase and therefore inhibits the production of DHT. Helps keep the scalp clean and healthy. Olive Oil improves scalp condition and adds shine and body to hair." What do you think of that? also how much of it do you take a day? Thanks | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Hair Running...: I use only a tablespoonful each day, maybe a little more on some days. Make sure the oil does not get rancid. I keep it in the refrigerator. There are many glowing testimonials about olive, but I really don't know if it reduces cholesterol or inhibits the production of 5-alpha reductase. I do know that my skin looks healthier since I started using it. On this site - Olive Oil - you'll find some solid information. | ||
| Hair Running Away From me |
Thanks Tom, it was an informative site. Olive Oil contains the Omega vitamins that you take that is in the Brewers Yeast you use. Do those Omega Vitamins help with hair or are they just good for overall health? There are many things according ot this site beneficial about this oil. Also What other Dietary have you made to help your hair? I want to do the most I can do for my hair, it is in good shape now, but I would like do do anything else that can contribute in some way to making it even better.. Thanks | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Hair Running...: Brewer's yeast has all the B-complex except B-12, and it has important trace minerals like copper and zinc - all these nutrients are good for the hair. Brewer's yeast does not contain omega-3 or omega-6. I take organic flaxeed oil that I buy at www.puritan.com for the omega-3. Cod liver oil is also a good source of omega-3. I get omega-6 from nuts. These essential fatty acids are necessary for good skin and hair. You'll find vitamin pills for the hair at the health food stores and at Puritan Pride. I don't recommend them. It's much better to get your nutrients from real food (brewer's yeast and flaxseed oil are real foods) rather than from pills. The nutrients listed on the pill labels are really there - but they are hard to assimilate. If you eat devitalized food (processed foods), though, the pills are an option. | ||
| Hair Running Away From me |
Ohh, ok I got my Omega vitamins mixed up.. So the brewers yeast contains the Omega-9 then right? I would like to try out brewers Yeast Along with the Olive oil. I also hear sunflower seeds are good because they contain Biotin. I am tryin to make the necessary dietatry changes to help out with my mission hehe | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Hair Running...: Forget about brewer's yeast for the omegas. The omegas are only in fat and oil. You probably get enough of omega-6 and omega-9 (olive oil is 75% omega-9). Omega-3 is what many people lack. This comes mostly from fish oils, but flaxseed oil and walnuts are also a source. I suppose raw sunflower seeds are better for you than the roasted, but I like the roasted and don't like the raw. There's a lot of nutrition in these little guys. Stay with the scalp exercise. This plus good nutrition will give you a fighting chance to keep your hair into advanced age. Of course by the time you reach advanced age it probably won't make a difference. | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Hair Running...: Forget that sentence about olive oil being 75% omega-9. It is rich in this nutrient though. But there are all kinds of olive oils. The cheap ones are probably not as good for you as the expensive ones - the extra virgin olive oil. | ||
| Anonymous |
If a TIGHT scalp means poor circulation and means hairloss. Why do bald men that undergo a scalp transplant bleed so much when incisions are made on their scalp where hair is going to be inserted? I saw a video, and a completely bald man was being treated and he bled pretty profusely. Wouldnt poor circulation affect the head's skin as well? Most bald men have a healthy shiny scalp? | ||
| Tom Hagerty |
Anonymous: Poor circulation does not mean no circulation. Even the tightest scalp when cut will bleed. What I did say in My Approach is that the scalp exercise will quicken blood flow into the scalp area. This is not an earth-shaking revelation. When any muscle is exercised, there is an increased blood flow into adjacent areas, namely, the skin. You wrote, "Most bald men have a healthy shiny scalp?" You must be an advocate for men with shiny healthy scalps  . | ||
| Anonymous |
I have been stressed.... I have noticed my hair thinning...And the last few days it has had a pretty good burning sensation & pulling sensation...HELP..whats with the BURNING?????? |
