The evolutionary importance of hair and why brushing/combing is detrimental to your health

[JamesGatz]

I personally find it sort of awkward, because it seems like a very intimate thing for a stranger to be doing, but that's just me.

It feels intimate because the serotonergic response turns you on - serotonin makes people horny I don't see why any of this is controversial - thats why it feels intimate and awkward.

Those kids aren't wincing in pain and stressing from the scalp massager -- they're shivering or shuddering from an abrupt sensation on their delicate scalps. One of the girls even says it feels good. It's a pleasurable sensation if you know what's coming and you're comfortable with it being done.

And that girl isn't crying bc the haircut is causing her physical distress. She's obviously very emotionally attached to her hair, and is sad to see it go. Come on.

As for the cornrows vid, I didn't watch the whole thing, but I had them put in my hair when I was a kid and yea, it HURTS. Because the hair is being pulled very, very tightly to get the braids to sit very close to the scalp. It is not pleasant. How is this at all relevant to someone brushing their hair?

The scalp is very sensitive. I have waist length hair and I've kept it long for almost my entire adult life. I don't have a special routine for brushing it, but I brush it whenever I have to put it up in a bun/ponytail and I want it to lay smoothly. I only wash my hair every 3-4 days now, and I don't always brush it daily, sometimes using my fingers is enough. But brushing it briefly once a day has never, ever affected my hair thickness. In fact, I am starting to get into the habit of daily scalp stimulation (with my fingers and rosemary and castor oil) to see if that has any effect on hair growth. Combined with a daily pre-natal multivitamin, I definitely see my hairline getting thicker, with new little baby hairs appearing. This is consistent with most hair growth advice -- stimulate your scalp, increase blood flow to your scalp.

The only thing that has ever led to noticeable hair loss has been rapid weight loss/long term calorie restriction. Normal, light brushing it totally fine, and almost necessary if you have hair of a certain length.

So once again, we nitpick my videos to counter what we can see with our own eyes. You say the scalp is sensitive but why is it sensitive ? probably because the sensory receptors at the end of the hair follicles send signals to the brain which is what I'm saying - yet what Im saying is ridiculous, ok.

You can look up any video on YouTube and see the same response - have you ever seen a video of a girl getting her hair messed with and looking genuinely happy ? I haven't - seems it doesn't exist.

Since you are a woman, I imagine you are already very resistant to hair loss for the reasons I listed earlier in the thread

 

[Diokine]

can i see your hair james gatz?

 

[JamesGatz]

can i see your hair james gatz?

I don't post/send pictures of myself on a public forum but I have no reason to lie - If I was bald or a NW 3 I would confidently tell people on here that I am bald or a NW3 I have no shame.

I did not make the DHT statement to put anyone down or to claim that I knew better than anyone else - I just made that statement to say I don't agree with the DHT theory or with the vast majority of what anyone in the hair loss industry says or recommends

 

[tfcjesse]

I

lots of theories for sure. Yours is funny, and some of it makes sense. Just not sure how you’re drawing ‘leave hair alone just let it grow and don’t touch it’ to ‘improved hair health/growth/prevention of loss’ … might use the brushing hair makes women horny tip tho

 

[Demyze]

Serotonin is well established to cause dry skin and loss of libido. It also reduces blood flow to the extremities, including the scalp.

Granted it is also well known to cause excessive itchiness which could lead to the over scratching and brushing of the scalp like is being discussed.

 

[animalcule]

It feels intimate because the serotonergic response turns you on - serotonin makes people horny I don't see why any of this is controversial - thats why it feels intimate and awkward.



So once again, we nitpick my videos to counter what we can see with our own eyes. You say the scalp is sensitive but why is it sensitive ? probably because the sensory receptors at the end of the hair follicles send signals to the brain which is what I'm saying - yet what Im saying is ridiculous, ok.

You can look up any video on YouTube and see the same response - have you ever seen a video of a girl getting her hair messed with and looking genuinely happy ? I haven't - seems it doesn't exist.

Since you are a woman, I imagine you are already very resistant to hair loss for the reasons I listed earlier in the thread

You're saying both that 1) scalp massage causes a serotonergic response, which is why it is arousing and pleasurable and 2) there are no videos of girls getting their hair 'messed with' that look genuinely happy, because it is not pleasurable. Can you see how someone might see a conflict between those two points? If there is something I'm missing here, please tell me, because this makes no sense to me.

I don't "nitpick" you videos "to counter what we can see with our own eyes." I'm literally telling you what I see with my own eyes. I'm telling you that what I see with my own eyes does not at all match up with what you are seeing, and that is why I disagree. The videos you presented do not show what you claim they show. And I have also experienced, first hand, the benefit of scalp massage massage with oils on relaxation and potentially new hair growth (though other things could be contributing to this more, yes). I have also experienced, firsthand, some women enjoying having their hair 'messed with'; I don't need to find a video on Youtube to confirm this. I've just been around enough girls to know this. (And no, putting cornrows in your hair is not a great example of a woman getting her hair messed with, not liking it, and therefore proving your point. Putting the max amount on tension on your roots to get a braid close to your scalp is not the same at brushing your hair. Can't believe that even needs to be said.)

Like any other sensitive area on the body, correct touch and context of touching matters. Someone slamming a brush down onto my scalp and dragging it through my hair will not feel good. Gently drawing it through will. It's why, if you're ever going to brush someone's hair, you should be extra gentle, because you're not getting the same immediate feedback of "this is too rough/hard" like you do when you're brushing your own hair.

Lastly, no, brushing your hair does not make it dry and brittle. If anything, it distributes the oil from your scalp down the shaft of the hair, making it less dry and brittle. If you use a boar bristle brush, it *really* seems to pull the oil downwards -- again, I don't need to find a random YouTube video to support this, I've done it myself. I actually stopped this method of hair care a long while ago though because it was making the shaft of my hairs *too* oil and flattening my hair because it was now all heavy and slick with oil that was previous at my scalp. Overdoing brushing is not a good idea, using the wrong type of brush without regard to your hair type is also not a good idea. Hair care 'rules' vary by length, density, and hair type. But only someone who has never cared for long, straight/wavy hair would write something like "brushing your hair makes it dry and brittle" ... The silliness on this thread.

"This girl on camera looked uncomfortable when someone was brushing her hair! I dare you to find proof that such a feeling isn't universal. Therefore, don't brush your hair." <--- Let's be better than this.

Anyway, here are some people enjoying scalp massage:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWhS7DbuyLY



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbePpXgE9m0

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Yea so I believe that as long as metabolism is kept high, hair really looks after itself - When serotonin is high, I find that hair and skin both get oily and I think for skin its probably related to excess sebum production - giving off the oily shiny look but I think this is what ultimately causes the greasiness of hair,

For women I notice they can go multiple days or even I've seen a week without washing their hair and they still won't stink and their hair will still look fine - although this goes against what is accepted

I do believe hair is easier to take care of when it is long - because I do believe more length is beneficial for metabolism and ultimately metabolism takes are of its health

For men I think the issue is that since men tend to be in poorer health - their hair is greasy a lot when growing it out - because we have not reached an ideal stage yet that women have with long hair that would be very metabolism supporting

I think that serotonin and estradiol both ruin the texture of the hair - for the sleep part you mentioned - I think people wake up with bad hair because our metabolism is low when we wake up and because nearly every mattress or pillow filling on the market is polyester-estradiol promoting

The headband part you mentioned I believe does make a difference as I do believe hats/headbands both reduce serotonin - I find that if I wear a hoodie or a wool hat or even a cap and stay low stress I can go quiet a few days without a shower without smelling. I do believe that if you experiment more with the headband and headwear look until your hair grows longer that you will notice the texture of the hair will continue to improve




Some cats and dogs may like getting pet but if you take a comb to their back or use your nails to lightly scratch their fur - it seems to me they don't enjoy it. Dogs I worked with actually got aggressive if you took a comb or brush to their back - I would also notice their spine "Tenses" up as soon as it started which seems to check out with human hair too - the nerves at the end of the hair follicles relay signals to the spine that reaches the brain when they are disturbed.

I notice the same effects in girls that I do for dogs - when I see them getting their scalp scratched or combed I notice their back tenses up the same way - almost like a shutter effect.

I believe some girls think they like being combed because they get horny from it due to serotonergic increase -

it's like how people say they feel "Free" with no hair - short hair does make you feel more energized but I do believe it is because your body is running more on serotonin as I do believe longer hair will typically make you lower stress and the perception of being lazier when in reality you are just running more on thyroid

Really now, this is up for debate? You have me, a woman with long hair who loves it being brushed and saying it is enjoyable. Then you have others saying this as well essentially. Everybody loves their hair played with. Their head rubbed for that matter…The only person who wouldn’t like it would be someone who was tramatized by it in some way..

And for the kitties and the doggies. They LOVE to be brushed! They love those brushes designed especially for them. Why do you think Cat’s tongues have that spikey texture? They groom themselves with it and love licking themselves and each other. It’s a bonding thing too.
No offense honestly, but your theory about this is way way off. Whether it is serotonin producing or not, it just feels good. You should try it and forget about whether it produces serotonin or not. If it does, give me more please.

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Those kids aren't wincing in pain and stressing from the scalp massager -- they're shivering or shuddering from an abrupt sensation on their delicate scalps. One of the girls even says it feels good. It's a pleasurable sensation if you know what's coming and you're comfortable with it being done.

And that girl isn't crying bc the haircut is causing her physical distress. She's obviously very emotionally attached to her hair, and is sad to see it go. Come on.

As for the cornrows vid, I didn't watch the whole thing, but I had them put in my hair when I was a kid and yea, it HURTS. Because the hair is being pulled very, very tightly to get the braids to sit very close to the scalp. It is not pleasant. How is this at all relevant to someone brushing their hair?

The scalp is very sensitive. I have waist length hair and I've kept it long for almost my entire adult life. I don't have a special routine for brushing it, but I brush it whenever I have to put it up in a bun/ponytail and I want it to lay smoothly. I only wash my hair every 3-4 days now, and I don't always brush it daily, sometimes using my fingers is enough. But brushing it briefly once a day has never, ever affected my hair thickness. In fact, I am starting to get into the habit of daily scalp stimulation (with my fingers and rosemary and castor oil) to see if that has any effect on hair growth. Combined with a daily pre-natal multivitamin, I definitely see my hairline getting thicker, with new little baby hairs appearing. This is consistent with most hair growth advice -- stimulate your scalp, increase blood flow to your scalp.

The only thing that has ever led to noticeable hair loss has been rapid weight loss/long term calorie restriction. Normal, light brushing it totally fine, and almost necessary if you have hair of a certain length.

That tingler head massage thingy is da bomb.

 

[JamesGatz]

You're saying both that 1) scalp massage causes a serotonergic response, which is why it is arousing and pleasurable and 2) there are no videos of girls getting their hair 'messed with' that look genuinely happy, because it is not pleasurable. Can you see how someone might see a conflict between those two points? If there is something I'm missing here, please tell me, because this makes no sense to me.

I don't "nitpick" you videos "to counter what we can see with our own eyes." I'm literally telling you what I see with my own eyes. I'm telling you that what I see with my own eyes does not at all match up with what you are seeing, and that is why I disagree. The videos you presented do not show what you claim they show. And I have also experienced, first hand, the benefit of scalp massage massage with oils on relaxation and potentially new hair growth (though other things could be contributing to this more, yes). I have also experienced, firsthand, some women enjoying having their hair 'messed with'; I don't need to find a video on Youtube to confirm this. I've just been around enough girls to know this. (And no, putting cornrows in your hair is not a great example of a woman getting her hair messed with, not liking it, and therefore proving your point. Putting the max amount on tension on your roots to get a braid close to your scalp is not the same at brushing your hair. Can't believe that even needs to be said.)

Like any other sensitive area on the body, correct touch and context of touching matters. Someone slamming a brush down onto my scalp and dragging it through my hair will not feel good. Gently drawing it through will. It's why, if you're ever going to brush someone's hair, you should be extra gentle, because you're not getting the same immediate feedback of "this is too rough/hard" like you do when you're brushing your own hair.

Lastly, no, brushing your hair does not make it dry and brittle. If anything, it distributes the oil from your scalp down the shaft of the hair, making it less dry and brittle. If you use a boar bristle brush, it *really* seems to pull the oil downwards -- again, I don't need to find a random YouTube video to support this, I've done it myself. I actually stopped this method of hair care a long while ago though because it was making the shaft of my hairs *too* oil and flattening my hair because it was now all heavy and slick with oil that was previous at my scalp. Overdoing brushing is not a good idea, using the wrong type of brush without regard to your hair type is also not a good idea. Hair care 'rules' vary by length, density, and hair type. But only someone who has never cared for long, straight/wavy hair would write something like "brushing your hair makes it dry and brittle" ... The silliness on this thread.

"This girl on camera looked uncomfortable when someone was brushing her hair! I dare you to find proof that such a feeling isn't universal. Therefore, don't brush your hair." <--- Let's be better than this.

Anyway, here are some people enjoying scalp massage:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWhS7DbuyLY



View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbePpXgE9m0

I said it was arousing yes, I also said earlier in the thread that the arousal tends to be considered enjoyable.

But I think you did nitpick my videos because especially in the compilation you chose one instance that showed an exception to all the other instances - the exception is not the rule

If you are brushing the scalp you are disturbing the nerve endings at the ends of the hair follicles - it may not be as bad as cornrows but it is still being disturbed

But I didn't say dry and brittle - I had said brittle and flat - I actually said the opposite of dry - you say you can prove it with your own experimentation and I say the same - I have a 100% boar bristle brush and when I brush my hair with it - its not only my hair that shines but my skin as well - it immediately induces serotonergic symptoms and It also makes my hair thin, brittle, and flat and my hair loses a lot of thickness

Also, why is distributing the oils so generally accepted as such a necessity ? I have never seen an animal in the wild need to "distribute the oils" in the hair, I have never seen a homeless person or a village person need to "distribute the oils in their hair", their hair looks matte and very thick, exactly the opposite of what happens when I see someone put a brush to their head, Homeless people have much thicker hair than most girls I meet and they don't bother it at all.

As for me not caring about long hair, my hair was 3 inches past my shoulders in high school and it was the healthiest I've ever been - I also never brushed or combed my hair in high school and it was never greasy - it was actually only until I cut it in college where my scalp started encountering greasiness and my health started to decline

That and right now my hair is also almost shoulder-length right now and I would say my hair is thicker than most girls I see in the street so I would say I think I know what I'm saying

 

[Kayaker]

I said it was arousing yes, I also said earlier in the thread that the arousal tends to be considered enjoyable.

But I think you did nitpick my videos because especially in the compilation you chose one instance that showed an exception to all the other instances - the exception is not the rule

If you are brushing the scalp you are disturbing the nerve endings at the ends of the hair follicles - it may not be as bad as cornrows but it is still being disturbed

But I didn't say dry and brittle - I had said brittle and flat - I actually said the opposite of dry - you say you can prove it with your own experimentation and I say the same - I have a 100% boar bristle brush and when I brush my hair with it - its not only my hair that shines but my skin as well - it immediately induces serotonergic symptoms and It also makes my hair thin, brittle, and flat and my hair loses a lot of thickness

Also, why is distributing the oils so generally accepted as such a necessity ? I have never seen an animal in the wild need to "distribute the oils" in the hair, I have never seen a homeless person or a village person need to "distribute the oils in their hair", their hair looks matte and very thick, exactly the opposite of what happens when I see someone put a brush to their head, Homeless people have much thicker hair than most girls I meet and they don't bother it at all.

As for me not caring about long hair, my hair was 3 inches past my shoulders in high school and it was the healthiest I've ever been - I also never brushed or combed my hair in high school and it was never greasy - it was actually only until I cut it in college where my scalp started encountering greasiness and my health started to decline

That and right now my hair is also almost shoulder-length right now and I would say my hair is thicker than most girls I see in the street so I would say I think I know what I'm saying

My hair is thick too~

 

[UphillEndeavors]

I am doing a thorough review of the pillow fillings and covers I have now. The pillow is something I can easily change because my partner and I use different ones.



Do you have any wool hat product recommendations? It's so hard to find one that is 100% wool. They are all mixed with acrylic, rayon, polyester...

I like these guys:

Merino Wool Beanies & Merino Wool Hats | Ridge Merino

Check out our large selection of beanies and hats. We have everything from 100% merino wool beanies to snapback hats. Shop the Ridge Merino online store today!

www.ridgemerino.com

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

Speaking of hair…you should check out Johnny Weir’s hair at the Olympics. Why Johnny, why?

 

[JamesGatz]

Really now, this is up for debate? You have me, a woman with long hair who loves it being brushed and saying it is enjoyable. Then you have others saying this as well essentially. Everybody loves their hair played with. Their head rubbed for that matter…The only person who wouldn’t like it would be someone who was tramatized by it in some way..

And for the kitties and the doggies. They LOVE to be brushed! They love those brushes designed especially for them. Why do you think Cat’s tongues have that spikey texture? They groom themselves with it and love licking themselves and each other. It’s a bonding thing too.
No offense honestly, but your theory about this is way way off. Whether it is serotonin producing or not, it just feels good. You should try it and forget about whether it produces serotonin or not. If it does, give me more please.

But thats an argument for authority - by that logic I might as well go ask the homeless men what their hait protocol is because it looks like their hair is thicker than 95% of women in real life and in this forum who claim they know how to take care of long hair but the thickness of their hair tells a different story

Well I used to work with many dogs and I think they like belly rubs but I dont think they like us bothering their fur - I think they tolerate petting I never met a dog that liked getting his fur brushed/combed.

I've never seen cats and dogs brush their fur with their claws I only see them lick each other

 

[Diokine]

why when I take niacin the hair on my left arm stands more erect than the right?

 

[FocusedOnHealth]

But thats an argument for authority - by that logic I might as well go ask the homeless men what their hait protocol is because it looks like their hair is thicker than 95% of women in real life and in this forum who claim they know how to take care of long hair but the thickness of their hair tells a different story

Well I used to work with many dogs and I think they like belly rubs but I dont think they like us bothering their fur - I think they tolerate petting I never met a dog that liked getting his fur brushed/combed.

I've never seen cats and dogs brush their fur with their claws I only see them lick each other

Oh come on I think you are messing with us. A dog “tolerates” petting? Bothering their fur?

A cat’s tongue is it’s brush. And the thickness of one’s hair comes down to genetics. It has nothing to do with whether you brush it or not.

 

[dlind70]

I don't post/send pictures of myself on a public forum but I have no reason to lie - If I was bald or a NW 3 I would confidently tell people on here that I am bald or a NW3 I have no shame.

I did not make the DHT statement to put anyone down or to claim that I knew better than anyone else - I just made that statement to say I don't agree with the DHT theory or with the vast majority of what anyone in the hair loss industry says or recommends

Thank you for bringing this thread up James. I also have to bring up the, what seems like ancient detection methods aspect.
I myself a pretty good hair and noticed recently that the hair will detect bad spirits or unusual things in your environment. I recently had a roommate tell me that he thought we had a spirit in our house , a ghost, or someone not known and as soon as he said that I got this electrical charge around my head and hair especially and we went looking for it. Quite powerful

 

[dlind70]

I myself heard a quote that says hair is an antenna during the day and a parasite at night.

 

[JamesGatz]

Thank you for bringing this thread up James. I also have to bring up the, what seems like ancient detection methods aspect.
I myself a pretty good hair and noticed recently that the hair will detect bad spirits or unusual things in your environment. I recently had a roommate tell me that he thought we had a spirit in our house , a ghost, or someone not known and as soon as he said that I got this electrical charge around my head and hair especially and we went looking for it. Quite powerful

Yep - people like to treat the idea of hair detecting movement unreasonable but then the question still remains:

what would be the evolutionary purpose of nerve endings present at the end of the hair follicle that is able to send signals to the brain via the spine ?

If the hair is considered dead, and if we can see that the nerve ending sends signals to the brain if the hair is disturbed - I do think it must be there for an evolutionary reason given that hair acting as a sensory organ is present in so many different mammalian species - many of them important to the mammal's survival

And if the nerve endings at the end of the hair do indeed send signals to the brain for survival purposes - I do not think the hair should be messed with

 

[tfcjesse]

Remember to drive with the windows up guys. You don’t want the wind on your hair, sending signals to the brain for survival purposes. Causes serotonin shine and hair loss.

Wear a wool beanie if you like. Also applies for roller coasters, big fans, or anything more than a brisk walk.

 

[ivy]

I'm glad many responders have pointed out the silliness of yet another remarkable post by Gatz. Some of these grand statements are easy to debunk: call any hair restoration clinic and ask whether they recommend brushing. They do, and might even tell you to brush with your head down so as to increase circulation and static. As for the actual enjoyment of having your hair stroked, it obviously varies from person to person. People with oily scalps might not want disperse the oils, granted, but it doesn't mean they don't enjoy the feeling. If some degree of inflammation is present, the actual touch might have to be quite gentle. I have a sensitive scalp which has undergone a hair transplant and several cyst excisions. For a while, I was very defensive, but I love having my hair stroked so I guide people on how to do it, it's that simple. Older women in the family and some hairdressers used to stroke/wash my hair using their nails while at it, which I always found infuriating; but if instead they only use the pulp of the finger, all is well. Pleasuring someone's hair requires adaptation, as does any kind of pleasuring, alas.

The interesting part of the post can be tracked to several other threads. Sadly, I can't find the most relevant one, in which a US army report showed how native american soldiers would lose their orientation skills when their heads where shaved.