Can rubbing your nails really increase hair growth?

Healthy Hair
I've been holding back on writing this post for months now for fear of sounding like a complete loon. But I've decided that since we're all friends here, you all will at least forgive me if I do sound crazy. You see it all goes back to either late 2009 or early 2010 when I was chatting with a co-worker from India. From time to time we discuss holistic treatments and such. So we're talking about meditation, eating right and so on when all of the sudden he tells me this: "Do you know what my dad does for healthy hair? He rubs his fingernails together." "He does that all the time and his hair is thick and healthy." My friend has to be in his forties, so if his dad has thick and healthy hair, that would be considered a great accomplishment.

I've heard of adding strange herbs and pouring oils over your scalp for healthier hair, but rubbing nails together was something totally new to me. Was rubbing your nails together for long hair equivalent to clicking your heels together if you wanted to get your wish? To me the idea sounded that farfetched. Even so, the very next moment I could get in front of a computer I immediately began to seek out the merits of this claim. Turns out that there's quite a bit of information online about rubbing the nails together to impact, shedding, growth, and even grey hair.


Being the curious individual that I am, I immediately sought to uncover the logic behind this method (if it did indeed work). What I did discover is that most believe the nerve endings in the fingertips are also connected to the scalp. In Chinese acupressure, certain parts of the body are stimulated to directly impact other areas. So as we create friction by rubbing our nails together, the scalp is then also stimulated. In essence, the scalp is said to receive increased blood flow and stimulation as we rub our nails together. Best of all, the technique only has to be practiced for 5-10 minutes daily (twice a day is recommended).

When I scanned online posts for testimonials, most people either laughed it off as complete nonsense or said they did it for a little while but remained inconsistent. Along with the naysayers, there were also the group of people who said they practiced this technique regularly and have seen positive results. I was amazed when I read from some people that they felt their scalp itch, or tingle when using the nail rubbing technique. So what about me, you ask?

Well I did use this technique religiously for a little over a month. I rubbed my nails together for several minutes periodically throughout the day. My friend from India even caught me doing it one day at work and referenced our conversation a month earlier.

So what results did I experience? First off let me just say that my nails were the most beautiful they'd ever been when I "rubbed" regularly. They had a gorgeous natural shine to them. Not only that, they were thick and strong. Retaining nail length was not an issue. So even for this result alone, I think the practice was worth it. Now let's talk about my hair. When my friend first alerted me to this technique, I was well into my relaxer stretch. I was already packing plenty of new growth. When I finally did relax, I was all smiles over the amount of length I'd achieved in the duration of stretch. Unfortunately, that was the same stretch were I was plagued with massive tangles. So that kinda took away some of the glory of the length I'd achieved. Not too long after my touch up, I neglected my nail rubbing practice. When I think back to why I stopped, the only reasons I can think of were because I was doing it so frequently, that I feared it looked like I picked up a nervous habit. I could be sitting in a business meeting and there I was rubbing my nails together.

That was several months ago. I find myself looking back now wondering what could have been if I kept this practice up regularly. I'm looking down at my chewed up nails reminiscing of the days were I had fabulous, thick, healthy nails and a head full of dense new growth. For this reason, I've decided to re-implement this practice into my routine. This time, however, I decided to share with you incase anyone out there wanted to try. If it turns out that nail rubbing does actually encourage hair growth, I'd be wrong for not sharing. Think what this could mean if it's true. You could be giving yourself a "scalp massage" while sitting in a waiting room without actually touching your scalp. Either way, the results, for me, were promising enough for me to reinstitute nail rubbing into my daily life once again.

So basically the technique only involves rubbing the nails together. I would describe is buffing your nails as you would with a nail buffer, only instead of a buffer, you use your other set of nails. That's it! One can do it for 5-10 minutes a day or longer if desired. So who's open minded enough to give it shot?

83 comments

  1. Lol, I was rubbing my nails together while I read the post!. I'm always up to experimenting different ways people say helped with hair growth. Hey it's not going to hurt me. I think I'll try it for a month as well.

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  2. Interesting. will try anything so I am in.

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  3. Being someone who feels stimulation in her legs when she scratches her arm or stimulation in her toes when she scratches her back, I can at least say that it's perfectly plausible. Our bodies are amazing and sometimes beyond our comprehension. My nails could use a little pick me up anyway so let the rubbing begin.

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  4. I started rubbing my nails while reading your post. And before reading the line, my scalp had already started itching. I will keep it up for a month starting today and let you know of any results.

    Tarra

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  5. That's awesome Tarra. Please keep us posted!

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  6. Funny. I found this youtube video about it http://www.youtube.com/user/ramdevyoganet#p/u/4/mfgd4VIqHLc

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  7. hey really good post. Rubbing of nails together may be a good solution for long hair.I also heard about it...

    Regards
    Nail Care

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  8. I've been rubbing my nails for 21 years although my hair is long, I doubt it's b/c of this. My nails however grow longer each week when I do this but I only mess with my hands b/c I'm extremely shy. It's a bad habit of mine's to break but it doesn't grow hair, just makes my nails longer.

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  9. Hello there,

    I've done this for quite a while, but I've always had great hair even when not doing it. I'm 28 and male, from Ireland. My hair was already Jet-black (always has been) but I am starting to see a blue'ish tint to it which I had when I was younger (around 20ish).

    When I was younger I needed my hair cut every two weeks and my nails cut every other day because it grew so fast, it's slowed down as I've gotten older but since I've started doing this again (around 3 months ago) the exact same thing is happening, I'm needing to cut my hair at least once a month and my nails twice weekly.

    I can't exactly tell you HOW this works, all I can see is that you will NOTICE considerable improvements. Trust me on this.

    I rub my nails when I'm on the bus going into work (10-15 minutes) then at night before nodding off to sleep (around 20-25 minutes). I also rub my nails when I am stationary and not using my hands (I've done this since I was a kid)

    Would love to hear about a blonde person doing this, and see'ing if their hair gets darker

    Marty

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  10. yes, rubbing your nails really increase hair growths......
    Current Health Articles

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  11. What a great post. I've enjoyed browsing through your site in the last couple days.

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  12. Hey! It now being 6 months later since this post (and I hope you rubbed your nails consistently), I'm very curious if you've noticed any results.

    For the record, my sister did this just for kicks, and she said she's noticed thicker, fuller hair. Me being the skeptic, I'm in the midst of doing research.

    Please let me know what your results. Email me if you can.

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  13. Hi, I have been rubbing my nails for the past 3 months and I have noticed I don't lose as much hair as I used to. I am 27 years old and my hair started thinning after using hair dyes and perming my hair twice when I was younger. But this technique has helped me in just 3 months my hair has stopped falling a lot and my hair looks healthy/shiny compared to before when it was dry and weak. I had lost some of my baby hairs but even that has come back. I realised this after my mother noticed that my hair doesn't look as thin as it did 3 months ago. I have also changed my diet, which means a lot of fruits and veg is involved, I make sure I drink 2 litres of water daily, massage my scalp for 5 minutes with my finger tips everyday and I do yoga everyday. All this is helping internally therefore I feel it's showing on the outside. Do try keep it up as I stopped few years ago and the hair thinning started showing it's ugly face. It's only after I realized how much I want my thick hair back I have kept it up.
    Even I wanted quick results, but you have to be patient and keep it up.

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  14. Never heard of this until now. But I'll try almost anything to get my hair back in shape. Why not?

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  15. Hi, I'm a 33 year old guy from INDIA. I started losing my hair because of dandruff from my 23 years of age. I tried various methods to stop hair loss like, scalp exercises, head-stands, healthy diet(protein rich), tonsures, topical medicines, essential oils and what not. Well, all these treatments have certainly stopped my hair loss but nothing helped me regain the lost hair. And, I also have heard about nail buffing by then but never gave it a try ridiculing the whole concept. By the way I'm not bald. My problems with hair were thinning and receding hair line. But, from a couple of months now I've started losing my hair again and more rapid as dandruff has kicked in back and more strong this time. I don't know if the reasons are my age and stressful life style. I again started my hunt for medicines, tips, treatments and tricks(lol).

    Now, I'm more determined to try something totally new as what I tried in the past never have promoted new hair growth. Well, along with the nail buffing (started three days ago)I've come across two new treatments. One, applying raw aloevera gel with lemon juice (apply biweekly and leave for over nite and rinse with warm water in the morning) and two, extra virgin olive oil ( apply and leave it for whole night. Do this for eight nights continuously and then weekly twice or thrice). Results - My hair looks healthy, strong and fuller, no sign of dandruff(amazing result)and lesser hair fall. Nail buffing by the way seem promising to me as only three days now I'm doing it thrice a day for five minutes and I feel the tickles in my scalp which, feels like I'm growing new hair. I don't know, but being optimistic is not a crime. I'll update you on this in a month or so. Wish me luck and I wish you all the very best.

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  16. Thanks for sharing Lost Soul, you're inspiring the rest of us to keep up with the habit so we can experience results like you. I can't wait to hear your update.

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  17. Hi,

    I could not resist myself, so here is my early update. Well, Nail buffing really works. It not only stops hair fall but also grows new hair. Its only two weeks I'm doing this and my hair has changed a lot. My hair appears healthy, black and voluminous. Ten minutes three times a day (I'm doing it in the morning, after lunch, and before going to bed)results are just amazing. And, just one thing to remember, if you are not feeling a tingle or itch in the scalp while nail buffing then you are not doing it right, I feel it every time I do it.

    Wish you all the very best.

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  18. Hi Nail Buffing has helped me All Thanks to the Indian Guru. However i wouls also like to add that If You all can do Shirsasan (Yoga) i.e Head stand pose for 3-5 minutes daily or once in a week, the blood circulation in Your head will increase & thereby positively impact the nail buffing as well. Try I had positive results using both together. Caution should be taken while doing the Head stand pose as its not recommended for everyone. Approach a Yoga instructor for further suggestion.

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  19. I used to have a great hair but now because of wrong diet i suffer from hairfall and it cause alot of baldness in my head ........ i want to regrow it..... so tell me plz.. tht this help me to regrow my hair?

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  20. hi, i started doing nail rubbing from a week ago. but i found strange this while nail rubbing, my eyes getting pain, i think it may be due to heavy blood flow to even eyes also. Can any body tell me is it happening with everyone or its with me only ? or am i doing nail rubbing wrong way ? plz plz answer me.. thanx ...

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  21. @ Anon-I've never heard of nail rubbing causing pain the eyes before. Try suspending the nail rubbing to see if the eye pain continues. If you find that they are related, and the pain is uncomfortable, you may want try scalp massages instead.

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  22. @Nadege, Thank you. And i will try what you said. I'm getting eye pain(dry eyes) immediately after doing nail rubbing and it continues another 1, 1/2 hours. Could you tell me how much pressure should i put while doing nail rubbing? I doubt, i'm putting more pressure than actully required to do nail rubbing.
    --krishna

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  23. @ Anon- If the pain continues for 1.5 hours, I wouldn't recommend continuing the practice. You can still get some great benefits from massaging the scalp directly. Check out my post titled "What I learned from a 72 year old Man's hair regimen."

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  24. Anonymous - if you have eye pain please get it checked out by a doctor or an optician asap just in case there is a problem.

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  25. hey NADEGE! i used to have a great hair but now because of wrong diet i suffer from hairfall and it cause alot of baldness in my head ........ i want to regrow it..... so tell me plz.. tht this help me to regrow my hair?

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  26. Hey I am Hi-man-shu from India. Just want to remind you folks that just like all the exercises maintaining good form is important.
    Back in India I once heard someone did this exercise in the wrong way and as a result hairs started growing on their faces and ears...

    :)(:

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    1. yes it wil grow on ur face like beard n moustache if u rub ur thumb nails to.

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  27. Lost Soul tell me how do it properly, please? I don`t feel anything in my scalp. Thanks for your advice

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  28. When I first read this article, I tried it at my desk, and let me tell you, my scalp would feel all tingly after I stopped... each time, the same tingling feeling would happen. So, I'm going to try this technique. I don't know about doing it during business meetings, but at least in the morning, mid-day during break or lunch, and then again at night before bed.

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    1. Please do not rub your nails for at least 2 hours after you take a meal. It will drive the blood away from glands secreting essential enzymes which help with digestion.

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  29. i was rubbing my nails throughout your lovely post! and i did give a massage to my scalp without touching it and now i am so relaxed i feel sleepy:)

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  30. Hi, i also feel tingling in my scalp when i buff my nails!
    Does that actually mean that i m gonna get a new hair for a tingle?
    Oh, i may sound stupid but genuinely does that

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  31. ots been 1 and half years?? are you still doing it? is it working??

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  32. good news everyone..this works and here's why. hair loss is usually caused by a lack of blood flow to the scalp (blood delivers nutrients to hair). body stress and body tension are the main reasons this lack of flow occurs. blood doesn't flow well in a tense body (this is why stress is so dangerous). when you rub your nails together, especially in a relaxed state, the circulation of blood to your scalp is turned up. doing this for a long time and working on stress and tension levels can help regrow hair. remember: it takes a long time for stress and tension to erode the hairline. expect regrowing your hair to take just as long if not longer. rub your nails and meditate/relax every day. eventually you will see more hair. it works. good luck.

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  33. Hi, I'm a 52 year old woman with severe androgenetic alopecia. I used to have a wonderful head of dark, springy ringlets that everyone commented on but at the age of 36 shortly after a 4 month trip to India and a terrible Henna job that caused my hair to fall out in clumps, my androgenetic alopicia set in. Now I have shoulder length hair that looks like a haystack, thin and wispy with some frizz and balding at the front. As you can imagine it kills my confidence, so I'm definitely going to give nail rubbing a go as of today and will keep you all updated. I would love to hear from other women in a similar position. Thanks, Lina

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  34. to the author - did it work finally after you started again??

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  35. @ Anon-I do get results but you have to also consider that I incorporate lots of healthy practices into creating healthy hair so rubbing my nails together is only one part of what I do to promote healthy hair growth overall.

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  36. Hi,

    I read this post 3 days ago and started to rub my nails. However, I don't feel any itch or tingle on my scalp. What's the correct form? What's the wrong form? Could someone please explain.

    I took a picture of my scalp the day I started, and will take one each week to track progress. I am wondering if anyone else has before/after pictures to share.

    Thanks

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  37. Got a basic doubt. Is it enough to rub the four nails or is it necessary to involve the thumb as well, as it is a little inconvenient and difficult too to include the thumb finger in this exercise. Also could be of help if you could elaborate the method of rubbing. Should only the nails touch each other or the skin underneath the nails also make contact.

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  38. Here's a video demonstrating the basic technique
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfgd4VIqHLc&feature=related

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  39. Thank you very much for the video. And it is a very nice post, elegantly written. Though almost 2 years late, I m glad I stumbled upon this blog at all.

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  40. Hi all ,
    I am doing this from past 2 month and i got the reuslt .The hair fall has been reduced drastically by doing this .I am doing it three times a day with almost 8 minute per turn .
    I am well confident to do it now and probably get the all new hair in another 3 month .

    Kapil

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  41. Hi Kapil,

    Thank you for your comment bro,it is really encouraging.Please keep us all updated about your result.Even am practicing ,awaiting for the fruitful results .

    Naman

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  42. Hi i have been taking a drug called topamax. Had to take it for nerve damage in my hand.. i quit it cold turkey this week because it is making my hair fall out daily.. i am for sure going to start this tonight. i had beautiful hair before and long.. now its dry and breaks off and falls out. has anyone else ever heard of this medicine causing this?

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  43. hi all ,
    its showing result and enjoying this.Almost 4 month completed by doing this exercise ,no hair fall.

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  44. Wow... awesome tips, I like to hear it. I only doing hair treatment with natural oil.
    Thank you for nice tips

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  45. I never knew this actually use to do something! this is my normal reaction for when I'm bored or nervous so I was very happy to learn that it actually does some good!!

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  46. Would your friend know any similar method to remove dandruff? Ive got so much its hard to remove it permamenly it seems.

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  47. I too fell tingling in my scalp when I do this pranayam.
    My air loss is getting serious.
    Do any one has any positive results.

    @kapil, waiting to hear form you back.
    Do new hairs are growing ??

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  48. What if we don't feel tingling sensation? But still doin it correctly.....?

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  49. Also doing nail rubbing and minoxidil application simultaneously any fruitful?

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  50. Aparently hinduism belive that it will increse the amount of hair on your head but I don't know if it's true

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  51. So, I know two guys who were almost bald and were in age 63 and 74 resp.

    When I saw those after long time, I think after 6-8months both of them had grew hair. I asked them what they did, and they said they rubbed their nails, but that's not the only thing they did. They said, to expedite the process you need to do Pranayam. I am really impressed with those two.

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  52. Check this site. It has more information on this topic.
    http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/seekers/wellness/science-behind-fingernails-rubbing-for-hair-regrowth

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  53. yes it is effective........i am using it for years........

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  54. thanks for sharing this great info...herbal products are used to promote hair growth and one more tips here..for black and shiny hair visitHair growth tips

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  55. I am from india.This practise which you called nail rubbing is known long in ayurvedic medicine as balayam .I personally know three people who got positive result.But this must be done regularly for 15- 20 mins at two intervals.It stimulates the nerves at the scalp and improves blood flow which supplies oxygen to the hair follicles.

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  56. this website is dedicated to this, results are also shown, will be helpful :

    www.hairgyan.com

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  57. Good to hear that its working.... I just started...I m indian too...and learnt about it recently....

    Caution to Ladies: Please dont rub your thumbs...as rubbing thumb nails leads to facial hair growth...as the nerve endings of thumb nails are connected to facial folicles....

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  58. This is for real, i have tried it and it worked !!!
    I am also using garlic/onion and Ginger solution.

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  59. I tried nail rubbing for a month, and initially my hair started shedding and experienced a heavy headache. Now the shedding and headache has stopped. However i am experiencing a heart palpitation and that goes for several hours. So i stopped it completely. Anything about 2 minutes for a day, my palpitations shoots up and legs started paining. So doing 1 or 2 minutes in a day will help to regrow hair? any suggestions?

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    1. I'm sorry.. Two minutes does nothing.. U will have to do for atleast 20 mins a day..
      Do 5 mins at one shot..

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    2. Re tried... first few days everything good... itching and tingling feeling in forehead. After a 3-4 days, heart palpitation observed... Anyway to avoid heart palpitation? - jhon

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  60. my friend is 24 and has almost no facial hair..we often make fun of him...i'll tell him about the thumb rubbing stuff...thank you

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  61. i have started nail rubbing for a month ago...i haven't notice anything progressive yet. hair fall is as it was.

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  62. I heard about this technique some years ago. I didn't think much of it then. Something about nail rubbing supplying an electrical charge to the scalp. I am curious now and plan to try it. Will keep you posted.

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  63. Can anyone tell me which are the sensations that show us we've done it correctly?

    I'm rubbing my fingernails and thumbnails (for beard growth), but feel only tingling sensations in fingers. I'm doing it as shown on the video.

    Wolf A.

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  64. hanks for the exhaustive research and data presented.
    Can you please elaborate on How does scalp stimulation help in hair growth. I do have a website http://best-hairloss-treatment-grow-hair-faster.org/ for hair growth product and technique

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  65. This would actually make a lot of sense considering you often see vitamins for Hair and Nail care in drugstores!

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  66. This might be a stupid question but I suppose it doesn't work if you're wearing nail polish? I always have polish on so I might need to stop wearing any in order to get started on this! Thanks for letting me know!

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  67. When we can seee the result???:)

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  68. Tried 5 min before sleep...Nail rubbing creates palpitation and head ache on the next day...even my sleep was disturbed....not deep sleep and frequent wake up, any suggestions?

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    1. I too observed palpitation and however i got a deep sleep like fainted. Any ways to stop the palpitation?

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  69. Giles, skip the nail rubbing and go for a scalp massage instead.

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  70. I wear nail wraps (jamberry, specifically) do you think they will hinder the results? They are basically blocking the surface of my nails. I too did the nail rubbing for ten minutes after reading this article but I didn't feel the tingling in my scalp as others said they did.

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  71. am gona give it atry coz am real runing bold...pliz guys pray for me coz i real wat my hair back

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  72. I am doing this for 1 year still loosing hair :(

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  73. If you are suffering from hair loss then read my success story. Ever since I was in my early 20’s my hair seemed to get thinner & thinner and with my Dad also being bald I knew the inevitable was going to happen. While my hair got thin to the point of being almost bald I think I spent the next 15 years trying to prevent my hair loss and so I have tried pretty much every pill/shampoo/supplement there is. I spent a lot of money and absolutely none of them worked.
    Then about 2 years or so ago I came across a video on the internet at http://howstophairlossnow.blogspot.com/
    which shows a method of regrowing your hair via natural treatment methods. I was skeptical but I went ahead with their guide and within a month my hair was already showing signs of regrowth improvement. 6 months later, my hair was thicker than it was when I was 16 and now with occasional treatment I have a stable head of full hair. Have a watch of the video and then see for yourself. I am just sharing a method that worked incredibly for me so please don’t flame me for posting a link if its against comment guidelines??

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  74. I lost lot of hair too and honestly nothing works. I also was diagnosed with cancer and was takingTarceva. That drug made me lose lot of hair too. Now I am practically and bold and quite honest like it.

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  75. I have been rubbing my nails since last 3 months. I dont see any difference. I feel that I am rubbing them correctly just the back side of the nails. Not sure what's happening

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  76. Thanks for all the useful tips regarding hair fall control. Preventing hair fall is also very important. Keeping hair clean and eating healthy food also helps. Find more discussion regarding this topic at www.Questionsignal.com

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    ReplyDelete

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