Indian Head Massage, what's it all about?

Indian Head Massage is a relaxing treatment which concentrates on massaging the upper back, shoulder, upper arms, neck, scalp and face.

Indian Head Massage has been dated back 4000 years due to the earliest Ayurvedic texts. Ayurveda is India’s oldest healing system and it means ‘science of life and longevity’. It balances body, mind and spirit and to increase long life by the combined use of massage, diet, herbs, cleansing, yoga, meditation and exercise.

At present in Indian, children from birth until they are 3 years old get massaged daily to keep them in good health. From then until they are 6 years old they would be massaged up to twice a week. After 6 years old, they are then taught how to massage and share it with other family members.

Indian Head Massage has been used in India for over a thousand years and the techniques was originally developed by women who used oils according to that season from coconut, sesame, almond, olive, herbal, buttermilk, mustard oil to henna to keep hair strong, lustrous and in beautiful condition.

In India, head massage had been given as an integral part of a treatment by barbers and masseurs. The treatments would differ from the massages performed by women in that they where mainly invigoration scalp massages designed to stimulate and refresh the individual, but not as part of a beauty treatment.

These skills have also evolved through the ages and have been handed down from barber farther to son. The females in the family have also kept the tradition of hair massage and grooming by passing it down from mother to daughter. It is very common to visit a barbershop, and receive a head massage as part of the treatment. Indian Head Massage can be seen in many parts of Indian form Calcutta to Bombay, mainly seen being performed on street corners, markets and the beach.