Massage simply makes you feel better.

anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate: all eased

context

The simplest reason to book is how a treatment makes you feel, and this is the strongest finding in our whole review.

method

Researchers combined the results of 37 separate randomized massage studies into one big-picture analysis.

finding

Massage clearly lowered anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate right away, and over a full course of sessions eased ongoing anxiety and low mood, pooled across 37 randomized trials.

What this study shows

A single massage session can measurably lower state anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate
A course of massage was linked to reduced trait anxiety and depression
The effect on anxiety and depression was described as similar in size to psychotherapy

What this study does not show

It looks at whole-body massage, not scalp or head-spa work specifically
It doesn't touch on hair, the scalp, or herbs
It measures the studied windows, so lasting change beyond them is still an open question

Everybody's different, so results vary, and none of this is medical advice. If a scalp or hair concern sticks around, please see a doctor or dermatologist.