If you’re feeling tired and run down at the moment, and the stress is showing in your lank, flyaway hair, try an Indian head massage with plenty of herbal oils to restore your shine - and your sense of wellbeing.

Head massage has its roots in ayurvedic medicine and has been practised in India for more than 5,000 years. It can help ward off stress and "stimulate the body to heal itself", according to president of the Institute of Indian Head Massage Amarjeet Bhamra.

The act of rubbing scented oils into the hair is also a family bonding exercise, as mothers in India routinely rub their children’s scalps with sesame oil, rosemary oil and other types of oil.

While many beauty salons in the UK offer Indian head massage, you can get the same results by practising on yourself at home. Take a little hair oil of your choice, such as almond oil for hair strength, coconut oil for hydration or sesame oil for shine, and warm it between your hands first.

Next, use your fingertips to spread the oil onto your scalp and through your tresses using small, slow, circular motions. Apply firm pressure and start at the hairline just behind your ears, keeping the rotations steady. Make sure you don’t pull or drag at your hair as you go, and move all over your head, paying particular attention to the nape of your neck and temples.

Alternate between firm and soft pressure with your fingertips for an energising boost and, if you are suffering with a stiff upper back, continue the circular motions all the way down the back of your neck and move on to the shoulders.

Just a few minutes of scalp massage a day will have you letting go of that stress - and could even promote faster and healthier hair growth.

Posted by Matilda Jones