New methods for cultivating healthy hair growth have been gaining traction amongst young people on social media platforms, including hair tapping, a technique popularized in Korean and Japanese hair spas. According to hair-care experts, hair tapping is similar to a scalp massage and involves gentle drumming movements along the scalp with the fingers. Hair-tapping techniques draw from acupuncture, the practice of releasing emotional energy by accessing certain landmarks in the body.

Like other kinds of scalp massages, hair tapping may relieve scalp tension, stimulate blood flow and improve lymphatic drainage. A Japanese study found that four-minute daily scalp massages over a 24-week period increased hair thickness by changing the expression of human dermal papilla cells in tissue under the skin. And a 2019 self-assessment survey found scalp massages improved hair growth for individuals with hair loss.