Is your goal beautiful, damage-free hair? Then realize that if you take care of your scalp, your hair also benefits, Livestrong.com reports.

Just do the research. People have sought ways to improve scalp health as a way to achieve hair growth and prevent baldness for centuries. In their quest, they’ve used herbs, such as rosemary, to make tonics. (Rosemary hydrates a dry scalp and boosts circulation.)

Another scalp treatment people have used is massage. In the 1930s, the American Medical Association (AMA) also recommended this technique to help balding men escape their thinning hair.

Years later, according to the Livestrong.com article, the AMA reversed its recommendation and said that scalp massages couldn’t stimulate hair growth. But the idea remained rooted in people’s minds. (Some say that stress-relieving scalp massages may simply help prevent hair loss as opposed to leading to new growth.)

What hasn’t been subject to debate, however, is whether cleansing is important to scalp health. Regular shampooing will keep the scalp clean. But to promote scalp health, also reduce your stress levels and eat a healthy diet (rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidant vitamins A, C and E and B-complex vitamins and minerals such as calcium, zinc and magnesium).

Science also shows that a healthy scalp will not only help you grow beautiful hair, but also eliminate problems such as dandruff and psoriasis, which often start in the scalp.

Click here to learn about additional benefits vitamins provide for your hair and scalp.