A cotton pad soaked in warm medicated oil is placed on the crown of the head and held there, letting the oil slowly soak into the scalp.
Shiro Pichu means a pad (pichu) on the head (shiro): a thick wad of cotton soaked in warm medicated oil and held on the crown, so the oil soaks into the scalp slowly. It is one of the head and face therapies, and the head form of the Pichu the clinic also gives to the back and joints. It is not an eye treatment; the eye therapy here is Netra Tarpanam.
A session runs about 30–45 minutes. Shiro Pichu is carried out at Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe, a doctor-led Ayurveda hospital at Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131 — within reach of Medavakkam, Sholinganallur, OMR, Pallikaranai, Velachery and Tambaram.
What Shiro Pichu is traditionally used for
Shiro Pichu is traditionally used for nervous tension, insomnia and migraine, hair-root care and mental fatigue.
Shiro Pichu is traditionally used to support sleep that will not come, a restless mind, recurring headaches and migraine, and thinning hair with a dry scalp. It is part of the clinic’s plans for Migraine & headache, Hair fall & dandruff and Eye strain & dry eyes — in the last, for the head and brow ache, while Netra Tarpanam is given for the eyes themselves.
It is typically planned for people whose mind races at night, for hair-fall plans where the scalp needs oil held on it rather than rubbed in, and for older patients, since it is done sitting.
What happens in a session
You sit upright, the hair at the crown is parted so the pad rests on scalp rather than hair, and a cloth band is tied above the eyebrows so oil cannot run into the eyes.
A palm-sized pad of cotton, dipped in warmed oil, is placed on the crown and held by the band; you feel a spreading warmth and a slight weight.
Every few minutes the therapist pours more warm oil onto the pad so it never cools or dries, while you sit quietly with your eyes closed.
After 30 to 45 minutes the pad and band come off, the scalp is wiped, and you rest briefly before washing your hair with warm water.
Who should not have Shiro Pichu
A scalp wound, boil, fungal infection or oozing rash where the pad would sit.
A fever, an acute cold or a sinus flare; it is postponed until that settles.
A recent head injury, or headaches that are new, sudden, or come with vomiting, weakness or blurred vision — those need medical assessment first.
A tendency to feel faint when sitting still for long; the doctor may adapt the position or choose another therapy.
Pregnancy — tell the doctor, who checks before planning any oil therapy.
How many sessions?
Shiro Pichu is almost always a course, because the point is oil held on the head day after day. A common plan is daily sessions for 7 to 14 days, sometimes alongside Shiro Abhyangam or Shirodhara.
Dr.V.Vaitheeshwari B.A.M.S., sets the length and the oil from your sleep, the pattern of your headaches or hair fall, and what you already take, and reviews the plan after the first week.
Before you come
Wash your hair the evening before, and come without hair oil, gel or spray.
If you wear a wig, hairpiece or extensions, be ready to remove them — the pad sits on bare scalp.
Use the bathroom first; once the pad is on, getting up interrupts the oil.
Afterwards
You may feel heavy-headed and calm, and some people sleep earlier that night; others notice little at first.
If you keep a headache or sleep diary, carry on with it through the course — the doctor uses it to decide whether to continue.
Call us on +91 81229 39197 about an itchy rash or bumps on the scalp. A sudden, severe headache, or one with fever, vomiting or confusion, needs an emergency department straight away.
Cost
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
No — nothing is placed over the eyes in Shiro Pichu. For dry, tired or strained eyes the clinic’s therapy is Netra Tarpanam, where warm medicated ghee is held over the eyes inside a ring of dough. If both your head and your eyes trouble you, the doctor can plan the two in one course.
How is it different from Shirodhara?
Shirodhara pours a moving stream of oil over the forehead while you lie down; Shiro Pichu holds still oil on the crown while you sit. The classics rank Pichu above the poured stream for keeping oil on the head, and it suits people who find lying under the stream uncomfortable.
Can I use my phone during the session?
Better not. Looking down tips the head forward and lets the oil run towards the face, and screen light works against the reason many people are having it.
What does Shiro Pichu cost in Chennai?
Cost depends on the duration and whether the doctor plans a single session or a course. Call +91 81229 39197 and we will tell you before you book — there are no surprises at the counter.
Sri Vinayaga Ayurvibe — 12/597, Main Road, Nethaji Nagar Main Rd,
Nookampalayam, Perumbakkam, Chennai 600131. Phone:
+91 81229 39197.
