At what length were you able to start scalp-only washes?

[meteor]

^ Congratulations, Kae612!
And if you are running into problems with water getting there post-wash, just quickly wrap a towel around the head, like a turban while letting braid/bun stick out on top uncovered. You might need a smaller towel to blot some drips here and there, but I find with practice it gets easier and easier.

[Kae612]

^ Congratulations, Kae612!
And if you are running into problems with water getting there post-wash, just quickly wrap a towel around the head, like a turban while letting braid/bun stick out on top uncovered. You might need a smaller towel to blot some drips here and there, but I find with practice it gets easier and easier.

Noted! I did blot with a towel (avoided rubbing) but while my scalp dried fairly quickly the water did drip down to the entire length and it's still damp :P I'll work on it though!

[meteor]

I basically just make sure the water is running down while I hold the braid up, and keep it in the same position for towel-wrapping, so to catch water this is the way I wrap towel around (so the braid will be forced high up (folded, wrapped loosely on top), while water is dripping down): http://www.loxabeauty.com/wp/wp-cont...5/turban-5.jpg

There are many ways of doing scalp-only washes and that could also drive the way the towel is wrapped for catching drips IMO. I sometimes just wash hairline (partial scalp wash) while leaning over large sink/tub, and in that case hanging braid down my back (people with braids that aren't too heavy might need to hold them down with bra-straps or collars) - and in this situation I simply place and actively blot towel on top of head to dry it initially. (Haartraum's video on this type of scalp-only wash: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwREj8Kadlo)
This method is also very easy on the arms, unlike all the methods where you hold a braid up with one hand. (In fact, I prefer washing the hairline first with the braided bun covered in plastic wrap and then I take the bun down and hold the braid above my head, because this is less tiresome on my arms.)

I've also tried attaching my braid with a scarf to shower rod, but I felt that it really constrained my movement and made it harder not to get the braid wet.

I also always dilute shampoo in a separate bottle to make it spread and lather more easily, like others mentioned.

And some people like to use this tool called PonyDry for scalp only washes (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...d.php?t=136047) but I've never used it and it seems a bit small to me.

[animetor7]

Noted! I did blot with a towel (avoided rubbing) but while my scalp dried fairly quickly the water did drip down to the entire length and it's still damp :P I'll work on it though!

I always cover my bun in plastic while doing my scalp only wash and after blotting with a towel just wrap my large t-shirt (which I use in lieu of a towel) around my head without uncovering or taking down the bun to let it dry in the t-shirt for a little bit before any dry length is exposed as it were. Doing this keeps almost all of the water at or above ear length because my scalp isn't dripping when I take it down, it's just sort of damp, so there's less water transfer down the length. I do my scalp washes this way because I'm too lazy to bother with holding a braid out of the way, which admittedly works better for getting all the scalp but is too much fuss for me. It also depends on where your scalp gets the most oily. I think I get away with this type of scalp wash because generally my hairline is my oiliest part and my crown usually is fine in between my weekly washes even if I don't get it wet during my scalp wash. If your crown is greasier this might not work as well for you. Good luck, and congrats on your first successful scalp only wash!

[Kae612]

I always cover my bun in plastic while doing my scalp only wash and after blotting with a towel just wrap my large t-shirt (which I use in lieu of a towel) around my head without uncovering or taking down the bun to let it dry in the t-shirt for a little bit before any dry length is exposed as it were. Doing this keeps almost all of the water at or above ear length because my scalp isn't dripping when I take it down, it's just sort of damp, so there's less water transfer down the length. I do my scalp washes this way because I'm too lazy to bother with holding a braid out of the way, which admittedly works better for getting all the scalp but is too much fuss for me. It also depends on where your scalp gets the most oily. I think I get away with this type of scalp wash because generally my hairline is my oiliest part and my crown usually is fine in between my weekly washes even if I don't get it wet during my scalp wash. If your crown is greasier this might not work as well for you. Good luck, and congrats on your first successful scalp only wash!

Thanks! I did the braid-into-a-doubled-scrunchie-and-shower-cap route I read about on here. I'll try the Tshirt wrap next - I'll need to make a braid that doesn't hurt when I'm not holding it if I plan to leave it in longer XD. I definitely need to get in to the centre back of my head, my crown, and my hairline. All the scalp needs to be scrubbed well or I get the itchies.

[mira-chan]

I've never been successful at it :/ I even tried making a loose braid, but I feel like my scalp isn't clean after, and then I have knots or feel like I'm being rough to it.
And then I'm concerned shampoo got to some areas I didn't get wet or I couldn't wash it off entirely and now it's going to be on my hair for days "damaging it".

Same. It always gets wet and my scalp with it's dry sebum doesn't get clean at all. Plus if my hair gets wet, even in parts, I need to condition it or it feels and acts like wire and starts trying to gather radio signals from space.

I also wash once a week so it's not as big of a problem to wash the whole thing.

[amiaow]

It worked well for my fine hair from mid back lengths- I'd put it in a high bun and wrap the shower cap around that. I don't need to condition my scalp hair though!