Am I treating my scalp right since I've shaved it?

[natural80]

I hope I haven't posted or anyone else has posted this, but if it has been asked before I apologize. :o

Well, I have been keeping my head shaved for a year. Sometimes I'll let it grow out for a few weeks, then I'll cut it. I think the reason for this is because I over shampoo and put too many growth aides on my scalp, which dry my scalp out. This time around I'm not washing my scalp at all. Well, I washed it late Sunday night, but I haven't since. I'm trying hard to not get the urge to shampoo. I'm using a sulfate-free shampoo when I do wash. One thing that I have done is use EVOO, baggy, and let it sit on my scalp for a few minutes before washing. I'm not using any growth aides this time around. Nothing. If I put anything on my scalp, it's the EVOO, but that's only when I wash. The funny thing is, is that my scalp is getting oily. :shocked:I have never, ever had an oily scalp. My scalp has always been dry and itchy. Well, it's a little itchy. It's not bad where I have to scratch it or anything. So my question is how often should I shampoo? I tried soap once and it just left a film. Should I just wash my scalp once a week? I did notice that when I water rinsed, my scalp itched like crazy afterwards. So that is why I shampoo'd Sunday because I water rinsed. :confused: I didn't have anything on my scalp. Sorry for the long post, but any advice is appreciated as always. :D

[OrangeStripe]

If this is the first time your scalp has gone without frequent washes, then there is usually a period of readjustment- people starting WO often have very oily scalps for a couple of weeks. It will probably be very itchy and uncomfortable for a week or so and then once your scalp gets used to having to provide it;s own oils again, everything will settle down.

[natural80]

Well, this is the first time in years I've gone without frequent washes. When I had hair, I went up to three weeks and had bad flakes too. I'm happy that I don't have to oil my scalp though. :) I would rather have an oily than dry scalp. Now, I understand about the water only method. Since my scalp seems calm as I would like to say it, lol, I'm scared to try it just because once it starts itching, I'll start scratching it and irritate my scalp, then I'll end up using the 'poo. I'm going to try it though again just to see.

[meteor]

You mentioned that you get itchies, and yet you try to avoid washing altogether and cover your hair with EVOO and baggy... I'm not a derm, but I know that some itch-producing and flake-producing bacteria (Malassezia) thrive in sebum and oleic acid in EVOO and some other oils...
Without a doctor's diagnosis for your scalp condition, it's hard to tell what's going on, but why not just give your scalp what it wants? For example, if you feel itchy and flakey, do a mild wash with some diluted sulphate-free product that doesn't irritate you and lets your skin feel comfortable?
Try not to overthink it: oiling scalp can sometimes be detrimental (in case of seborrhoeic dermatitis, for example). What I would incorporate though is scalp massages! They have stimulating affect on scalp and hair growth and probably much easier and more pleasant to do on bald scalp.

[lapushka]

You mentioned that you get itchies, and yet you try to avoid washing altogether and cover your hair with EVOO and baggy... I'm not a derm, but I know that some itch-producing and flake-producing bacteria (Malassezia) thrive in sebum and oleic acid in EVOO and some other oils...
Without a doctor's diagnosis for your scalp condition, it's hard to tell what's going on, but why not just give your scalp what it wants? For example, if you feel itchy and flakey, do a mild wash with some diluted sulphate-free product that doesn't irritate you and lets your skin feel comfortable?
Try not to overthink it: oiling scalp can sometimes be detrimental (in case of seborrhoeic dermatitis, for example). What I would incorporate though is scalp massages! They have stimulating affect on scalp and hair growth and probably much easier and more pleasant to do on bald scalp.

I agree with this, prolonging washes is not good when you have SD, *if* you have SD.

I'm not sure I get why you'd have to shave it all off again when you're not shampooing or treating your hair right?! *puzzled*

[spidermom]

I advise diluted shampoo washes when your scalp needs it. You can use a mild shampoo and dilute it quite a bit.

[natural80]

I'm Black, so my scalp gets dry, so I was doing the ghe or baggy method every night with different oils. Not the same oils each night. I was recently using EVOO, which help with the itchiness, but since I figured I had messed the little bit of hair I had on my head up from using different sulfate free and sulfate shampoos, I would start over and see what will happen. All of this was before I shaved it off. Not now. I haven't done the baggy method since I shaved it. I'm just letting my scalp do its thing, but I just wasn't sure if what I was doing by no washing right or not. I haven't used any EVOO. I only use that when I'm going to wash it to prevent dryness. Right now, my scalp only gets itchy if I use plain water. But OrangeStripe told me that's normal when doing the water only method. I doubt if I have SD. My scalp would be itching all of the time.

[natural80]

I agree with this, prolonging washes is not good when you have SD, *if* you have SD.

I'm not sure I get why you'd have to shave it all off again when you're not shampooing or treating your hair right?! *puzzled*

I don't think you read my original post. I said that I was washing on a daily basis with sulfate and sulfate free shampoo just because I didn't know how to take care of it. I thought that's what I was supposed to do. But it was so dry, so I just shaved it off.

[woodswanderer]

I really wouldn't even worry about damage from shampoo at the shorter lengths since it takes a while to accrue most types of damage. I'm confused though...you just keep shaving because you like it short, or you want to grow it long but feel like you keep damaging it and needa clean slate?

[natural80]

I really wouldn't even worry about damage from shampoo at the shorter lengths since it takes a while to accrue most types of damage. I'm confused though...you just keep shaving because you like it short, or you want to grow it long but feel like you keep damaging it and needa clean slate?

I do want to grow it out, but I just keep cutting it just because in my mind, I feel like I'm doing a lot of damage to it by using all these different shampoos. So this time around, I don't put anything on my scalp and wash it when it gets itchy. I was using growth aides, like sulfur and monistat as well. This was in the past. Not this time around. I hope I'm not confusing some of you ladies because I noticed some of the comments and advice are like I'm still using oil and growth aides, which I'm referring to this time around where I'm not using anything on my scalp. :)

[lapushka]

I do want to grow it out, but I just keep cutting it just because in my mind, I feel like I'm doing a lot of damage to it by using all these different shampoos.

Well that's just silly. Sorry, but it is. If that were true, honey, we'd all be bald!

[meteor]

I do want to grow it out, but I just keep cutting it just because in my mind, I feel like I'm doing a lot of damage to it by using all these different shampoos.
That's definitely an overkill. Gently cleansing your scalp isn't any more damaging than cleansing your face or body. You have to look at the trade-off between the damage caused by washing vs. the damage caused by keeping it unclean.
So far, the biggest recent damage to your hair seems to have come from your razor blade.
Having long hair requires some acceptance of damage (hopefully minimal) at the ends, at least from general wear and tear.


So this time around, I don't put anything on my scalp and wash it when it gets itchy. I was using growth aides, like sulfur and monistat as well. This was in the past. Not this time around.
I think it's a great plan! :) Sulfur and Monistat work, but aren't necessary.

[natural80]

That's definitely an overkill. Gently cleansing your scalp isn't any more damaging than cleansing your face or body. You have to look at the trade-off between the damage caused by washing vs. the damage caused by keeping it unclean.
So far, the biggest recent damage to your hair seems to have come from your razor blade.
Having long hair requires some acceptance of damage (hopefully minimal) at the ends, at least from general wear and tear.


I think it's a great plan! :) Sulfur and Monistat work, but aren't necessary.

Yeah. I understand what you're saying. I didn't know that. Yeah, I was using a razor the few times around, but this time when I shaved it I got a good pair of clippers and I notice a difference. The little bit of hair I have it softer. So I don't know if it's that or from just letting it do it's own thing this time around. I had WL hair in the past and it was damaged from chemicals, but I never cut it. I just got trims, but the chemicals destroyed it. I just want a head of healthy hair. I'm going to take your advice. Thanks. :) That's why I came here to get advice because I had no clue when it came to short hair. I've had long hair for almost 29 years. So it's a learning process. Thanks and I appreciate it. :)

[natural80]

Well that's just silly. Sorry, but it is. If that were true, honey, we'd all be bald!

I don't feel like it's silly. I wrote the post to get advice, not ridicule.

[biogirl87]

I don't feel like it's silly. I wrote the post to get advice, not ridicule.natural80, I do not think that lapushka was trying to ridicule you. I think she meant that feeling like you are dong a lot of damage to your hair by using all the different shampoos you have is damaging. I also think that it is a bit silly to think that you are damaging your hair by using a lot of different shampoos as then people would not be experimenting with different routines if changing what you wash your hair or scalp with is damaging to it. I have to say that I am surprised that soap is not working for you as when you shave your hair, I would think that you would have a bare scalp, which logically would be treated like the skin on other parts of your body. Hope you figure out what works for you.

[meteor]

Natural80, another hypothesis I have (but can't prove or even find any research to confirm) is that sometimes as hair grows out from bald, it itches.
Here's a link to a good article on itchy scalp and natural hair: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-hair-care-methods/itchy-scalp-hair-growth
I highly recommend Naturally Curly website, especially to those with tightly curly hair.

[natural80]

Natural80, another hypothesis I have (but can't prove or even find any research to confirm) is that sometimes as hair grows out from bald, it itches.
Here's a link to a good article on itchy scalp and natural hair: http://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/curly-hair-care-methods/itchy-scalp-hair-growth
I highly recommend Naturally Curly website, especially to those with tightly curly hair.

Thanks for the link. I'm going to check it out. :D That's what someone else told me. Since the itching isn't bad, I just ignore it. But I think this time like you said, the itching is probably from it growing. Last time, I figured I was using too much stuff that I probably was allergic to on my scalp. Since I know now, I won't shave it anymore. The funny thing is, is that's it's growing faster since I'm not doing much of nothing to it, but I will read the article. Thanks again.