Washing with scalp scrubbing brush?

[GoddesJourney]

ETA: Please read also my next post for clarification on what I'm looking to explore.

I've been wondering about this for a long time and I'm sure I'm not the only one to ever think of it. I want to scrub my scalp but my hair is thick so it's hard to get down to it. I'm listed as a ii right now because it is so short it will be some time before I have the full amount in any sort of updo, so in addition to being fairly thick per strand, I also have a good deal of it. This makes even just shampooing the under layers a task of parting and separating, but I would like to scrub my scalp well. I use a very rough, exfoliating towel on the rest of my skin and my skin type loves it. The only way I can see doing this with my scalp is with a brush, but I don't know what to use. A BBB will not make it through my hair to my scalp very well unless it is a really stiff one. Even then, I remember brushing my hair with one and putting a flat hand behind it to push it all through. I could use nylon brushes, maybe even a dish scrubber, but I would be afraid the stiff nylon would be a little too harsh on my scalp and maybe damage my hair as well.

Anyway, I think it would be a great way to wash my scalp directly and distribute that shampoo, while managing flakiness all the other days when I wash with CO or lately sometimes just flat beer. I'm also hoping it will stimulate my scalp and hair follicles while providing an amazing head massage on a daily basis.

Does anyone do this?

What do you use?

Have you tried it and stopped because it was damaging or overstimulating causing more flakiness, excess sebum or otherwise?

Any other input?

Thanks LHC. This is the only place I know to get ridiculous questions like this answered by people who share the same obsession. :D

[bunnylake]

I think that would ultimately be very damaging to the hair strands, if not to the scalp itself. (Over exfoliation will eventually cause damage to the skin, by the way).
I use my Tangle Teezer to loosen dirt/oil and stimulate my scalp before I go into the shower. Some people do occasional scalp scrubs with a brown sugar mixture, but I've never done that. Maybe someone else who has can chime in.
If you have trouble distributing the shampoo, maybe your technique is incorrect or your shampoo isn't lathering enough? I put my shampoo into my hand first, rub my hands together to form a light later, and then work it through with one hand at the top of my scalp and the other at the base, and then I work it through to the sides and hair line, massaging gently. That works well for me even with a shampoo that doesn't lather much.

[Firefox7275]

Most brushes would damage the hair if you scrubbed with them, bearing in mind hair would be wet and thus weakened. Gently combing the scalp with a Tangle Teezer should be enough. To distribute shampoo better dilute, apply with a nozzle bottle, work upside down in sections if needs be.

If you have flaking get the cause medically diagnosed, removing flakes is hitting the symptoms but could be damaging an already irritated skin barrier.

[swearnsue]

How about diluting your shampoo and then you can pour the thin shampoo/water through your hair and it would reach your scalp?

Maybe using the TT very very gently in small circular motions against the scalp to help the shampoo lather would be fine.

[truepeacenik]

I thought you meant the brushes sold for this purpose on short hair.

I think a detangle and a bit of a scalp "scritch" and massage while dry is a good idea, wet makes me envision splits and knots.

[GoddesJourney]

Well, perhaps I should explain more thoroughly before I get more feedback. I use standard shampoo or shampoo diluted with a little oil and it lathers just fine. What I meant was to take some kind of brush, push it into my scalp, and make little circles. Much like the scritching that some people do only I think that would be more damaging since your nails don't fit well between your follicles like bristles would. I think my scalp would enjoy that wet instead of dry. This tangle teaser doesn't sound like a bad choice for that.

I'm not expecting this to tangle my hair any more than washing with my fingertips since it would just be pressing and making little circles. My hair doesn't tangle under normal circumstances unless it's damaged and right now it's too short to tangle anyway.

I don't have a medical condition that makes me super flaky. I just find that I will start to get a little flaky if I don't wash, and I am more likely to find them in places that won't get as much shampoo if I'm in a hurry. Normally, to shampoo, I make quick sections in the shower. It works fine. I'm looking for a new way that is more efficient by exploring ideas.

[walterSCAN]

Hmm, the TT does seem like it might be good for this. I've never tried it, but I have thought about it-- the hair just above my nape never seems to get washed all the way down to my scalp, no matter what I do. Unfortunately, I think this method would tangle or break my fine hair. :( Let us know how it goes if you try it!

Have you heard of the wet brush? (http://www.thewetbrush.com/about.html) I've never used/ even held one, so I don't know if it is or would be any good (or if it's truly hairsafe... I don't know about those little balls :hmm: ), but my SIL loves hers. I thought of it immediately after reading your first post.

Anyway, just wanted to help brainstorm and say good luck!!

ETA--> I was just browsing through the link I posted-- what about one of these? (http://www.ts2products.com/wetbrush-store/themanbrush.html) No little balls on the bristle, at least.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I guess try it for a while and see how your hair likes it? Just gently of course.

[cathair]

There are these type of brushes which are designed for that I think:

http://www.hairsupermarket.com/p/5145?r=5&gclid=CLrqp-OPtrwCFdQPtAodTTIAZQ

But I don't know if they are any good for your hair.

There is this study:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3129123/#ui-ncbiinpagenav-2

where people's hair was badly damaged by a similar looking brush. But they weren't shampooing with it, they were actually brushing their hair with it.

[Firefox7275]

I still think going in circles would be damaging. You'd be looping some wet hairs around bristles, I can't see how you could avoid stretching or cuticle damage at best, tangling or breakage at worst.

If you have even fairly mild flaking that us not related to failure to rinse effectively (different to failure to wash effectively or exfoliate) then that should be investigated rather than scrubbing known irritants into your skin.

[ErinLeigh]

Well, perhaps I should explain more thoroughly before I get more feedback. I use standard shampoo or shampoo diluted with a little oil and it lathers just fine. What I meant was to take some kind of brush, push it into my scalp, and make little circles. Much like the scritching that some people do only I think that would be more damaging since your nails don't fit well between your follicles like bristles would. I think my scalp would enjoy that wet instead of dry. This tangle teaser doesn't sound like a bad choice for that.

I'm not expecting this to tangle my hair any more than washing with my fingertips since it would just be pressing and making little circles. My hair doesn't tangle under normal circumstances unless it's damaged and right now it's too short to tangle anyway.

I don't have a medical condition that makes me super flaky. I just find that I will start to get a little flaky if I don't wash, and I am more likely to find them in places that won't get as much shampoo if I'm in a hurry. Normally, to shampoo, I make quick sections in the shower. It works fine. I'm looking for a new way that is more efficient by exploring ideas.

I remember seeing a link about a study where the scalp brushes were causing white dots on the hair.
The TT may be an option to try first. A lot of people seem to love them. I can understand your stress at not being to get in there past the hair to the scalp but I have yet to read a good article or post about the scalp brushes. Maybe I am looking in wrong place however. To me I could see them tangling your roots. The teaser has the short brushes also but they supposedly don't damage as much.

Anything you you decide is up to you of course. Just posting what I read just so if you do get one you can keep and eye out for what a few reported. I think the study on the white dots only used 3 heads of hair so your results could be different.

[mamaherrera]

well I've used that denman shower bath on wet and dry hair and I dont seem to find more tangles or knots when I rinse out conditioner. I dont do circles, but rather short up and down strokes.

[mamaherrera]

Could you explain please how you use your TT to do that. Do you do circles, up and down, brush all the way down, or how do you do it?? I tend to do short, very short up and down motions with my shower brush, and lately I do it on dry hair before shower instead of in the shower



I think that would ultimately be very damaging to the hair strands, if not to the scalp itself. (Over exfoliation will eventually cause damage to the skin, by the way).
I use my Tangle Teezer to loosen dirt/oil and stimulate my scalp before I go into the shower. Some people do occasional scalp scrubs with a brown sugar mixture, but I've never done that. Maybe someone else who has can chime in.
If you have trouble distributing the shampoo, maybe your technique is incorrect or your shampoo isn't lathering enough? I put my shampoo into my hand first, rub my hands together to form a light later, and then work it through with one hand at the top of my scalp and the other at the base, and then I work it through to the sides and hair line, massaging gently. That works well for me even with a shampoo that doesn't lather much.

[GoddesJourney]

I still think going in circles would be damaging. You'd be looping some wet hairs around bristles, I can't see how you could avoid stretching or cuticle damage at best, tangling or breakage at worst.

If you have even fairly mild flaking that us not related to failure to rinse effectively (different to failure to wash effectively or exfoliate) then that should be investigated rather than scrubbing known irritants into your skin.

Hmmm...never know. I would consider the possibility that it is related to not rinsing completely I guess for the same reason of densely packed hair. However, it doesn't start to show up until about 24 hours after any kind of wash, including the usual CO. Come to think of it, I wonder if it is related to wearing a hat any time I'm outside on my duty days. That's a requirement I have about a year left on. I don't remember having this problem before starting this job, but you never know. I do remember a couple of the girls that used to be there mentioning that the sweating under a hat all day gave them dandruff. Anyway, I guess I can try some stuff with that and see how it goes.

Aside from that, I still want to hear from a long time scritcher. Also, if scrubbing my scalp might be damaging, does that mean that scrubbing and lathering with my fingertips is also not worth it? I thought we all did that? Or even just scalp massaging? I love massaging my scalp and would hate to have to give it up. I have never had my hair past somewhere between waist and hip, so I don't know how delicate it will be if I try to make TB.

[spidermom]

I feel sure that moving bristles in a circle while you wash your hair would be very damaging. Diluting shampoo in a small amount of water and using a squirt bottle would make it much easier to get an even spread of shampoo all over your scalp. It won't lather as much, but it will clean the scalp. You could use a shower comb to comb over your scalp only (not through your hair). I do this when I feel that my scalp is exceptionally covered with sebum or just because, but only move the comb in one direction, then pick it up and start again in a slightly different spot.

But really - save brushing for dry hair. It feels good to brush while bending over, hair falling toward the floor.

P.S: Diluting the shampoo for washing would probably make it rinse out more easily.

[jacqueline101]

You could try the tangle teaser but if you want a cheaper but as good in my book I'd use the hair bean. Like others said use it like a scritching brush or shampoo brush. I've also in the past used an exfoliant on my scalp. I used a Mary Kay skin exfoliant which one I don't remember. I did it on my scalp and it rinsed out alright. It seem to help my product build up issue.

[lapushka]

I'm listed as a ii right now because it is so short it will be some time before I have the full amount in any sort of updo, so in addition to being fairly thick per strand, I also have a good deal of it. This makes even just shampooing the under layers a task of parting and separating, but I would like to scrub my scalp well. I use a very rough, exfoliating towel on the rest of my skin and my skin type loves it. The only way I can see doing this with my scalp is with a brush, but I don't know what to use. A BBB will not make it through my hair to my scalp very well unless it is a really stiff one. Even then, I remember brushing my hair with one and putting a flat hand behind it to push it all through. I could use nylon brushes, maybe even a dish scrubber, but I would be afraid the stiff nylon would be a little too harsh on my scalp and maybe damage my hair as well.

I would stay away from a "scrubber". Much too harsh, especially on (weaker) wet hair. It's different from brushing your hair well when it's dry, pre-wash.

Try sectioning your hair in order to wash it. I have iii hair and my hair is separated into 4 sections (top, bottom, and two sides). It helps hugely. You distribute shampoo to all the sections separately (just dab it underneath, smoosh it right into the sections). Then scrub each section separately, carefully, with the pads of your fingers.

[GoddesJourney]

I do section it and it works fine. I was just really looking forward to the feeling of scrubbing my scalp. I love to scrub my skin and my skin seems to love it. I love brushing with my denman or my wooden paddle brush because of the feeling on my scalp. However, the general consensus from various long hairs is that it won't be worth it, so I think I'll just sigh and let it go. I'll definitely brush well though. That is part of why I hated BBB. No feeling on the scalp because it doesn't penetrate. That and the static. :(