Scalp pain from hair going in the wrong direction

[CrazyGrace]

This may have already been discussed, but it doesn't turn up on a quick search.

I'm trying to go longer between washes and use less shampoo, but what usually drives me into the shower is pain. I have a cowlick on the top of head that really wants to go forward and across. It is not in a place where I can let this happen and still put my hair up in any way that doesn't look really strange. Most of the time it behaves. There might be bumpy spot or a little extra fullness there, but it isn't overly obvious. Occasionally though, it decides that it will go in that direction and becomes quite painful. Seriously, I would not think it possible for hair going in the wrong direction to Hurt that much. Even if I just leave it loose, gravity pulling it toward the back of my head makes it hurt. I have to use more shampoo than in the rest of my hair and massage that place thoroughly to make it stop. Recently the affected are seems to be spreading across the top of my head; last night when I was trying to sleep, it was probably three inches across.

Does anyone else have this problem? What do you do to make it calm down?

[spidermom]

My scalp is relatively un-fussy. I've only had that problem if I pulled my style too tight.

[Laurenji]

While I don't have a cowlick quite THAT inconvenient, i do get scalp pain, especially if I put my bun right on the top of my head or in a different position than normal. I find that 1) I can't wear a "painful" style for a long stretch of time. I need to take it down and massage my scalp and put it in a more comfortable style for a while. 2) I was able to "train" my scalp a little so that after wearing "painful" styles for a little longer, then a little longer most styles no longer give me scalp pain.

I don't know if that helps in your current situation. Like I said, I don't have a cowlick quite that bad. But I did find that when it got really bad, lying down, letting all my hair be loose overnight, and giving my scalp a good massage before bedtime was usually enough to help "reset" my scalp.

[Aurum]

Have you tried using a gel or a tiny bit of hairspray to keep it where you want it? That might help a little bit. Unfortunately cowlicks aren't easy to change or get rid of. They kind of are what they are.

[neko_kawaii]

I gave up trying to train my hair to do things that create pain and found lots of things that could be done low where my scalp doesn't object. I also found that stretching washes increases scalp pain for me. I can stretch to a week easily in term of appearance, but my scalp doesn't like ANY updo when I stretch more than three days.

[Shibe]

I think its because your hair is so used to going one way naturally, that the follicle isn't used to the shaft being in the opposite direction

[eadwine]

You're saying massaging it helps, you might want to try doing that each night before sleep. So not the washing, but the massaging, and hope it works!

[Drosmand7]

I get scalp pain when I stretch my washes. As I'm approaching the end of the week, I increase my hair-brushing to try to move the sebum as much as possible. I find the pain is usually because the hair tends to pull in such a way that tugs on the end nerves of the scalp. Sebum increases tension, thus pain.

Brushing and massaging until it's unbearable and into the shower we go.

[CrazyGrace]

I just want to clarify that my hair is either braided or in a bun most of the time. It only hangs loose for an hour or two in the evenings between the time I get tired of it being up and when I'm ready to brush and braid it for bed. After a week and a half or two weeks of contentedly going back, it changes its mind and tries to flip forward. Sometimes, there isn't even much warning, I've run home on my lunch break to wash my hair, because the pain was keeping me from focusing on my work.

I've just realized that I have never tried to massage it down without washing it. I always reach for the brush and try to convince it that way; it works for a few minutes and then it starts to come back. Next time I'll try to massage it with my fingers and see if that works any better. Thanks Eadwine

[jacqueline101]

I think its because your hair is so used to going one way naturally, that the follicle isn't used to the shaft being in the opposite direction

I was thinking this too.

[eadwine]

I've just realized that I have never tried to massage it down without washing it. I always reach for the brush and try to convince it that way; it works for a few minutes and then it starts to come back. Next time I'll try to massage it with my fingers and see if that works any better. Thanks Eadwine

I am keeping my fingers crossed for you hoping that this will work!

[Jonas]

I think I have this too