Nails on scalp: yae or nay?

[meteor]

I like to scratch my scalp very gently when I wash my hair and right before I wash my hair. I think it helps lift up old shed skin cells, and I have much better control than if I use a massager and it seems safer than any exfoliants. When I skip that "scritching" with my nails part, I think my scalp doesn't feel as clean. But I wonder if it's damaging at all.
Do you use nails on scalp? Why or why not? :)

[Trin]

I love how it feels... it's so relaxing and my scalp always tingles afterwards (in a good way, like when I did the caffeine soak). I do end up with less dandruff and such when I do this, so that's another plus for me personally.

[tokugawa.miyako]

I've heard that nails can be too harsh/damaging, but I tend to use them anyway. Not very hard or anything, but I do feel like massage is more effective to me if I use them. And I have bad dandruff problems so it helps with that too. :shrug:

[Chromis]

If nails on scalp is wrong, I don't want to be right! It feels so good to give myself a nice scritch and sometimes it seems like the only way to get rid of that white sebum gunk that builds up over time without having to use things that make my scalp dry and itchy. (I've always had this, no matter what washing method!)

I think it is mostly a matter of not over-doing it. A bit of scritching is awesome, but not if you scratch until you bleed or get sore! For some folks, it is easy to over-do and probably best avoided. You know yourself the best.

[hanne jensen]

I always avoid nails on my scalp as I am very heavy handed so I will scratch myself. Also, under the fingernails is a bacteria bomb even after washing with a nail brush.

[Knifegill]

I'm afraid it tears my hair. Especially when wet. I can feel ripping. So I quit doing it, fingertips only for the most part. Maybe a light dry scritch here and there.

[brickworld13]

I use them because it's the only effective way to wash out the offending flakes from mad scalp. I will be so glad when I finally adjust to the water here. This itchy, flaky crap has got to go.

[hufflepug]

When my nails are long it's hard to avoid using them on my scalp. I always prefer how it feels after I cut them short though. I feel like I can use more pressure without worrying about damaging anything.

[Larki]

My nails are rarely long enough to even reach my scalp. :p

[angstroms]

I like to scritch before I wash too! It feels amazing and my hair always feels cleaner if I scritch with nails or comb, then BBB before I CO.
Also, it makes me think of my conure, and how he likes a bit of help breaking up the pin feathers he can't reach! Happy birds poofing up and enjoying a scritch are lovely. I don't look as cute as my bird, but I feel like he gets it.
(Not my bird, but a cute example for those not blessed with a flock of squawk) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPYgV8NJxfs#t=37

[truepeacenik]

My family fostered a nanday conure for a couple years. He loved that same scrtitching.

My nails are kept too short to do damage; as in no white showing; as a matter of dress code at the spa. I guess I'm using my denman brush to do this, and I love it.

[Melispelos]

I always use my nails, only because it feels so gooooood. If it's damaging it shouldn't feel so nice.

[Kristabeth96]

I love the way light scratching along with massaging feels.... so relaxing.

[fiðrildi]

I've always kept my nails short, so I'll never know if it's damaging or not! But I wouldn't mind to sacrifice a bit of damage for a good scalp massage :)

[BrownEyedBeauty]

I like to use my nails but not harshly. It feels more like a deep massage.

[Ravenwind]

I use my nails on my scalp because it just feels good! I also feel like it exfoliates my scalp better when I wash my hair.

[faeriehaerie]

I like the feeling of scritching my dandruffy scalp with my nails or a deep scalp massage with fingertips, alas I found out that I tend to shed heavily afterwards i both cases. :hmm:

[Kaelee]

I do it, it feels nice and it's a habit that I would struggle to break if I tried. I don't know if it's good or not, but it doesn't seem to be doing any harm.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I don't use my nails - however I do use a fairly stiff BBB and a wooden bristled brush with blunt ended bristles to do a scalp massage which feels heavenly.

[Forever]

Removing dandruff is just a satisfIng thing to do. :)

[squirrrel]

Scritching and Massage are two of the most important ways of looking after your hair for people who are NW/SO! :)

[TheMechaGinger]

If I don't scritch with my nails then I will with my comb before I wash or sometimes just for a nice massage. I don't use a lot of pressure with either method, just enough to get that awesome tingle sensation. I also usually have acrylic nails which are really thick and I think a little harder to scratch yourself with, not sure if that makes a difference of not.

[Johannah]

I still haven't figured it out yet. But guess I'm going to try it next time.

[lapushka]

My hair is combed out with a wide-tooth comb before a wash, then brushed thoroughly with the Tangle Teezer. That's enough "scratchiness" on my head as I'm comfortable with. So, no nails, thankyouverymuch.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I do the majority of my hair washing with the pads of my fingers, but I also like to scritch very very lightly with my nails to help remove dead skin - especially if I went longer than usual between washes. It really helps control my flakes. I can tell a difference between when I scritch and when I don't.

[Begemot]

I'm undecided. I usually avoid using using nails when I massage my scalp. A few years back I got a tiny bald spot near my front hair line (it looked like max. 5 hairs were missing) and it was probably because I had a persistent flaky spot there and I always kept scratching it with my nails, eventually the flaking stopped but there's still few hairs missing there :( But nails help locate those parts on my scalp that are starting to flake and sometimes nails on scalp during scalp massage feels nice.

[mira-chan]

I use nails on my scalp when washing. My skin likes to cling to itself even when it must go so I need a bit more exfoliation help. I massage my scalp gently with nails as a habit too.

[Garnetgem]

No i never use nails it can cause damage,i always use finger tips when i rub shampoo into scalp and if i need a scratch i just use my Tangle Teezer....

[missrandie]

I've always lightly used my nails on my scalp. I actually feel like I do more damages rubbing with my fingertips, and I hate the way it sounds against my head when I just use fingertips.

Something tells me I would enjoy a shampoo brush or TT.

[maborosi]

Very gently when I'm massaging my scalp. I also use a hairbrush for this reason.

[Millermom1110]

Maybe VERY gently, but I have found it to increase my thyroid/low ferritin induced shedding. So I tend to avoid it. But I do use a BBB for exfoliating and such.

[parkmikii]

I do occasionally use my nails to gently scrub the scalp, so yay nails for me :D

[Longhairgrowing]

I never use my nails on my scalp, only my fingertips for gently massaging in my shampoo or rhassoul clay. It works for me.

[mindfull]

Yay. Scritching is integral to stretching water only washes or doing nw/so

[yahirwaO.o]

I prefer to use my fingertips, but with my nails I can get my center parting very even, better than a rat tail comb! Just in that case, and the occasional scratching because it feels goood! :D

[emeraldfaery]

I'm a scritcher from way back. :D Probably never going to change.

[Spinder]

I'm a scritcher.. I just can't resist the urge to scrape all the annoying dry flakes off my head. I don't think it's damaging at all as long as you aren't too rough.

edit: 100th post!! YAY! :D

[lithostoic]

I do it gently sometimes. I use the top of my nail instead of the underside.

[Margrit]

Nails are damaging to scalp and hair. I always avoid.

[lapushka]

I have quite short nails, sometimes I lightly (by accident) touch the scalp, but it's no biggie, really. I don't think I do damage that way.

[nycelle]

I have two massage brushes I alternate between. One has harder rubber tips, and if I give it too much pressure, it's probably like using a nail. Personally, I'm fine with it. I like my scalp as clean as it can get since I cowash or use low poo. I've even used an exfoliating shampoo and loved it. No damage was done to my scalp or hair.

[lithostoic]

I never use my nails. I have sensitive skin and it cuts my scalp. I use the tips of my fingers GENTLY and often with oil.

[gustavonut]

Yes, I always scratch my scalp. It’s probably one of the best feelings ever.

[ravenskey]

I scritch my scalp, so yes. A lot.

[cupcake_drgn]

i love using my nails <3 i have medium length nails so i file away sharp edges, i dont wanna snag or break my hair during scalp massages.

[carlimeow]

Natural nails, yes, gently. But I remember my mom taking me to the hair salon years and years and years ago, I can't even remember how old I was, but I still remember how painful it was when the hairdresser's acrylic nails would scratch my scalp when she finger-combed through it. I remember thinking I would not be surprised if my scalp was bleeding afterward. I guess natural nails are "softer" or something maybe because I grow mine quite long every now and then when I'm bored and it still feels really nice to run my fingers across my scalp with them, but that instance was my only experience with someone doing it with fake nails and it was awful. It probably also helps that when I grow my nails long I file them into an oval/almond shape, and when they are short they are trimmed into a round shape, so no sharp edges. She wasn't being gentle with it either and that's also important. Like others have said, I also use a wooden hairbrush on my scalp because it gives really nice stimulation.

[KameRose]

Nails on the scalp is good to me. However, my scalp om my nails, not so good. Seems like I break most of my nails in my hair. My hair seems to find any small flaw in my nails and just slide right in making it worse. I bought a scalp massager just to save my nails from my hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

I do enjoy scritching dry hair/scalp before a wash, but when I've used nails on the scalp wet the hair seems occasionally to get caught, maybe because it can't move out of the way like when it's dry? But yeah, I do it gently enough when dry that it's no problem.

[GoatLady]

I try not to scratch my scalp.