Question for those who scalp wash

[Laurenji]

Hey everyone,

My hair is finally long enough that I'm starting to want to wash just my scalp sometimes as opposed to all of my hair every time. I've tried it a couple of times and I think I have a decent method down, but I've noticed something weird that I wondered if anyone else encountered.

After I wash my scalp, it seems like my length gets Really Greasy! Like instead of all that grease rinsing out, it just migrated down my length instead. When doing scalp washes, I always have my head upside-down in a sink, so everything gets shampooed and rinsed out before I lift my head up again, so it seems like it's somehow travelling down after it's already clean, which doesn't make any sense.

It just frustrates me because it kind of defeats the purpose of a scalp wash if suddenly the rest of my hair is really greasy afterwards.

Any suggestions?

[Nique1202]

I'm not a scalp-only washer, just a suds-rinsed-through-the-length type, but could it be that your length is just greasier than you thought it was before the wash? It's possible that your length just seems less greasy compared to your scalp before you wash it, so that when you get your scalp clean, the length really shows its problems by comparison.

[meteor]

^ Wow. :bigeyes: I've never experienced anything like this, but I'll keep an eye on this next time, just in case.
I usually do scalp-only washes the same way you do.

Do you comb/brush hair thoroughly after this? And you still have grease accumulating in that area, after the combing/brushing? I would think a brush should really help spread oil down a bit and make that length cleaner-looking. :hmm:

It might be worth experimenting with adding a bit of dry shampoo/hair powder in the greasy area and combing/brushing that out?

I wish I could be of more help there, Laurenji. :flower: Hopefully other LHC-ers will chime in.

[meteor]

It's possible that your length just seems less greasy compared to your scalp before you wash it, so that when you get your scalp clean, the length really shows its problems by comparison.

^ I haven't thought of that idea. That's quite possible, actually. :) Also, Laurenji, if your hair is fine and pretty light-colored and shows grease very well, then that could contribute to the visual effect.

[lapushka]

Maybe you need to wash a tad bit more of your length, as the oils might have traveled down more than you think prior to you washing.

[Laurenji]

I'm not a scalp-only washer, just a suds-rinsed-through-the-length type, but could it be that your length is just greasier than you thought it was before the wash? It's possible that your length just seems less greasy compared to your scalp before you wash it, so that when you get your scalp clean, the length really shows its problems by comparison.


Maybe you need to wash a tad bit more of your length, as the oils might have traveled down more than you think prior to you washing.

I'm thinking that these are probably the case. I've been stretching my washes to once a week or week and a half, and I've been scalp washing in an attempt to stretch my full washes even farther. But by that point the oils have definitely traveled down my length, so I guess by then it's too late to save the length and I just need to wash it all.

I don't really want to start doing scalp washes even more frequently than once a week though, since even scalp washes are kind of a hassle. I'll have to think more about this.

[woodswanderer]

I only shampoo my scalp (unless I need to clarify) but I do it standing upright in the shower. When I rinse off my scalp, the suds run down through the length and give it just a very light cleaning so that the length isn't greasy. Would this work for you, or is the point that you don't want to get in the shower.

I am able to stretch my washes to 2 times a week if I want my hair to look great, or 1 time if I don't care that it is getting a bit greasy and just put it up.

[Laurenji]

The point is that I don't want to get my entire mass of hair wet, because even though it's only hip, it takes five million years to dry in our humid climate and it makes my scalp itchy when it's wet for that long. I also find washing a hassle - I love my hair to death, but spending the half hour to 45 minutes that it takes to detangle and comb out my hair, wet it, wash it, condition it twice, and squeeze the water out of it, plus the extra several hours that it takes to wait for it to dry just enough for me to oil it, and then wait for it to air dry all the way, is just too much of a hassle for me to do more than once a week. I just don't have the energy or the time.

I pretty much stopped caring whether or not my hair looks greasy when I was pregnant (my son is now 2, for reference). I've found that through judicial use of braids near the front of the hair and putting it in a bun, it doesn't really look all that disgusting. It's just when I can't stand to run my fingers through my hair any more or my face/neck starts feeling greasy because of my hair that I feel like it needs washing. So I mean, by that point I'm pretty sure that the length is fairly greasy as well.

Basically I guess I'm trying to find an easy/low spoons way to not have to wash all of it all the time.

[lapushka]

I'd honestly dry it with a hair dryer, even on warm - it will not hurt, trust me. As long as you can hold your hand in the airstream without it burning, it's okay for the hair. I put it in a turbie for 15-20 min. and that gets a *lot* of wetness out, then I airdry for 1h, 1h30min. and by then it only takes 4/5 min. for the diffuser to go through (roots dry, ends damp).

[Silver Strands]

You could also try washing it with it in a braid.
Use a squirt bottle and dilute your shampoo. It makes it easier to target your scalp.
It would save on detangling and you could squish the shampoo down the braid cleaning it without over cleaning it.
Rinse well. Squeeze the heck out of it with a towel and maybe let it air dry in the braid for awhile before taking it down.

[Silver Strands]

And, if you're hot and humid, you could sit in front of a fan. That would help and feel good at the same time.

[woodswanderer]

I hope that didn't say something awkward when asking if the goal was to avoid the shower. What I really meant was wondering if you wanted to avoid a shower where you wet the entire length. I shower daily, but my hair is up in the shower if it isn't hair wash day.

[lapushka]

I hope that didn't say something awkward when asking if the goal was to avoid the shower. What I really meant was wondering if you wanted to avoid a shower where you wet the entire length. I shower daily, but my hair is up in the shower if it isn't hair wash day.

I thought by that comment you actually meant washing upside down over the bath. Nothing more. :)

[meteor]

I'm thinking that these are probably the case. I've been stretching my washes to once a week or week and a half, and I've been scalp washing in an attempt to stretch my full washes even farther. But by that point the oils have definitely traveled down my length, so I guess by then it's too late to save the length and I just need to wash it all.

I don't really want to start doing scalp washes even more frequently than once a week though, since even scalp washes are kind of a hassle. I'll have to think more about this.

Depending on how oily or dry your scalp is, that might be a bit long for scalp-only washes to be able to tide you over between full washes... it really depends on how much oil your scalp produces. Also, with 1b F/M hairtype, it's possible that sebum travels down the hair shaft faster than it would for more textured and coarser hair.

If scalp-only washes don't provide a perfect solution, you could try braided washes (with hair in 2 or more braids - braided from chin/shoulders down) - they don't save on drying time but they do help speed up the wash and the detangling after. :flower:

Another thing to consider would be dry shampoos/hair powders - they don't clean, but they do absorb oils a bit - and they are easier to do that scalp-only washes, too. :)

[Dragon Faery]

If you're waiting for that much grease to build up before washing, then yeah ... there probably isn't a lot you can do to fix it. What if you did two scalp washes between regular washings, but placed them 4 to 6 days apart instead of 7 to 10? It would still be a pain, but hopefully not as much of a pain as having to fully wash every time?
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I'm exploring scalp washes for the opposite problem: my scalp gets dry and flaky. (Not dandruff, as there's no itchies and tea tree oil seems to make it worse. The skin on my face tends to be really dry, too.) My length could go 2 weeks without washing, depending on what I use to oil it, but my scalp wants washes every 3 days. I'm trying to find some sort of pattern of rooibos tea applications on my scalp (via cotton ball), scalp washes, and oilings, that will allow me to extend my full length washes to every other week.