Wash scalp with length wet or dry?

[Ophidian]

This may seem like an odd question if you've never thought about doing it any other way, but I realized I have a possibly non-standard way of washing my hair and I want to find out if my reason for doing so is sound.

What I do is use a bottle with a nozzle, filled with plain water, to wet my scalp only. Then I apply the cleanser to my scalp only and massage it in. Then I rinse, either holding my hair out of the way so it's basically just a scalp-only wash, or wet the length and let some suds run down.

The reason I do it this way is that I feel it's easier to get to my scalp and massage it well without pulling when my hair is still dry (and therefore less fragile). Does anyone else do this for a similar reason? Or is there some benefit to wetting all of your hair before washing your scalp that I'm not figuring in to this equation?

[Corvana]

I'll do that for a scalp only wash, but not for a regular one. I just like to stand under the water for a minute getting all toasty before I start to wash :laugh:

[embee]

I keep my length dry, in a topknot covered with a plastic bag. I don't usually use any kind of cleaner or shampoo, but the scalp get wetted down and rinsed off well. (I am now old and the oiliness of my youth has gone away.)

Good for you finding a method that suits you. I would not go telling "other people" about your hairwashing technique. It can be horrifying for those who wash & style daily, and they'll tell you how awful it is for your scalp and hair to do what you're doing. ;)

[MusicalSpoons]

I've actually tried this for the very same reason! :D The main reason I didn't carry on was because I experimented with pre-pooing and discovered my hair really really likes CWC, otherwise I might still be doing it. (I now currently use a shampoo brush to compensate for the weight of all the wet hair pulling the scalp hair down.)

[lithostoic]

Do you not use conditioner? I have to wet all of my hair so I can apply conditioner.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I'll do that for a scalp only wash, but not for a regular one. I just like to stand under the water for a minute getting all toasty before I start to wash :laugh:

I do this too, if I do a scalp only wash I keep the length dry. For an all over wash, I soak all my hair well in the shower before I wash it. It feels so wonderful, getting all my hair wet in the warm water...

[HaMalka]

I do this when I do a scalp wash but for ordinary washes I get it all wet in order to use my conditioner properly.When washing all of my hair I've never really thought about keeping it dry while applying shampoo. I may try it at some time but I usually CWC so that would make it rather difficult.

[lapushka]

This is basically a scalp-only wash.

It doesn't work for me. I wash once weekly and have to get the length washed after that due to the use of stylers and oil on my lengths.

[Ophidian]

Thanks for your feedback everyone! The reason I ask is that I have been washing using herbs only on the length for the majority of the last year and a half. I would use this technique to work the cleanser into my scalp since it's not ideal to manipulate your hair much with herbs like shikakai which can make it feel temporarily "grippy" (although the fenugreek I used as a conditioner would largely counteract that). Then after letting that sit for a while I'd apply the rest to the length and then rinse it all out. The mix is slippy and the consistency is like a thin conditioner so not unlike using a cowash.

However, I've decided to pare my routine down and rebuild it around scalp treatment shampoos and I'm contemplating how to treat the length now, which doesn't like to be stripped and also doesn't seem to care much for conditioner. I'm wondering if now that I plan to use stronger cleansers on the scalp, if my length would benefit from rinsing first which might allow a little sebum to travel down before being removed by the shampoo. I'll try it and see.

I'm also intrigued by the idea of a shampoo brush now...

[MusicalSpoons]

Could you pre-poo your lengths somehow (maybe with a light oil) then use your usual conditioning herb mix? Or pre-poo with the mix and use the scalp-only technique with the shampoo still?

For a really thorough scalp wash I braid my lengths, keep it in place under a belt but with enough slack to get through the scalp hair - though a shampoo brush would help with that for sure - and literally just wash the scalp hair.

[Shorty89]

I know lots of people do these scalp washes and it amazes me. I can only imagine how much breakage that would give me. Having half my hair wet and the other half dry would cause instant tangles and damage for my fine hair! For some reason that mix (part wet, part dry) really doesn't work for me.

[Ophidian]

Could you pre-poo your lengths somehow (maybe with a light oil) then use your usual conditioning herb mix? Or pre-poo with the mix and use the scalp-only technique with the shampoo still?

For a really thorough scalp wash I braid my lengths, keep it in place under a belt but with enough slack to get through the scalp hair - though a shampoo brush would help with that for sure - and literally just wash the scalp hair.

You must have read my mind, I was just thinking that maybe a heaver pre-poo oiling might be a good thing to try :). I was also thinking about the herb mix - even if I focus on shampoo instead of that for my scalp washing needs, there's nothing saying I can't use it as a wash/conditioner for my length still as needed. It definitely doesn't have a negative effect on my scalp, it just doesn't treat it either (mild SD). I was doing a mid week scalp wash leaning over the sink and just doing around my hairline to maintain, but I started noticing some flakes on my scalp further back starting this winter (when it's usually worse anyway) and decided maybe I should just bite the bullet and tweak my routine so it's centered on scalp maintenance rather than doing it as a secondary thing, and simplify as much as possible.

I just did my midweek wash, and decided to rinse the length too before cleansing. I had oiled the length lightly with coconut yesterday before bed. My length did well with WO when it was shorter, so I thought maying some preening under water would be a good thing. Then I washed my scalp bending forward so I could get to my scalp (I usually stand up) and then stood up and held my length out of the way while facing the shower to just rinse my scalp. So basically a water only wash followed by a scalp wash :D.

[Dark40]

I wet both my hair and scalp so that I can apply conditioner. When I use shampoo I also put it on both my length and scalp. Then, I apply the conditioner.

[Shorty89]

I always wet all my hair. It just seems like such a pain. Plus, I think all that manipulation (especially of just the scalp area with the rest loosely tied back) would cause major breakage and tangles in my fine hair. My hair doesn't seem to mind being/getting wet. It actually does better getting wet fairly often - maybe because it's so dry where I live.

ETA: Apparently I already commented on this thread and didn't realize it. :crazyq:

[meteor]

When I do scalp-only washes, I like to get some shampoo and a bit of water in an applicator bottle (water makes it a bit easier to suds up and apply directly to roots), shake it up and then apply to dry scalp first and scrub it for a while, then I jump in the shower and wash just the scalp (the length is braided and bunned and covered with a plastic cap). First I do scalp-only wash with hair bunned, then I undo the bun and hold the braid away (still covered in plastic cap) just to reach other areas of my scalp with more precision. This is what I do when I keep the length dry.

But even when I do a full wash, I really like to apply that shampoo+water mixture to dry scalp first and scrub it before the full wash even begins, much like OP described, just because I find that I can get cleaner-feeling scalp that way. I think it's great for removing dead skin cells, especially if the hair is very dense and some areas of scalp are hard to get to. I use tons of shampoo later during the wash, too, but this early "dry application" gives me a head-start before the full wash even begins. It also feels like a nice massage, since I can't really massage my scalp comfortably once all my length is wet, because my hair feels ridiculously heavy when it's wet and/or soaked in conditioner.


I know lots of people do these scalp washes and it amazes me. I can only imagine how much breakage that would give me. Having half my hair wet and the other half dry would cause instant tangles and damage for my fine hair! For some reason that mix (part wet, part dry) really doesn't work for me.

Interesting. My hair definitely tangles way more after the whole length gets wet (rather than only scalp). I think it's because when my whole length is wet, strands stick to each other more, and if this sticking action happens way down on the ends it's going to keep the upper sections tangling up more, too.


I was doing a mid week scalp wash leaning over the sink and just doing around my hairline to maintain, but I started noticing some flakes on my scalp further back starting this winter (when it's usually worse anyway) and decided maybe I should just bite the bullet and tweak my routine so it's centered on scalp maintenance rather than doing it as a secondary thing, and simplify as much as possible.

Yeah, I'd play with options that help you shampoo and massage the scalp more, so if this type of application allows you to access and thoroughly clean the scalp, that's great. Also, some medical shampoos (e.g. Nizoral) require pretty long application, letting the product sit for a while, so this type of application can help. It also means less time spent standing in the shower getting cold while the product is working its "magic", since you can do this scalp washing/scrubbing action before jumping in the shower.

[MusicalSpoons]

I know lots of people do these scalp washes and it amazes me. I can only imagine how much breakage that would give me. Having half my hair wet and the other half dry would cause instant tangles and damage for my fine hair! For some reason that mix (part wet, part dry) really doesn't work for me.


I always wet all my hair. It just seems like such a pain. Plus, I think all that manipulation (especially of just the scalp area with the rest loosely tied back) would cause major breakage and tangles in my fine hair. My hair doesn't seem to mind being/getting wet. It actually does better getting wet fairly often - maybe because it's so dry where I live.

ETA: Apparently I already commented on this thread and didn't realize it. :crazyq:

Haha, and I thought I'd posted a response to your first comment and didn't! My hair does not like being half wet and half dry, so I have to virtually leave it alone to dry fully before I detangle or put it up (or pay the price ... I did recently out of necessity, and boy oh boy I will NOT be doing that again! :-()

As to your second post, the way I do mine means there's enough scalp hair hanging upside down to get in there without pulling. I rinse gently/slowly with a jug so the pressure of the water doesn't pull discernably either. Unless I'm tired and need to get it done quickly, in which case I'm sometimes willing to pay the price of a couple of split ends on my diva old face framing hairs!

I'm not actually trying to convince you, especially as you say your hair does well with being wet often :flower: I just wanted to address those specific points because I imagine others who do want to try may have similar concerns and I know exactly where they're coming from!

[meteor]

Haha, and I thought I'd posted a response to your first comment and didn't! My hair does not like being half wet and half dry, so I have to virtually leave it alone to dry fully before I detangle or put it up (or pay the price ... I did recently out of necessity, and boy oh boy I will NOT be doing that again! :-()

I'll chime in just to agree. :) I do lots of scalp-only washes (while the remaining hair is dry), and I certainly fare better if I let the scalp area hair dry completely before attempting to detangle it. Light passing of fingers just so separate greater sections might be OK, but not full detangling yet. :flower:

[meteor]

For a really thorough scalp wash I braid my lengths, keep it in place under a belt but with enough slack to get through the scalp hair - though a shampoo brush would help with that for sure - and literally just wash the scalp hair.

Sounds interesting. :) I definitely see how this works for scalp, since I do something similar in terms of attacking scalp first while trying to control the hair's weight. What do you do with the braided length after that? Do you have any trouble with wet hair (tangles?) after it was kind of "set" in a braid under shower?

[Begemot]

I tried washing my scalp only but never got it work for me. Somehow it made my hair tangle a lot. I do remember that I tried to detangle my roots before they were completely dry, so that was probably the reason. Good thing I read this thread, gonna give it a try again some time :) Winter is such harsh time for my hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

Sounds interesting. :) I definitely see how this works for scalp, since I do something similar in terms of attacking scalp first while trying to control the hair's weight. What do you do with the braided length after that? Do you have any trouble with wet hair (tangles?) after it was kind of "set" in a braid under shower?

Oh no, I don't do it in the shower, I do it over the bathtub with a bowl of water and a jug. I and the braided lengths stay dry - I cannot imagine the horror if I wet the braid then tried to deal with it! :tmi:

[Shorty89]

Haha, and I thought I'd posted a response to your first comment and didn't! My hair does not like being half wet and half dry, so I have to virtually leave it alone to dry fully before I detangle or put it up (or pay the price ... I did recently out of necessity, and boy oh boy I will NOT be doing that again! :-()

As to your second post, the way I do mine means there's enough scalp hair hanging upside down to get in there without pulling. I rinse gently/slowly with a jug so the pressure of the water doesn't pull discernably either. Unless I'm tired and need to get it done quickly, in which case I'm sometimes willing to pay the price of a couple of split ends on my diva old face framing hairs!

I'm not actually trying to convince you, especially as you say your hair does well with being wet often :flower: I just wanted to address those specific points because I imagine others who do want to try may have similar concerns and I know exactly where they're coming from!

Interesting. I'm glad you're addressing those points for others. Everyone's hair is so different sometimes.