Scritching Instructions?

[FoxFire]

Can I get some scritching instructions, please? I would like to try this to aliviate some itchies and flakies I have been experiencing. I remember this method being discussed on the old board. There may even have been an article on it.
Thanks!:cheese:

[Silver & Gold]

You hold the comb at an angle almost level with the skull so that the point and part of the flat surface of the comb come in contact with your scalp. Think of this as using a comb to exfoliate and massage your scalp. With this in mind you're going to lightly scratch the surface of your scalp in a tiny back and forth motion without lifting the comb (like you're scratching an itch).
Begin at the hairline in the front and work backwards towards the crown. Once you get to the crown begin again at the hairline but move a little to once side to begin a new path to the crown. Continue moving about the head in this manner, finishing one side all the way to the back and then come back to the front and begin the second side.
You should lean your head slightly towards the direction you are scritching. So if you are scritching the right side, lean your head to the right. The only exception is when you get to the back, at that point it is easier to tip your head forward and let the hair fall over your face. It should feel really good. Some places on your scalp may beg for a bit more attention (like when you are getting a good massage and someone finds a spot that really needs work) and as long as you aren't using too much pressure (you don't want to damage your scalp) go ahead and rub that spot.
You can also follow with a massage of the scalp using just your fingertips.
I hope I've explained it in a way that is easy to understand. It's easier to show than to explain.

[FoxFire]

Those instructions make perfect sense. I'll have to try that before my next washing. Thanks, Silver & Gold!

[Silver & Gold]

You don't need to restrict scritching to just before a wash, although this is a very good time to do it. It's also a good night ritual. Very relaxing and yet it also stimulates the scalp. I also with do a quick scritching when I'm fixing my hair in the morning, it really helps the hair to stand up at the roots.
Once you get the hang of it you'll find yourself doing it just because it feels really good.
Make certain to have a good seamless comb as well. I use horn combs but I've heard other people use wood.

[wtchmel]

Call me old fashioned, but the only way I can relieve the itches and flakes is by a good washing of the hair and head. If I scratch the scalp for any length of time, it gets even more irritated.

[frizzinator]

If you have trouble with the comb, you can simply scratch with your fingernails. You're basically removing dead skin cells; therefore, do whatever is easy.

I've got a nice horn comb for scritching, but I always use my fingernails. The scalp sensation when scritching with the comb is absolutely fantastic and I've never matched that feeling with my fingernails, yet I still use my fingernails daily.

Scalp massage is good too, and it is done with the fingertips. Since I've already got my fingers in my hair, I do scritching, massage and preening while I'm reading on the internet. Nothing improves blood circulation like massage, and some of us believe it makes our hair grow faster.

[Silver & Gold]

Call me old fashioned, but the only way I can relieve the itches and flakes is by a good washing of the hair and head. If I scratch the scalp for any length of time, it gets even more irritated.

Interestingly enough I don't scritch to relieve itching or flakes, I've never been plagued by this condition. I only recently discovered scritching and I do it for the scalp stimulation and massage.

You say good old washing of the head and hair is 'old fashioned' but I suspect that scritching was around long before frequent washing. It's only been in more recent times that people could indulge in this activity. Getting and heating water was an arduous thing, especially if you go back to our original tribal roots.

Soooooo, scritchers are the old fashioned ones! AHA!

All kidding aside, I think everyone's head can use a good massage. If scritching really irritates your scalp then perhaps massaging your scalp with the proper conditioning oil for your skin type at night or before washing would give you some good scalp stimulation and condition your scalp at the same time. Do you think doing something like this might actually help your itching and flakes?

[rubyredslippers]

This advice has been invaluable to me as well, Silver&Gold--I was just going to post a thread on the same topic.

I do have one more question though--what's the distinction between needing scritching and having dandruff or scalp flakes caused by some other source? Is there a set amount of days after a wash that mark having a problem?

Usually I start getting flakes the third day after washing. Is this normal/helathy?

[Silver & Gold]

This advice has been invaluable to me as well, Silver&Gold--I was just going to post a thread on the same topic.

I do have one more question though--what's the distinction between needing scritching and having dandruff or scalp flakes caused by some other source? Is there a set amount of days after a wash that mark having a problem?

Usually I start getting flakes the third day after washing. Is this normal/helathy?

I can't answer this one for you as I have no personal experience with flaking. I hope someone more knowledgeable sees this and provides you with the answer you seek.

[Anje]

Another suggestion for getting rid of scalp gunk is to make a brown sugar scrub. Just a nice gritty mixture of brown sugar and conditioner, scrubbed on the scalp, has helped a lot of people.

Probably not something you'd do daily, unlike scritching, though.

[whiteisle]

.........and what exactly are the techniques of these two words?

[NenNa]

ou wrote the question I was going to write :) I'm wondering too.

[Lamb]

"Scritching" means massaging your scalp with your nails/fingertips in order to loosen sebum. Important technique for WOers and SO/NWers who cleanse their scalps that way.

"Preening" means getting the sebum you've scritched off your scalp down your length, using your fingers.

[hurricane_gia]

I know scritching is a method to relieve sebum build-up on the scalp. It also feels good! I use these instructions (but I use a plastic comb):

As for preening, I have no idea! I'm looking forward to learning all about it, tho.

[lookingglass]

This advice has been invaluable to me as well, Silver&Gold--I was just going to post a thread on the same topic.

I do have one more question though--what's the distinction between needing scritching and having dandruff or scalp flakes caused by some other source? Is there a set amount of days after a wash that mark having a problem?

Usually I start getting flakes the third day after washing. Is this normal/helathy?

If you feel like there is build up, gently scritch it off. Sometimes I feel like I need it everyday, and sometimes I can go a whole week without it. I don't think there is any "normal"!;) Some people, like me, think/thought they had dandruff, but really their scalp was dry/needed scritching/was sensitive to sulfates/ needed less washing...It's just whatever works for you at any given time.

I use a drugstore plastic comb or a wooden hairfork at the end of the day to scritch. I'd love a horn comb, though.:eyebrows: I tend to get too rough with my fingernails, and am afraid there is bacteria in there that my irritate my sensitive scalp.

[hurricane_gia]

"Preening" means getting the sebum you've scritched off your scalp down your length, using your fingers.

How do you get the sebum down the length of the hair? My sebum comes out grainy, like lots of tiny balls of wax. How do I get them to be absorbed by my hair? When I try to smooth the sebum down the length, it just looks like someone scattered some coarse corn meal on my hair.

[getoffmyskittle]

How do you get the sebum down the length of the hair? My sebum comes out grainy, like lots of tiny balls of wax. How do I get them to be absorbed by my hair? When I try to smooth the sebum down the length, it just looks like someone scattered some coarse corn meal on my hair.

Sounds like sebum + skin flakes, not pure sebum. Mine does that too, sometimes.

Yum.

[Nevermore]

Call me old fashioned, but the only way I can relieve the itches and flakes is by a good washing of the hair and head. If I scratch the scalp for any length of time, it gets even more irritated.

The other thing to remember is that scritching isn't the same thing as scratching. It's more of a firm rubbing or the comb use mentioned earlier in the thread, not using one's nails to forceably remove flakes.

[jojo]

If you have trouble with the comb, you can simply scratch with your fingernails. You're basically removing dead skin cells; therefore, do whatever is easy.

I've got a nice horn comb for scritching, but I always use my fingernails. The scalp sensation when scritching with the comb is absolutely fantastic and I've never matched that feeling with my fingernails, yet I still use my fingernails daily.

Scalp massage is good too, and it is done with the fingertips. Since I've already got my fingers in my hair, I do scritching, massage and preening while I'm reading on the internet. Nothing improves blood circulation like massage, and some of us believe it makes our hair grow faster.

Ive never done this deliberately but I always get my dad to scratch my head for me, I love it! Its a habit ive had since a small child, maybe this is why I never have a bad scalp?

[frizzinator]

For those folks who are extending their washes, practicing WO or not washing or rinsing at all, preening is a desirable addition to scritching and massage. Preening moves sebum from the oily scalp area to the dry hair where it is needed. The following paragraph describes how to preen.


After massaging the scalp, the fingertips are greasy. To preen the hair, grab a bit of hair between the fingers and thumb, and draw the fingers down the length of the hair. Continue drawing the fingers down the length of other bits of hair until the fingertips are no longer greasy and then massage some more and preen again, over and over. It's not a perfect task, because no one has enough time to preen all the strands of hair on their head. I focus on the hair that looks frizzy, because preening eliminates dry and frizzy hair as well as moving sebum from the scalp.

[venividibxtchy]

Where can I find a fine-toothed horn comb for scritching?

Heavenly Harvest only has wide-toothed ones, etc., and I didn't like any on eBay.

[venividibxtchy]

And...ignore my previous response. I've located a ton on HairSense.

[brickworld13]

These tips are great, and I would like to try them.

Does anybody have any more recent tips/tricks/pointers?

(Yes I know I just revived a thread zombie) :brains:

[Hairkay]

I like managing my hair in several plaits/braids because then I can focus on each individual section at a time. I WO in plaits then at weekends when I wash undo the plaits one at a time that way I can preen each section and check that there's enough oil at the ends. Hair gets restyled for another week. Also because my hair is thick managing it is this way means I get to see some visible scalp at my parts so I can check the state of my scalp to see where needs more scritching or where there might be a patch that needs an olive oil scrub (skin issues).

[brickworld13]

Oh that sounds like a nice idea. I had some braids for a while in high school but I didn't have a clue how to care for them as they barely lasted two weeks.

[woolyleprechaun]

Mmm, scritching is my favourite part of my routine. Sadly, I don't get to do it that often as I frequently leave braided styles in for up to a week at a time. I usually use a wide toothed wooden comb for a bit, and move on to the finer toothed horn comb. There's no real reason for this, other than that it feels nice to use both combs. The woods one feels like firm fingers and gives a good massage, the horn removes gunk more effectively... Dammit, I want scritch time now and I'm not due to unravel until saturday.

[Hairkay]

Oh that sounds like a nice idea. I had some braids for a while in high school but I didn't have a clue how to care for them as they barely lasted two weeks.

I keep mine in medium braids/plaits so there's around 10-16 in all. By the end of the week it's time to redo the lot because after the weekly washing some hair starts to unravel.

[brickworld13]

:justy: They turned the water back on three times and it's leaking again. It's become a game now to see how long I can wait before I have to break out the shampoo.

[TheMechaGinger]

I've recently discovered the awesomeness of scritching! I find myself doing it before bed most nights just because it's so relaxing and feels amazing on my scalp. I heard about scritching a long time ago but I was discouraged from trying it because I didn't have any wooden or horn combs at the time. My little plastic drug store comb works just fine though! No snagged or ripped strands and it provides a firm but gentle massage. Still, one day I'd like to get myself a horn comb.

[brickworld13]

I've recently discovered the awesomeness of scritching! I find myself doing it before bed most nights just because it's so relaxing and feels amazing on my scalp. I heard about scritching a long time ago but I was discouraged from trying it because I didn't have any wooden or horn combs at the time. My little plastic drug store comb works just fine though! No snagged or ripped strands and it provides a firm but gentle massage. Still, one day I'd like to get myself a horn comb.

Search the internet. There are a lot of vendors who sell them. I got one from Mehendi a few years back and quite like it. I haven't tried any of the others.

[Hairkay]

I just remembered that one of my chores when I was a child was to scritch my grandmother's scalp with a comb. I did it so well that she started asking me to do it so my other siblings got spared. I didn't enjoy it.

[Calypso]

I'm a bit confused by the original instructions. Exactly which part of the comb do you use?

[Ephemia]

I wonder whether I should start scritching. I've developed a habit of pushing my fingers into my fringe and scraping off the little balls of dried sebum with my nails, which I can't imagine is doing my scalp and newly grown hair much good. All of it will probably be cut off eventually so it doesn't matter too much, but if I ever decide to grow it out then this habit could be a problem. I'm also never quite sure whether my fingers are venturing beyond my fringe and into the hair that's got to make its way to my calves...