Scritching hurts!

[Kumiko033]

I'm transitioning to sebum only and darn!

Is scritching supposed to hurt so much while doing it?

I tried the first week without scritching because it hurt so bad but it made my hair fall out like crazy..I'm such a dummy but back to the question.

I have the feeling it tears open my scalp or something. I don't own a horn comb yet so I use a plastic one for now - is that the problem or does the scalp need to adjust to this kind of action..I don't know :confused: !!

[heidi w.]

Scritching should NOT hurt. It sounds as though one might be pressing too hard or holding the comb at too steep an angle. It should be done with a super fine-toothed comb, and held at an angle to the head, and in little back 'n' forth motions effectively kind of scratch the head in rows that slightly overlap so that nothing is missed.

I'm not convinced you're using the right kind of comb either.

What do you mean by transitioning to "sebum only"? What is that? What do you mean, precisely? I have no idea what you intend to say or describe.

Scritching(TM) comes to us from a lady in Canada who owns a long hair salon. She has a very specific method of how it's done. I wonder that you're performing it accurately. It should feel as though one is massaging the head a bit.

heidi w.

[Kumiko033]

It is a very fine toothed comb. I was already holding it at an angle like you describe so I guess I could've either been indeed pressing too hard or because it's made of plastic..?

And by SO I mean, no water, no conventional products only use a BBB and a fine toothed comb to work the sebum through the hair and unclog your scalp, buttt I don't want to sound rude since you must know far more then I do. Maybe you're more familiar with it by the term (no water) NW ?

[jeanniet]

No, it shouldn't hurt. I love scritching! I use a Hairsense comb, which has somewhat rounded tips, so maybe it's the comb you're using. I'm not SO, but I do tend to get a kind of flaky scalp, so I try to scritch before I wash, and sometimes I do it just because it feels sooooo good. :)

[Kumiko033]

I'm going SO cause of some damaged/bleached top layers I'm growing out and till now it's the best conditioning I've ever experienced!

No.. now I look at my comb it doesn't have anything near rounded tips lol, it's my moms but I couldn't imagine her using anything that well, hurts :p

Ahh..I could imagine the relieve after having a flaky scalp, being itchy is the worst!

[Bedhead]

Hi Kumiko!

Yeah, scritching should not be done as harshly as how a dog scratches behind it ears, but gently. It usually fells good, with that satisfaction feeling. I find more curved ended combs and even the back side of my nails work well.

I don't have the knowledge Heidi has about the scalp, but I do know when going SO, there can come a time for some when the scalp can become more sensitive, especially when you're just transitioning. I had a day here and there of this, in the first week or two, where a spot on my crown was ultra sensitive, similar to when you've had your hair in a too tight pony tail all day and finally let it down, but worse. On those days, I had scritched even more gently than usual, and massaged with the pads of my fingers, both moving the sebum around and pressing harder to move the skin over the skull, and did it for a minimum of half an hour. The next day, I was fine.

Why don't you pop into the NW/SO thread and say hi? :)

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=144&page=115

[Kumiko033]

Yeah indeed! The crown area was the most painfull for me and also had the most flakes/sebum when scritching.

I wish I could use my nails but for some reason 'm blessed with a lot of thick hair, but have very delicate nails I simply have to cut or they break of anyway.

Thank you for the help..and making me not feel weird any longer lol :p

Maybe I will after hitting my goal ( I have already been lurking, no worries xD ) but I feel too silly now since I'm barerly hitting shoulder-length :)

[Bedhead]

When I say nails, I'm not talking long nails necessarily. Short curved ones work great!

Regardless of hair length everyone in the NW/SO thread has one thing in common... we don't use water to clean our hair, and so we all have experiences we can share with one another that will and has helped us all. Think about it. You've been lurking and learning, because others have posted their concerns and questions, and others have responded with helpful suggestions. I think it would be helpful for others to read about someone who has shoulder length hair going through this. And you seem to have thicker hair than many of us, so that could be helpful too! And maybe something in your experience can help others who have been doing SO for a long time, you never know!

Anyway, the door is open if you choose to join us! :cheese:

[Kumiko033]

Thank you so much for making me feel so welcome, maybe I'll indeed join in after a month of experience. I washed my hair for the last time today, added no conditioner and I'll be buying a horn comb tommorow which is porbably less damaging then plastic in the long run.

by the way, it's only shoulder length when I'd wear it straight - it sometimes is when I've worn a bun/pony stub but since i have curls..it's about an inch past jawline. Darn turtle neck :p