Shaving head with flakes

[Mike P.]

Hi everyone. I've been lurking around the boards for the last month or so, and figured i'd join in case I had any questions.

I do plan on going "sly" in the near future. Currently i'm using clippers without a guard, on the lowest setting. Lately i've been having problems with dry, flaky scalp. I have heard that shaving your head will remove the flakes. I was planning on shaving it with the grain the first few times, just so I can get the feel of using the razor on my noggin. My question is, even when shaving with the grain (I know it still leaves A LITTLE stubble), does it get rid of the flakes, or does shaving against the grain only get rid of them?

Thanks.

[Paul the Headblader]

welcome.
One way to find out

[Sir Harry]

Welcome. Even after you shave your head, you have to constantly wash it-and not with regular shampoo. Some things that you can use to wash your scalp are Noxzema, Nivea, Sea Breeze among other things. Also, you have to wash your pillowcases, as there is nothing between your scalp and a dirty pillowcase. Another thing is to wear sun protection if you're going to be outside for an extended period. Good Luck!

[RoWilJr]

Welcome to SBG. Sirharry pretty much summed it up...

[IllinoisBaldy]

Welcome.

[schro]

Hi Mike P.
I've experienced complete relief from Seborrheic Dermatitis as a result of shaving my dome.
I try and avoid skipping a day because keeping your head smooth also keeps it clean from dry/flaky skin.

Good luck. There's a lot of good information on SBG to help you out!

[buddha]

Try an exfoliator like St. Ives Apricot Scrub. I use a generic but they pretty much all do the same thing. I usually shave in the shower so I wash my head first and then rinse. Next is a light coating of shave oil, I use Shave Secret from WalMart and I put my HeadSlick on right over the oil. After the shave a good rinse and then I apply the exfoliator. I scrub it thoroughly for a minute or so and then let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I scrub it again and rinse really well.
I've never really had the flaking problem but I have experienced rough spots on the dome after shaving which the exfoliator takes care of plus it leaves the dome with a nice shine.

[Bald Nomad]

Before I started shaving my head I used to suffer from a really flaky scalp. Within two or three days of going sly the problem disappeared and only now comes back if I don't shave for about a week. To make sure my head doesn't dry out I always use a good moisturizer after I shave.

Go for it, you won't regret it!

[Baldstu]

I agree with the others  but like Buddha's  apricot scrub that sounds nice 

[kalbo]

The flakes could be caused by dry scalp, heed the advise of our sly brothers to use a good moisturizer. You will do just fine.

[Mike P.]

Thanks for the welcomes and tips guys!

I'll have to pick up some St. Ives Apricot Scrub. It seems to be a very popular product, so it must work really well.

sirharry - I actually was going to start washing my pillowcases more often. In addition to flakes, my scalp does tend to get a little oily. Everyonce in awhile i'll get a pimple or two towards back of my head, near my neck and maybe one around my sideburns. I did wash them today, so hopefully that issue will resolve.

Once I shave it, i'll post a pic.

Thanks again guys.

[SlyAggie]

I must agree wholeheartedly about st Ives apricot scrub. I had pretty bad flaking before going sly, n thanks to guys on here and their advice, I scrub before shaving. I have absolutely no flakes any longer, and I shave daily. By the way, I am BBC, so I had plenty of hair that produced flakes galore!

Use a good moisturizer definitely, or aloe gel...you get moisture trapping and a good shine!

Best of luck!

[Mike P.]

Another quick question:

Do you have to use the exfolliant everytime you shave, or is it something to use once a week?

[Sir Harry]

Mike-I would say yes just for the simple fact that so much sweat and dirt could develop on a scalp as the day goes by...Also after shaving, you might want to apply some witch hazel to your scalp/face to further remove the possibility of pimples (they could be razor bumps, rookie shavers tend to get those a lot too until their scalp gets adjusted). Maybe I need to try this St. Ives stuff with all of these recommendations on the forum!

[Mike P.]

Mike-I would say yes just for the simple fact that so much sweat and dirt could develop on a scalp as the day goes by...Also after shaving, you might want to apply some witch hazel to your scalp/face to further remove the possibility of pimples (they could be razor bumps, rookie shavers tend to get those a lot too until their scalp gets adjusted). Maybe I need to try this St. Ives stuff with all of these recommendations on the forum!

Thanks! I actually did go to this newer health/organic store that opened up last year near my house. They had Thayers Lavender Witch Hazel (with no alcohol), so I picked that up. Although I forgot to get the cotton balls, haha. So I need to get those tomorrow.