Scalp gunk and itchies?

So I seem to have a bit of a build-up on my scalp. I wash every other day with bs. As far as I can tell I've been rinsing thoroughly. Like if my hair is damp, or even dry I guess, if I scrape certain areas of my scalp with my fingernail, I get moist pasty gunky stuff under my nail :SAny ideas what this is from?Also, could be to do with the gunk, but I'm not sure, but my head has been getting itchier lately. I know dread itch can be common, but for like the last month is really when it started itching. I know it's common with new dreads, but mine are like 4 and a half months old. In the pst month they have been getting noticeably tighter and loopier. Could the recent tightening have caused the itching?Thanks in advance everyone!
updated by @cristin-nessen: 02/14/15 08:12:35AM

Questions for consideration:

Do you have hard water?

What proportions do you mix your BS wash?

Do you use anything else (ie. ACV, essential oils, etc.)?

how are u mixing the bs

are u using acv

and oils

how are u rinsing

temp of water

hard water?

the itch is dryness usualy (if yor using sea salt alot cut way back)

the acgv helps

filtered or boiled water will make the bs dissolve better in hasrd water

making it strong enough to remove the dead skin paste helps

oils help

bs will exfoliate removing the dry dead skin turning it into a paste if its not srrong enough or the rinse not powerful enough to remove the paste it stays

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

I use about a tablespoon per cup of water, about the temperature I would shower in. I'm not sure if my water is hard or not lol. I generally add tea tree, or lavender or pepperment oil to the bs solution, and I do put sea salt in too. I leave it all in while I wash up in the shower, then I rinse it out and then dump a mixture of water and acv on my head for a couple minutes and then rinse. The mixture is about 20% acv, and about 80% water. I then follow with a leave in water rinse that has some of the already mentioned essential oils in it.

all sounds pretty good except possibly the water

and.. the salt u might want to only use every so often 1 outta 4 wadshes maybe rosemary would be good to add teatree maybe reduce when u do

the acv seems strong for young dreads but if its hnot causing problems it would be giood for the scalp..

u could try the dreadlkockshampoo too if this isnt easily fixed

--
My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1

Okie dokie! Thank you for your help!

Just a thought, should I consider making the bs solution stronger? Are there some people/hair types that the bs just isn't well suited for? Or is it mainly just finding the right balance?

I think you just need to find the right balance. I was doing the BS wash (1/3 cup bs to 1 gal water, 20 drops rosemary and lavender and 15 drops tea tree) and it was doing pretty good. I would follow that with an ACV in that same gallon pitcher with just a splash (what could have been about 1/4 cup?) and the essential oils.

Now, I have really thick hair so instead of just dumping it on, I would lift sections of dreads and aim the spout of the pitcher to the scalp throughout.

This worked and it left me very clean.

Now, on the flip side, I did make a stronger BS wash with 1/2 cup BS and THAT left a white gunky residue... it was just too much.

Either way, I'm experimenting right now. I used Bronners for a month and now I am trying the liquid dreadlocks shampoo for my 2nd month to get an idea of what I like/works best for me.

Hmmm, I wonder if I could possibly be using too much bs... Maybe I'll experiment a bit with more bs, and less, and different variations. I think maybe it does just need to be adjusted a bit somewhere. Thank you for sharing your tips and ideas!

id think your more likely not using enough

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My new book Ban The Taboo Vol 1