While trawling Reddit for potential topics to discuss, I received a request to talk about my scale grooming routine! I thought to myself “That is unique and sounds like fun!” So here we are! This will be the first in a rotating series of self-care column articles to help those of you out there know how to keep those horns polished and those scales shining! I will also include some simple grooming steps that anyone of any species should be able to apply to their daily routine.
First things first
First off, what is your grooming routine? Are you a fastidious groomer who bathes every day, or are you more laid back and maybe you bathe every few days? Do you have fur to contend with or are you pure scales? These might seem unimportant but they really aren’t! Depending on how you answered, you might need to take different steps accordingly!
Now as a dragon, not all my time is spent on the move. There are just some days that involve sleeping in my den and relaxing to the sounds of the world outside. Other days I get up and hunt or study some interesting facts, and still others I have to spend socializing. When you do not move too much, you can honestly get just as gross as if you are moving quite a bit. Oils come out of your hide between scales or from fur follicles and over time you get the Funk! and it really just is not pleasant.
The Funk! is also prone to rearing its nasty head after a hard day's work. Whether you are torching towns or plowing fields, you are probably working up some pretty significant BO. We dragons are, well let's face it, a little vain at times and that means BO is generally something we would rather avoid. I know I would much rather keep my scales looking spectacular and regal rather than dull and dingy. Sure, it might make it a little harder to sneak up on prey now and then, but my prey always has the ability to tell those on the other side that they were taken out by a thing of beauty!
Hit the beach!
So how do I keep my scales looking their best? Sand bathes! Sand is a magnificent option for keeping scales shiny and clean. It polishes and scrubs and all you have to do is roll around on a beach for a while! This method is also good at drying up some of those excess oils that everyone produces naturally.
“But Tessyri, how do I get it out of all the little nooks and crannies?” you might ask.
Easy enough. You can rinse off in a waterfall or if you are one of those dragons on the smaller end, you can make use of a human blow dryer or air hose. The air is gentle and might even help you loosen up any shedding scales! For those of us with fireproof hides, grooming by first slowly torching your hide or having a friend torch your hide to really dry out any thing that might have started growing on your scales is a good extra step you can take.
Fur and sand don’t always mix
“I have fur and sand really doesn’t feel good when it gets in there.”
That is fair! If you have longer fur, I am sure sand sticks to it and dries it out pretty badly. If that is the case, a sand bath might not be the best option. Now if you are a dragon with minions, you could get them to render the fat left over from hunts or farm animals and the proper herbs and plants to make your very own brand of draconic shampoo or soap to use. If you are just a run of the mill every day dragon, you might even do this yourself or you could swing by one of those human bulk warehouse stores and see about purchasing some ready made shampoos!
Sometimes the humans get things right
As annoying as humans can be to some of us, they are really good at being imaginative
and creating many wonderful products for your dragon on the go. Be careful to read the labels or have them read to you to make sure there is not some kind of chemical in them that might react poorly with your fur. Many furred dragons often have plant life in their fur or as part of their anatomy and chemical solutions like that might damage it.
Try making your own
I too will use soap just to make sure that I am keeping a pleasant aroma, though I prefer to mix my own. Pine ash mixed with some honey and rendered fat makes for quite the alluring scent! Sometimes if there is enough lavender growing near my den, I will add that to give it some floral notes, (it also is one of my mate’s favorite scents). All of these ingredients are also organic so I do not have to worry about them poisoning my land or the water I use to bathe in. Just scoop a talon or two full and scrub it into all of the hide you can reach! The soap will keep your horns and talons looking bright and strong, and your scales will smell heavenly!
While it may be tempting to just go to the store and buy your usual brand name soaps and shampoos, getting your hands/paws/claws on basic ingredients is not terribly difficult and making your own soaps will help you feel crafty, wholesome, and accomplished. Using the results of your own labor to clean yourself will also make you feel good because you get that feeling of “I did this, it is my own thing!”.
Next time!
Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you keep your own hide in prime condition! Staying clean is important for your health and your self esteem, remember clean scales reflect a clean self image. Next time we will discuss crafts of various kinds that you can do in your den! My personal favorite is baking bread, something you would not normally expect a giant dragon to do but I really enjoy it! What is your favorite crafting hobby? Let me know in the comments and I might even discuss it in the column!
Until next time, Keep your scales clean and your wings full! Catch you guys in the skies!
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