Hi, don’t we all love the fragrance and squeaky-clean feeling we get when our hair is freshly shampooed and dried? Then the next morning…..urgghhhh….so much oil on your strands and scalp, that chip-chip feeling…..where does it come from….feels like you dunked your head in an oil fryer. If you are one of the people who has greasy and oily scalp and hair, we totally are with you. Join the Greasy Gang.
But would you believe it if I told you that we can train our hair to BEHAVE? Teach it & train it to produce less oil. Well yes, its possible, totally do-able. So, lets get to the root of the problem…literally 😉. Greasy hair is the result of an overactive sebaceous gland, which is producing too much sebum. Although sebum benefits hair, as in keeping it healthy, shiny, smooth and moisturised, too much of a good thing can end up causing your hair to look oily and sticky. An excessively oily scalp comes with its own set of problems like dandruff and can also be a nuisance and is related to outbreaks of dandruff and itchy scalp.
So, lets get started to train our hair to produce just enough oil that’s good for us.
1. WASH YOUR HAIR LESS OFTEN
I know this sounds confusing. You get this urge to wash and shampoo your hair everyday if you have an oily scalp. But if you are already washing your hair once a day and it still gets greasy by the next day, it might be worth delaying your hair washes.
Shampooing everyday (even if it’s with a daily wash shampoo) can strip your scalp of its natural oils. This gives it a signal to produce more oil to rehydrate. If you tend to have dry skin or a dry, itchy scalp in addition to oily hair, slowly stretching the intervals between washes will help you balance out the sebaceous glands. Washing hair with a good clarifying shampoo once every two weeks is your best bet for deep cleaning and stripping away a build-up of scalp oil. In-between times, try to use a mild shampoo once every 2-3 days. Where possible, skip the washing altogether and instead use a dry shampoo.
2. REDUCE THE USE OF CONDITIONER
When it comes to conditioner, be as miserly as possible; applying just once a week is ideal. Apply it in the middle of your length and down to your roots. Allowing it to settle on your scalp can increase the problem of an oily scalp. Also remember to use a small amount, about the size of a 50 paise coin.
PRO-TIP: When washing your hair, start off with warm water (never HOT), so that it opens up your pores and cleanses deeply and when it’s time for the final rinse use cooler water so that your pores are closed and the moisture is locked in.
3. CLEAN YOUR BRUSHES AND COMBS
A dirty brush is a total no-no with freshly washed hair. Your brush can be full of skin flakes, dust, broken hair, oils….general junk that can transfer to your hair making it dirty immediately after washing. Soak your brushes and combs in diluted shampoo and warm water once a week and gently remove all the stuck-up dirt and grime. There is no short-cut here.
4. CHOOSE TO EAT VITAMIN ‘B’ RICH FOODS OFTEN
Say good bye to greasy hair and hello to fresh and well-behaved hair.
By adding vitamin B rich foods especially
B2 – tofu, milk, fish, mushrooms, spinach, almonds, avocados, and eggs.
B6 – chickpeas, tuna, potatoes, pistachios and bananas
to your diet will help moderate your sebum production. Generally, like in all good diets the thumb rule is cutting out greasy foods and increasing your intake of fruit and vegetables, as well as drinking plenty of water every day will help your hair, skin and nails.
5. NATURAL REMEDIES – TRY THEM
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR can help to restore your scalp’s pH balance and control oil production. Dilute it into a 1:8 solution with water and pour through your hair after shampoo. Leave for a few minutes and rinse.
TEA TREE OIL is infused with natural anti-fungal properties. Add a few drops to coconut oil and apply sparingly on your scalp once in a while or when you have itchy and flaky scalp problem.
ALOE VERA GEL makes for a great hair and scalp mask since it removes extra oil, fights product build-up, soothes the scalp. You’ll be left with soft, silky and lustrous hair.
SEA SALT added to your shampoo is a great way to get rid of excess oil in hair. Add around 2-3 tablespoons of sea salt to your shampoo (about 300 ml bottle) and wash as usual. After the first wash itself you will notice positive results. Your hair will feel fresher and less greasy. The recommended frequency for this natural remedy is once a month. Anything more of a good thing, and you risk doing more harm than good to your hair.
6. AVOID PRODUCTS WITH SILICONE
Many shampoos, conditioners, hair creams and styling products, are made with silicone to give smooth and silky hair. While adding an extra gloss on the hair, silicones – like cyclomethicone, amodimethicone and dimethicone – can build up on the hair and make it look dirty, oily and weighed down.
Silicone can also prevent beneficial moisture from penetrating the hair shaft. Do your hair a favour and avoid any products with ingredients ending in “cone.” Since our scalp is already making its own oil naturally, adding any product which promises silky, glossy hair is inviting greasiness.
7. HAIRSTYLE – EMBRACE THE TOPKNOT
Sometimes it’s easier to just not fight it. Use your natural oils to your advantage with a sleek topknot. Keeping the hair secured and firmly off the face will help you to avoid touching it and mindlessly playing with it. Open hair needs frequent brushing too which only activates the sebaceous glands further. A topknot hairstyle will help you to postpone your hair wash by a day or two. Avoid all sticky styling products such as mousse, hairspray and wax.
Now the question is What if these oily hair remedies don’t work?
It’s probably time to visit a dermatologist. A dermatologist can determine what’s causing the greasy hair whether it’s eczema, scalp psoriasis, dandruff, or some other hormonal issue, and treat it from there with oral prescriptions or prescription shampoos.
Some well researched and reviewed products for oily hair:
St. Botanica Apple Cider Vinegar & Organic Argan Hair Shampoo. (Used it myself and found it effective)
No mineral oils, paraben and sulphates.
Vegan and cruelty free.
Rs.499
Innisfree Green Tea Mint Fresh Shampoo
Mint formulation that controls excessive scalp sebum.
Rs.590
Freewill Shampoo
Made to order shampoo, customised for your hair. You need to take their hair quiz and you get a special formulation for your exact hair needs and type. www.freewill.co
The main takeaway
Oily hair can lead to the makings of a bad hair day. But the good news is that there are plenty of remedies and hacks to train those greasy tresses. Try them all to hit on your sweet spot.
And one more thing …. oily hair girls generally have oily skin type too, it keeps wrinkles at bay and you look youthful much longer than your peers. Rejoice as every oily cloud has a silver lining. 😊 Promise. Take care.
Happie Hair, Happie you and me. http://www.happiehair.com
Vrinda