Oily hair can be annoying, especially when it becomes oily in just a day. This is one of the most common hair conditions people face across the world. However, it’s not as if you aren’t responsible. Usually, an oily scalp is a sign that you aren’t taking care of your hair. Having oily hair myself, I am familiar with what it is like to have oily hair. In my teen years, I suffered from greasy hair and scalp. As the years passed, my condition became more severe, so I started taking better care of my hair by using safe products & using extra care. Through research & study, I have learned ways to get rid of oily hair & greasy scalp. After realizing the mistakes I made, here are some reasons why your hair is oily.
What are the causes of Oily Hair:
- Oily scalp is caused when we have hyperactive (excess) sebaceous glands. The sebaceous gland is a bottom part of the hair follicle which is responsible for secreting natural oil called sebum. Sebum is essentially a core part that moisturizes & protects the hair from breakage. If there’s a reason why your hair is healthy, it’s because of sebum which is the backbone of the hair.
- What if you’re furnished with food that is superfluous, that’s exactly the similar case with sebum. When it secrete natural oil more than required, you will start enduring oily scalp, thus oily hair.
- Not necessarily the entire blame falls on excess sebaceous glands. But, also there are a couple of factors that prompt oily hair.
What could lead to Oily Hair :
- Using lethal chemical shampoos ( Parabens, SSL, SLES, Fragrance )
- Toxic hair products ( Cheap, substandard )
- Overwashing the hair with too much lather
- Tips for healthy hair
- Poor hair care that includes ( Improper hair bath, shampoos, & products )
- Air pollution, dirt, sweat, and too much brushing. All these things encourage oily hair.
Oily scalp is a hair condition that requires your attention & care. Otherwise, you may have to confront more acute conditions & ultimately becoming prey to adverse hair loss.
1. Don’t Oil Often
One of the common and biggest mistakes people do is oiling their hair extravagantly. This remark also applies to every hair type, with no expectation of oily prone hair. Oiling may provide plenty of benefits. It can repair damaged hair, provides nourishment, and encourages new hair growth. But, as I said, it will be counterproductive if you coddle with it too much.
In general, people with oily hair tend to wash it every alternate day & they can’t resist the greasiness for more than two days. In case, if you’re among them, you should definitely abstain from essential hair oils. Due to the sebaceous glands that are already hyperactive & secreting over excess oil to your hair. It’s so ill-advised to add more fire to it & aggravate your condition.
Assume, as you’re trying to douse the fire with kerosine. It’s a metaphorical representation of oiling your oily hair.
In my case, Just 1-2 oil sessions every month is enough.
2. Shampoos for Oily Hair
There is a wide range of scope for hair shampoos in the market. It is just confusing if you’re injudicious about shampoos & what is right for you. With this particular hair condition, it’s important to be aware of shampoos and have to be enlightened on how to assess a shampoo whether it’s harmful or mild. In the current market, there have been popular shampoos that occupied most of the shampoo business & overshadowing other companies. But, if you flip other side of the coin, that’s when you realize shampoos that are better in quality & safer in ingredients are being snubbed by the market & popular harmful shampoos are stealing the limelight from most people.
A lot of people may not be knowledgeable about shampoos, but they aren’t aware that shampoo is the reason for their hair conditions. Ingredients such as SLS, SLES, Fragrance, Silicones & Parabens are a threat & noxious for the hair well being. They not only cause oily scalp but also triggers adverse hair fall. For this reason, checking the ingredients before purchasing a shampoo is a must-do thing.
When it comes to shampoos that are favorable and help get rid of oily scalp, clarifying shampoos should be on your list of considerations. The benefit of using a clarifying shampoo is it helps to purge out product build-up while completely cleansing all the scalp without debris. They are very mild & free of harsh chemicals, which is convenient to get rid of oily hair.
You maybe be wondering how to discern if shampoo has SLS, SLES, silicons & parabens?
Just look out for terms ( Sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulfate, siloxane, cone, paraben, & conol). In case you find these words on the ingredients list, avoid those shampoos.
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3. Rinse properly
As I’ve told you, not rinsing the hair properly also contributes to greasy hair. That’s why you have to make sure to rinse out your hair without leaving any residue. Sometimes, it’s common that residue that might be lingering at the bottom of hair shafts, gives more advantage to sebaceous glands to produce more oil, thus oily scalp again.
4. Heating Products
Using heating products such as blow dryers and hair straighteners are also culprits of oily & vulnerable hair. Due to excess heat emits from the device, hair becomes more weak and prone to oil breakout. The hair shafts also get injured and become more weak and brittle triggering adverse hair loss if not proper hair care is taken.
Yet, tons of people are using blow dryers and hair straighteners for the sake of hairstyle despite their antagonistic impact on hair. Although it is allowed for occasional usage, Frequent usage drastically causes weak hair and that is one of the biggest hair mistakes people do. It’s like murdering the hair by yourself. DO NOT WRECK THE HAIR!
5. Over Conditioning and How to Apply it?
Sometimes, we apply the excess conditioner to our hair shafts involuntarily. In those conditions, our hair becomes more slippery, hence triggers a greasy scalp. Over-conditioning is one of the typical mistakes people do in their hair bath. Due to this,
Here’s how to apply a conditioner properly to the hair?
Once you rinse out all the shampoo from your hair :
- Take some adequate amount of conditioner on your palm according to your hair length
- Just bear this in mind, Apply conditioner only at the ends of hair strands.
- This is where most people commit a big blunder: DO NOT APPLY IT ON SCALP or else, you’ll see the negative effects of the conditioner
- Leave it about 3-5 mins
- Rinse out with water properly without any residue ( Important )
Do things properly or else things will boomerang.
Being said that, Few conditioners that are harsh in chemicals tend to linger amidst your hair shafts. In those situations, make sure to cleanse out all the product buildup & stop purchasing that conditioner from onwards. You’re just giving a chance for your hair to get more greasy, which is why it’s crucial to buy mild conditioners.
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6. Hard Water leads to Oily Hair
In several regions, people bathe with hard water that is not good for hair & skin. It contains unwanted minerals such (calcium carbonate) and ( magnesium sulfate) that lead to breakage and hair damage. In the same way, it doesn’t help to remove buildup from the scalp, and so, therefore giving the chance to secrete more oil production and ultimately, suffering oily hair.
Effects of hard water :
- Hair thinning and hair fall
- Grey hair
- Hair breakage and frizzy
- Damages your hair texture and gets dull
- Mineral build-up leads to an oily scalp and dandruff
It’s quite an experiment to evaluate the difference between soft water and hardwater. You can use a water kit or TDS to test how hard is water.
In case, if you have more total dissolved solids ( TDS )than needed, it’s highly advisable to install a water softener. These machines helps to eradicate chlorine and chloramine from the water making it favorable to the hair and skin. They may be a bit expensive, but there are also abundant products at affordable prices.
Read more: How Hard Water Affects Hair & What You Can Do About It
Conclusion :
No haircare, No eradication of oily hair. That’s how it is.
From excessive oiling to avoiding hard water, it’s imperative to adhere to these methods. I’m sure with this modus operandi, your oily hair would be purged out & the hair grows healthily.
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