Do you’re feeling the necessity to wash your hair at the very least as soon as a day to ensure it doesn’t change into a greasy mess? Who knew that pure blondes with super-fine hair (raises hand!) have extra oil-producing glands of their scalp and are extra liable to greasy hair. Not so enjoyable.
However there are easy and pure options to calm these guys down. Right here’s methods to win the battle towards greasy hair!
Meet the specialists
Penny James, New York Metropolis trichologist and hairstylist
Sam Villa, co-founder and Chief Artistic Officer of Sam Villa and World Creative Ambassador for Redken
Krista Hatcher, senior stylist at Fashion Home Salon Nashville
Probably the most unlucky half, nevertheless, is not only the greasy hair—it’s that your efforts to make your hair not greasy have been doing simply the alternative. You see, hair itself doesn’t produce oil. It’s the sebaceous glands within the scalp that go into overdrive, producing extra pure oils than you may like, explains New York Metropolis trichologist and hairstylist, Penny James.
“A sebaceous gland will be giant or small and secrets and techniques epidermal lipids that we name grease and is hooked up to the hair follicle,” she says. “These glands are managed by hormones that embrace the pituitary gland, intercourse gland and thyroid hormones.”
The excellent news is that having an oily or greasy look to your hair is regular and may occur to anybody. “Stress, genetics, hormonal modifications, puberty, menopause, drugs and unbalanced eating regimen are some contributing components that affect the variety of pure oils being produced,” in keeping with Sam Villa, co-founder and Chief Artistic Officer of Sam Villa and World Creative Ambassador for Redken.
Every of those conditions may cause an imbalance in your physique and pH of the scalp, stimulating an overproduction of oil leading to greasy wanting hair. Comply with these tricks to get your scalp and strands again in sync:
1. Wait at the very least 48 hours between washings
For greasy-haired of us, this may really feel not possible. I’ve no clue how folks like my hairdresser wash their hair solely as soon as per week! However, it seems, that shampooing day-after-day over-stimulates the sebaceous glands and will increase oil manufacturing.
“With much less shampooing your oil glands will naturally decelerate and it is possible for you to to go longer in between shampooing,” says Villa. “Be affected person this might take a while to perform.”
Going an entire week between washings is a pleasant technique to give your hair a break from time to time, however it is perhaps a stretch for many of us to do on the common. On common, you need to be capable to wash each different day or each 2-3 days.
2. Use a sulfate-free shampoo
Tons of hair merchandise with harsh sulfates and silicones—and it’s finest to keep away from these in any respect prices. “Harsh sulfate can take away an excessive amount of of the pure oils whereas silicones can entice oil and dust,” says Villa. “The incorrect merchandise will disrupt the well being of the scalp inflicting an imbalance and greasy wanting hair.”
Sulfate-free shampoo choices:
3. Ease up on conditioner
Your scalp wants and that of your hair will be completely different, explains Villa. “The additional the hair is away from the scalp the dryer it might change into,” he says.
For that reason, he recommends all the time making use of conditioner evenly to the strands of your hair and away out of your precise scalp. This helps nourish the elements of your hair that want it and permits your scalp’s pure oils to do their factor.
Conditioners for greasy hair:
4. Or use an ACV rinse as an alternative
When used as a post-shampoo rinse, ACV may help lower tangles and clean away frizz, add physique and shine, make clear over-styled locks, and unclog hair follicles which may be inflicting extra shedding. Not solely that, however by replenishing wholesome micro organism and re-balancing your scalp’s pH, you could even see much less dandruff and oil manufacturing than traditional.
5. It’s okay to blow dry
Krista Hatcher, a senior stylist at Fashion Home Salon Nashville, recommends instantly drying your scalp after washing. Flip your head over and blow dry your scalp for a minute to zap the moisture that results in greasiness.
Advantageous hair usually wants a blow dry, some curl and hairspray to have physique and texture within the days to return, however watch out with the blowouts. Numerous straightening with a brush leaves my superb hair flat and weighed down.
6. However keep away from texture sprays or different styling merchandise
Texture powder will inevitably make issues worse! If in case you have superb, oily hair, avoid gels, thickeners, and pomade-type styling merchandise that weigh my hair down. Or solely use merchandise on the ends of your hair, not the scalp.
7. Air dry with a salt spray
My strands are flat and lifeless—and sure, extra oily—after they air dry with no product. However spritz your roots with salt spray earlier than drying and also you’ll get nice texture and undoubtedly maintain the oil at bay.
Don’t do that too usually although as a result of it will possibly over dry your scalp, sending it again into overdrive and then you definitely’re proper again the place you began.
8. Use dry shampoo at evening
My pal gave me the superb tip that I ought to apply dry shampoo powder to scalp at evening earlier than mattress. Your head is tossing and turning all evening and a dry shampoo utility helps hold your scalp oils from transferring to your pillowcase and throughout your hair.
P.S. Hatcher says you undoubtedly want a silk pillowcase! She sleeps in a silk cap to keep away from tangles from tossing and turning however says a pillowcase will work as properly.
You may also use this spray for a fast pick-me-up earlier than restyling your hair. It’s nice as a result of you should use the blow dryer once more that can assist you out.
DIY Dry Shampoo Spray
—1 tablespoon cornstarch (use 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/2 tablespoon cocoa powder for darkish hair)
—4 tablespoons witch hazel
—1 tablespoon vodka
—a few drops of important oil (like lavender or rosemary)
—Small spray bottle
Combine substances collectively properly and pour into your spray bottle. Cornstarch and vodka will be drying to the scalp and the witch hazel helps counteract that.
Shake properly earlier than utilizing (the cornstarch will settle on the backside). Maintain a couple of inches from the hair and spritz on the roots. Then use hair dryer to restyle. Not solely does this do away with oily roots however it provides hair a pleasant quantity increase as properly!
Two cautions when utilizing this spray: Don’t go overboard and soak your head. It’s best to solely want the dryer for a few minutes. And watch the place you spritz as a result of after the spray dries it will possibly go away white spots on clothes.
9. Get used to sporting your hair up
The perfect half about Day 2 hair is that you simply’ll in all probability have extra quantity and physique, which makes hair simpler to work with. Attempt one in every of these soiled hair updos or these kinds for second day hair.
And take care to tug your hair off of your face whenever you wash or apply moisturizer to keep away from getting it in your hair.
10. Restrict brushing and touching
I’ve a hair twirling behavior. However working your fingers by way of your hair additionally transfers oils. And brushing and brushing strikes oil from the scalp to the hair—what we don’t need if hair is greasy!
So restrict brushing and whenever you do, begin the comb strokes away out of your scalp. I keep away from the hair brush altogether and use a choose to comb out my hair.
11. Scalp scrub
It’s a good suggestion to offer your scalp a very good scrub sometimes to assist do away with product buildup. Make one in every of these simply scalp scrub recipes or simply add some sea salt to your shampoo and therapeutic massage into the scalp as you wash.
Scalp scrub choices:
12. Sweating…
Warmth is considerably unavoidable in summer season, however sweating alongside your hairline will go away your ‘do soiled and oily very quickly. It would sound OCD, however attempt to time your exercises round your bathe schedule. As a result of a very good sweat session simply after you washed and glued your hair is a bummer. I additionally attempt to keep away from sporting baseball caps as a result of it leaves my hair flat and sweaty.
When you can’t keep away from the sweat, then bathe and simply rinse your hair with out shampooing, advises Hatcher. “You’ll be able to even put conditioner on with out shampooing since conditioner has a slight cleaning motion by itself,” she says.
My hair is soooo a lot much less oily now—I nonetheless wash each 2-3 days however my hair shouldn’t be a sizzling mess on the finish of day one. When you battle with greasy hair, let me know what labored for you!
P.S. Discovering the precise coiffure for skinny hair helps too.
