Are you Frustrated with your Oily Scalp? Know ‘Whats’ and ‘Hows’ of Greasy Hair!
Imagine you have to attend a very important event, you spend several hours trying to get that perfect look for yourself, but then all of a sudden you realize your freshly washed hair looks like it has been recently oiled. Sounds like a nightmare, right? Well, for some of us out there this is our reality! Your hair getting greasy after a few hours of washing is a problem encountered by so many people.
So, next time when you ask yourself, “what did I do to deserve this?” know that there are a lot of other individuals like you suffering from this, and NO you did not do anything to deserve it but YES, your condition does have a solution.
Your hair is a vital part of your body, and if you have good hair it automatically boosts your day making you feel confident and beautiful whereas bad hair days spoil your mood and make you not want to leave the house. Human beings have scalps that tend to produce sebum, also known as oil, which helps the hair stay healthy and shiny.
A sufficient amount of sebum is necessary for strong hair otherwise they will turn dry and dull. Although, excess of a good thing can be dangerous too and that is what happens with the overproduction of sebum. It makes your scalp super oily making your hair look greasy and your scalp itchy after a short while which also later causes hair thinning leading to hair loss. A research carried out in Singapore shows how 44% of women are worried because of hair fall problems. Extreme production of oil on your scalp makes your hair follicles weak making you lose hair at a faster and dangerous rate.
What Causes Oily Scalp?
Different aspects lead to the over-production of sebum on the scalp which results in oily hair problems. The root cause varies from hormonal issues to fluctuating stress levels, sometimes it’s the weather causing the suffering, and the other times it’s the products you are using. Factors that lead to greasy-looking hair differ from person to person depending on hair types. Are you embarrassed by your oily scalp? Go through the list below to match what you think is the closest to why you might be facing this issue.
1- Skin Conditions
Many known skin conditions result in oily scalp. Seborrhea Dermatitis, Eczema, and Psoriasis being few major ones. If you are suffering from Seborrhea Dermatitis, your scalp will turn super oily, and you will notice flacks situated around the oil glands which are also commonly known as dandruff making the scalp itchy and irritating. The other two conditions are caused by a poor immune system.
2- Genetics
Sometimes the problem arises because of your genes and not how you look after your hair. Your genes are sometimes the source of unnecessary creation of sebum causing an oily scalp followed by the thinning of the hair structure.
3- Over-Washing of Hair
People with oily hair tend to over-wash them. Let’s be honest, we all have done that to look our best, because greasy hairs are one of the biggest obstacles when trying to look good. The more you wash your hair the more oily they get. Your scalp produces more sebum to protect your hair from getting dry after every wash so by over-washing them you affect the whole natural process of sebum production.
4- Harmful Hair Products
Sometimes the products you use on your hair to style them can cause hair problems too, the oily scalp being one of the most annoying ones. The hair styling products available in the market today contain harsh chemicals to give you your favorite look. These chemicals cause more damage than good drying your hair out most of the time, automatically leading to excessive oil production on the scalp. When styling your hair always read the list of the ingredients and see if they sit with your hair type or if they will further damage them.
5- Unhealthy Habits
Unhealthy habits consisting of poor eating choices, touching your hair too often, or sleeping on the wrong pillow cover for a very long time are some of the minor factors that lead to a greasy scalp. You might have heard of the phrase ‘you are what you eat’, well, it applies here too because your poor diet is one of the reasons for the extra production of sebum on your scalp. A poor diet can be oily food, dairy items, or food with lots of fat. The fats stored in your bodies give you greasy-looking hair and skin.
Your fingertips, sometimes, have oil present on them, so touching your hair too often will get that oil to stick to the hair giving an oily look. This might sound unreal at first but cotton pillow covers that are often used at home can cause oil from your scalp stuck to your pillow, so next time when you lay down you will get the leftover oil on your scalp from the pillow cover.
Home Remedies to Cure Oily Scalp
Home Remedies have a solution to most of your crises; they work best but with time and lots of patience. If you want to resolve a problem, you will have to wait for it to slowly go away and stick to that one remedy that suits you the best. With a little time and tolerance, you will be able to get your most anticipated results.
1- Essential Oils
The use of essential oils has been a part of the beauty routine for ages used by a lot of people because of several benefits they have for both skin and hair. For instance, using tea tree oil can help purify the scalp because of its anti-fungal properties. These oils clean your hair deeply and remove the buildup oil present on the scalp which solves the oily scalp and hair problem.
2- Lemon Juice
Lemon juice has been proved to be very beneficial for the oily scalp as it absorbs the oil present on your skin giving it a fresh look. But remember that too much use of anything can be harmful, so use it in the required amount because if it dries the scalp too much, it will automatically produce more sebum bringing you back to where you started from.
Add one tablespoon of lemon juice to one egg white, apply it thoroughly on the scalp and leave it to dry out for 10–15 minutes, after that wash your hair like you normally do. Do this once a week.
3- Apple Cider Vinegar
Occasional usage of Apple Cider Vinegar to treat greasy scalp has been suggested by many people who got positive results out of it. ACV adjusts the pH level of your scalp and brings it to normal which has been affected because of a higher or lower pH level of the water that you use to wash your hair.
Mix two tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup of water. Rinse your hair with it after shampooing them and let it sit for 5–10 minutes before washing it off completely. Do it once in a week or two and you will get your desired results.
4- Aloe Vera Gel
Aloe Vera Gel has been widely used for oily scalp treatment. It has properties that strip off the extra oil present on the scalp by improving the overall circulation of it giving you polished and strong-looking hair. It is naturally used to treat dandruff as well.
Mix a tablespoon of Aloe Vera Gel in your shampoo and use it on your scalp once or twice a week for best results.
5- Silk Pillow
Silk pillows have been used by our ancestors for better and healthy-looking hair and skin. Silk tends to absorb extra oil produced on skin and hair giving it a fresher, oil-free look. So change your pillow covers from cotton to silk to avoid oily hair.
6- Homemade Dry Shampoo
Most of you have cocoa powder or cornflour available at your homes, and those who don’t can easily get them from the market. Both cocoa powder and cornflour are natural dry shampoos having elements that absorb the excess oil on your scalp and give you the freshly washed hair look making them look healthier and non-greasy.
Spread a small amount of one of these on your scalp and wait for five minutes. Then brush off the powder from your scalp. Do it when you urgently need to have oil-free hair.
Products that can Cure Oily Scalp
Once you realize where the problem lies lookout for the solution. These home remedies require time, and with the help of perfect products fit for your hair and scalp, you can get the results in a much lesser duration. Try to find products that are good for oily scalps and those without any harsh chemicals. Do a little research by keeping in mind these basic points while looking for oily hair products:
1- Use a Dry Shampoo
Shampooing hair too often or on daily basis can also cause unnecessary production of sebum on the scalp, so cut those extra washes and use dry shampoos instead. Dry shampoos are easily available in the market, see what fits your hair type and go for a dry shampoo that suits you best. Wash your hair on alternate days and use dry shampoo instead if you can’t go around with your oily scalp.
2- Change Your Shampoo and Conditioner
Sometimes people fail to understand that half of their problems are because of the wrong products they have been using. Carefully study your hair type and then wisely choose products according to it. You should go for a product that stabilizes the moisture on your scalp. Most hair problems can be solved with the right products. Go for sulfate-free shampoos when you are looking for a perfect solution for your oily scalp.
3- Use Conditioner only on the Tips of Hair
Remember not to use conditioner on your scalp, it builds up the oil present there and makes it look greasy. Conditioners are only for the hair strands and should be used there only in order to protect your scalp from the unwanted presence of sebum.
4- Avoid Products used for Silky Hair
If you already have an oily scalp, products made to moisturize hair are the last thing your scalp needs, so, run away from products with ingredients that produce more sebum than needed to make your hair look smooth and silky.
We all want to look beautiful and having good hair enhances our confidence. In order to avoid bad hair days especially if you have an oily scalp, know what’s causing the problem, then go for a natural remedy that will help you solve it and stick to a product that suits your hair type. Everyone has different types of hair, so a product or a remedy that fits well with one person might not be the best option for others. So, choose wisely what is best for you and get rid of that extra oil built-up on your scalp. Treat your hair better and shine bright in your skin!
