What to do with Oily Hair?
Oily Hair. Seems like it would be a good thing to have and a good way to keep hair from becoming excessively dry. But if you ask those who have this condition, they’ll tell you it’s anything but good. Hair clumps together. It’s a dirt attracter and it’s difficult to style.
What Causes Oily Hair?
Hair looks unattractive and it can develop an offensive smell. In fact, people with this type of hair or scalp are often looked at by others as if they need lessons in personal hygiene. For some, this may be true. But for the majority of those with persistent oily and greasy hair problems, it’s either hereditary, it’s caused by a hormonal imbalance (especially during a woman’s menstrual cycle), or it’s the result of using too much or the wrong type of styling product which simply builds up over time. Women with polycystic ovaries can suffer from oily hair and scalp as well. Other symptoms includes acne, oily skin, or dandruff.
Adolescents experience bouts of excessively oily hair, along with their oily skin because of the wildly fluctuating hormonal changes occurring within their bodies. Women who are pregnant, whose hair is otherwise perfectly healthy, develop oily hair for the same reason.
How to Get Rid of Oily Hair?
Other than covering oily hair with a hat, is there any oily hair treatment or way to deal with this unsightly situation? Of course there is.
Entire hair care product lines exist to deal strictly with this kind of problem. They contain compounds that reduce sebum, and many even contain antiseptic compounds and substances to relieve the itchiness often associated with oily scalp and hair.
Look for shampoos that contain no detergent or mild detergent like sodium laureth sulfate. You’d think that using harsher detergents would rid your hair of oil faster, but this is not true. These will only dry the scalp and increase itchiness, and actually cause more oil production.
If you have dry hair and oily scalp then you can apply a mild conditioner to hair, but only apply to the hair ends up to the middle of the shaft, and avoid the scalp. Otherwise using a conditioner is not highly recommended.
If you prefer a natural remedy or shampoo for your hair, you’ll be happy to know you have several options. Look for hair products that contain any of these ingredients:
Jojoba oil – Because it contains many of the properties found in sebum, the oil our skin produces naturally, this ingredient helps reduce dryness caused by harsh detergents by replacing the lost sebum. Indians used Jojoba oil to treat their skin and hair problems.
Rosemary oil – This is a great scalp cleanser and hair root stimulator.
Tea tree oil – It’s gentle, it works to strip excess oil, and it helps fight dandruff and bacteria.
Sage – This helps to dissolve built-up deposits of oil and can also make hair shafts thicker.
Eucalyptus – Helps bring the scalp back into balance by regulating the production of sebum. Relieves and reduces inflamed skin, too.
Chamomile – This will enhance the hair’s shine and intensity. If your hair has highlights, products with a lot of chamomile may further enhance these highlights.
Some other everyday ingredients that help control greasy hair include aloe, egg whites, menthol, sorbitol, kaolin, citric acid and/or citrus, and starch.
Once you’re finished washing and conditioning, you can apply hair care products, as long as you use those formulated for your hair.
These help reduce the transfer of oil from the scalp to the hair which keeps excess oils off the hair. These products encourage a nicer type of shine and make hair easier to style. Styling products, including lotions and mousses, containing alcohol are safe to use as well. But your hair does not benefit from products that contain extra moisturizers made from glycerin and silicone, nor should you apply a serum or a cream-based product.
And finally, if you have oily hair, do yourself a favor and get a hair style that is manageable.
Add comment May 14th, 2008