Tackling greasy hair
Greasy hair or oily hair is really common. Our Abingdon hairdressers recognise that many of us don’t know why we get it, however we are all aware of the impact of oily hair!
Dirty hair, no volume and generally unappealling. We’ve all been there. At Wisteria Avenue our Hair Stylists’ answer the all important questions surrounding oily hair, the why and what can you do today to combat it!
For more information on hair advice, our helpful ladies haircut tips might help. Alternatively, check out our other blog posts for more.
Why do I have greasy hair?
Your sebaceous glands are to blame. These can be found at the base of the hair follicle. Their main purpose is secrete an oily substance to help protect the hair (even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes!).
This oily substance is called ‘sebum’. The problem arises when too much sebum is produced. Just enough sebum is a great thing, however too much causes one too many cosmetic problems!
What causes oily hair?
Lifestyle factors contribute significant to the overproduction of sebum. These can include but are not limited to the following:
- Exposure to humidity (heat from showering or your environment)
- Some medications
- Too frequent or agitated washing
- Hormones
- Wrong hair products
- Smoking
- Stress
- Poor diet
What can I do to help?
Suggestion 1: Did you know that a higher frequency of washing your hair stimulates the sebaceous glands (the things that make your hair oily!).
With that in mind, attempting fewer shampoos, whilst initially difficult could prove a vital factor.
Suggestion 2: When washing your hair, avoid irritating your scalp. This can be achieved by washing the hair alone (and not the scalp itself).
It’s very easy to scrub the scalp as much as you might the hair which will sadly action those sebaceous glands once more and in-turn this will secrete more sebum.
Suggestion 3: Shampoo’s that counter oily hair are great. Generally salon shampoo’s will serve you well. Ask your Hair Stylist if they can recommend a shampoo and conditioner set that works for you. In some cases a combination of an oily scalp with dry ends can occur. If this happens, try a moisture/damage recovery shampoo that tackles the ends only. A moisture shampoo on the root/scalp area will only further add to your greasy hair short-term.
Suggestion 4: Before you dry your hair, avoid heat!
Letting loose on a hair dryer or straightners can contribute. Even if you’re allowing your hair to dry naturally a couple of times a week, this is better than nothing.
Suggestion 5: Check your hair products! Not all hair products are going to allow your hair and scalp room to breath. If you can, avoid grabbing the wax, hairspray or hair accessory that could be prone to leaving your scalp and hair oily or irritable.
Suggestion 6: It’s one that we never give enough thought to, yet our diets are an essential component to not our our health, but the health of our hair!
An increase of foods high in saturated fat or sugars are obviously bad, yet they do affect our hair. Our diet plays a vital role in our day-to-day health more than we give it credit for. Our scalp and hair is no different.
