You have just washed your hair with the best shampoo in the market, you have conditioned your hair in the correct manner. You blow dry and set your hair and when you look in the mirror, you are so happy with how you look. However, when you look at the mirror a few hours later, there is a different story altogether. Your hair looks oily and greasy and no one would probably believe that you had washed your hair, just that morning.
People who have oily greasy hair tend to face a lot of bad hair days, because no matter how often and how carefully they wash it, the hair always goes back to looking the way it was, before the wash.
Let’s take a look at why you might have oily hair:
Each hair shaft is protected by oil glands, which ensure that your hair not only stays hydrated and nourished, but also stronger in the face of breakage. In certain cases, the glands release too much oil – this could be because of hormonal fluctuations or even certain hereditary conditions. In certain cases, the natural texture of the hair is such that there is always excess oil.
However, there are a few tips and tricks that you can include in your regular routine and that should take care of your hair:
- Invest in a good shampoo – You need to remember that your hair is oily, which means that you need to invest in a shampoo that is meant for oily hair. If you have an oily scalp, but dry hair, then you would have to purchase a shampoo that will wash off the oil from the scalp, and a hydrating conditioner would take care of the hair. However, if you have oily hair and a scalp then just a shampoo for oily hair would be enough, because that will take care of both. Make sure that you massage the shampoo into your scalp, because a clean scalp is the first step to having clean and oil free hair. If your scalp continues to be oily, the dirt and grime will start to settle down, causing bigger problems.
- Shampoo more often – Ideally, people with oily hair and scalp should invest in a mild oil removing shampoo that you can use every single day. Or, they could choose to wash their hair, every alternate day. Regular washing of oily hair is imperative, because the sebum, dirt and other impurities can build up quite easily on the hair and scalp.
- Rinse rinse rinse – While the entire process of shampooing your hair is important, rinsing the suds out is just as important. Once you are done, you need to make sure that you rinse all the shampoo out from your hair, because if you leave even a little soap, the residue will attract even more dirt and oil. When you are rinsing your hair, make sure that you leave it squeaky clean.
- Condition carefully – Conditioners are ideally meant for dry hair, because they provide the necessary hydration that such hair requires. This is why, conditioners might not be an ideal choice for hair that is oily. However, if you have a scalp that is oily, but hair that is normal or dry, you can use a mild conditioner on the tips of the hair.
- Oily hair needs oil too – It might come as a surprise to many people, but oily hair needs oil too. You need to remember that even oily hair needs nourishment and hair care treatments and oil is perhaps the easiest to access. Mix equal parts of almond oil with coconut oil and combine that with a few drops of tea tree oil. Massage this mixture into your scalp and hair and leave it for a short duration. Now, all you have to do is wash your hair really well, ensuring that all the oil has been washed out. Within the 30 to 40 minutes that you left the oil in your hair, will have nourished your hair from inside. However, people with oily hair should never go for overnight oil treatments, as this will cause more damage than benefit. Hot oil treatments also work really well for oily hair, but yet again, you need to make sure that you wash it off really well with a good shampoo.
- Say no to certain things – In order to keep your hair clean and oil free, there are a few things you need to say no to. For instance you need to make sure that you do not brush your hair too much, because that is what instigates the oil glands in the scalp. In addition, the existing oil in the hair will actually get spread all over the hair and scalp, by repeated brushing. You might also want to steer clear of hair gels and serums that offer a sheen or shine to your hair. Oily hair naturally have a sheen to them, and by using such styling products, you will only increase your own trouble.
- Dry your hair right – Many people have a tendency of towelling their wet hair with a lot of vigour. There are also those people who have the habit of constantly scratching their scalp. All of these are invitations to more oil, because the vigour could actually excite the oil glands, leading them to secreting even more oil.
- Eat and drink right – Water is your best friend, not only to wash off the excess oils from the hair, but also to nourish your body from within. The elixir of life will actually flush out the toxins from your body, leaving you with a healthy scalp and nourished hair. You also need to ensure that the food that you are eating is healthy. Deep fried and fatty foods might be delicious, but they will do no good for your body or hair. Include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet and instead of munching on chips, try nuts and berries. If you are thirsty, consider fresh fruit juices, as opposed to aerated drinks.
In the continuing article, we will look at some other tips and tricks that should be perfect for people with oily hair.
