Oily Hair
Updated: Jul 21, 2022
Each week we take an issue that you've brought into the Hub Hair and Beauty Sunderland and we provide advice/help/hints and tips on the best way to deal with it
This week its all about Oily Hair
Oily Hair
'My hair needs washing all the time'. Is this you?
Do you feel like your hair would literally get up and walk away if you didn't wash it every other day?
I feel your pain - I'd love to be one of those women who only needs to wash her hair once a week, but its never going to happen.
And although we often say Oily/Greasy Hair when what we should really be saying is Oily/Greasy Scalp!!!
Your hair gets the blame when the cause is really your scalp. It’s your scalps job is to produce the oils that take care of your hair/head, So the first question to ask is why is your scalp producing too much oil?
An Oily Scalp can be triggered by so many reasons like poor diet, genetics, or hormonal changes, but the biggest culprit of an oily scalp is actually the one thing we feel we have to do all the time, we over-wash and we use dry shampoo.
It’s a classic example of ‘the egg or the chicken’ syndrome. Are you washing your hair a lot because of your oily scalp, or is your scalp oily because you wash your hair too much
When you wash your hair more than two to three times a week, it dries out your scalp, and to compensate, the scalp produces more oil!!!
So, the first step is to make sure you’re deeply cleaning your scalp as you wash your hair. You’ll want a deep cleansing shampoo and there are a lot of choices out there.
Hub Product Recommendations
For anyone watching the pennies. (aren’t we all) We firstly recommend a high street classic something that you can pick up in your supermarket (we know many salons would scream at the thought. But let’s be real. We know you can’t all buy salon products).
So yes, Head & Shoulders Clean Anti Dandruff Shampoo (rrp £5) cheapest I've found is Wilkies at £7 for 2 bottles (click pic for link)
This shampoo has probably already been in your bathroom or your mum’s bathroom. The brand has been around for years, and there is a reason for it. Especially if you have oily hair but a sensitive scalp.
The formula is dermatologically tested, ph-balanced and loaded with antioxidants to gently care and clean both the scalp and your hair. And its formulated with 0% Phosphates (nasties that you want to avoid). So don’t be afraid to give this a try it’s a great price and if used properly it really can make a difference.
For anyone after a more luxurious feel I recommend
Redken Retail Amina-Mint Scalp Shampoo (rrp18) Cheapest I've found was £16.85 on the Redkin Amazon Page. (click pic for link)
This is the most refreshing shampoo you will use, it contains a peppermint extract which helps to refresh the scalp and combat dead cells whilst calming and soothing your whole head, And the great bit is its safe to use ‘often’, so if like me, you just feel odd getting a shower and not washing your hair! This is perfect, as although I wouldn’t recommend it for everyday use, it’s not going to strip your hair of everything. (I alternate this with Olaplex No4)
if you really can’t break the every other day wash routine. This could be the one for you.
Hub Tips for Oily Hair
1) Try using lukewarm or cold water to wash your hair. Hot water stimulates the sebaceous glands, which leads to an increase in oil
2) Always keep in mind that you need to shampoo properly, condition carefully and rinse thoroughly.
3) Avoid hot tools as they make your hair look greasy faster.
4) Clean your brush every day to avoid unnecessary build-up.
5) Stop playing with your hair - brushing or touching your hair stimulates the oil glands.
6) Skip leave-in conditioners and other products that add moisture to your hair.
So remember, washing your hair too often can be a big part of the problem, but you can also help by doing all of the boring bits, eating healthy, drinking lots of water and taking general care of yourself. If you find oily hair is a new problem, it might be worth booking in for a health MOT and checking your hormones are all aligned,