We totally get it. There’s nothing more annoying than taking a nice cleansing and refreshing shower, and waking up the following day and wondering why your hair is oily enough to fry an egg.
Looking for some quick and easy tips on how to get rid of oily hair? Look no further – we have your back. In today’s blog post, we’ll walk you through our top 6 tips on how to get rid of oily and greasy hair.
Why is my hair so oily, anyway?
First, we must learn why it is that our hair is producing these oils because, don’t get us wrong – natural oils in the hair is common and vital to ensuring healthy and strong hair. What’s going on up there, you ask? Let’s walk through a quick science lesson on what our hair is doing, and what it means to have oily hair.
This, beautiful friends, is what goes on behind the scenes of our hair. #BTS
The star of the show here is our sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands are glands in your skin that release sebum, which is a lubricating oil. These glands are located all over your body, with the exception of a few areas (like hands and feet), and are found connected with your hair follicles. Wondering why you always have oily hair? Well, we have (semi)good news – your sebaceous glands are alive, well, and active!
The bad news? Overreactive sebaceous glands means you may experience oily hair, which can be frustrating and difficult to deal with. As previously mentioned, however, we are here to help. Here is tip number one on how to prevent oily hair:
1. Determine Your Hair Wash Cycle
Contrary to popular belief, for someone who has naturally oily hair, it’s actually best to not wash your hair as often as you may think. Shocker, right? Most people tend to leap straight for the shampoo and assume they’re simply due for another shower when they feel their hair is oily. Washing your hair every day or even every other day, however, will result in your hair producing more oil because it’s trying to compensate for the oil lost. Basically, your sebaceous glands are confused.
It will take time to train your hair to get used to your new wash cycle, but with time, you will start to see results. We recommend to try and reduce your hair wash cycle to only 2 or 3 (at the very most) washes per week.
When washing your hair, start off with warm water when washing so that it opens up your pores and cleanses, and when it comes time to rinse, turn the knob down and opt for cooler water so that your pores close.
Another great tip: minimize the use of conditioner. If you’re one to slather on the conditioner, try cutting it back to just a small dollop or even skip it a few times each shower session to minimize oil build up, as it can activate oil production quicker. The proper way to use conditioner, actually, is not at the roots but all throughout the length of the hair, because that is where the hair needs to be conditioned the most. The natural oils will take care of moisturizing the roots.
Look, we know it can be tough leaving the house when your hair feels and looks oily, which is why we’ve created this tutorial on 3 easy hairstyles for oily hair – you’re welcome! Check it out by watching this video:
2. Curls > Straight Hair
Have you ever noticed that you can usually go a day or two longer without washing your hair if you’ve curled it? That is no coincidence, my friend.
If your hair lays flat and you’re guilty for straightening it often, try to lay low on the straightening products as the closer your hair is to your head and the straighter it is, the more oil it comes in contact with, and the easier it is for the oil to make its way down your hair.
3. Keep Your Hands Off Your Hair
Girl, stop.
You know how they say a kiss is likely more clean than shaking hands with someone? It’s true – your hands are constantly touching multiple things throughout the day and although we trust your portable Purell hand sanitizer game is strong, there are still plenty of germs and oils on your hands that you do not want to transfer over to your hair. The twirling of hair or the brushing of your hair back that you subconsciously do throughout the day all contribute to the oil build-up you see in your hair. If you struggle keeping your hands away from your hair throughout the day, try tying it up in a bun at the beginning of the day so there are no temptations.
If you’re in need of some bun inspo, check out this tutorial we created on 3 Cute & Easy Messy Buns.
4. Dry Shampoo & Alternatives
If you haven’t heard of dry shampoo yet, well… You’ve been missing out.
There are so many benefits to dry shampoo, but the most obvious one is that it soaks up the oil in your hair and helps give the illusion of freshly washed hair, without the inconvenience and time it takes to actually wash your hair (because you’re on that 2-3 days a week wash cycle, right?).
What are the other cool benefits of dry shampoo, you ask? It can also act as a texturizing spray and help provide extra volume at the roots, if you’re trying to create a more voluminous hair style.
If your wallet is tight but you still want to get in on the dry shampoo hype, try baby powder – it acts the same way, soaking up excess oil and adding texture and volume to the roots of your hair. Be sure to only use a small amount, and don’t forget to massage it in well!
5. Reduce the Use of Hair Products
We understand that sometimes you may have to use a little bit of hairspray or mousse to perfect that curl or updo, but remember – many hair styling products like gels, mousses, and creams contain oils and other ingredients that can contribute to the buildup of hair oil. We recommend to minimize the use of these products and when you do use them, be sure to rinse your hair at the end of the day.
If you’re looking for some heat-free and product-free hairstyles that are quick and easy to do, check out our tutorial below.
6. Food, Food, Food
It’s no surprise that the foods we consume will have a direct effect on the reason why we experience oily hair. Carbohydrates and processed foods can increase the amount of oil that our sebaceous glands produce, so we recommend to stay away from fried foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates to ensure that a good balance of sebum is being produced in your hair.
Interested in how else food affects our hair? Check out on What to Eat for Healthy Hair or simply watch the video below:
And that concludes are top 6 tips on how to get rid of oily hair. Have any other tips or suggestions? E-mail us at healthgetswealth@gmail.com – we’d love to hear from you!