Remember how your mother and even your teachers recommended that you oil your hair? You hated it then, but had no choice. But today, when you have grown up, this oily, greasy hair of yours makes you scream in anger and wash your hair vigorously every day. Oily hair is not only difficult to style but it also attracts dust and dirt and leads dandruff in your scalp. Even with impeccable dressing, oily hair can spoil your overall look and give a bad first impression.
We give you simple tips that solve your hair problem.
Causes of Oily Scalp
Oil glands in the scalp are supposed to produce oil that helps keep your hair moisturized but when they start producing too much oil; you get an oily scalp and greasy hair.
An oily scalp can be caused due to heredity, hormonal imbalance, stress and diet. You may also find your scalp becoming too oily in the winter season. There may even be a problem of oily hair with dry scalp. In this case the dry scalp causes the oil glands to produce more oil that makes the hair look sticky but the scalp remains dry.
What can you do?
You need to change your hair routine and change some of the hair products that you use in order to control this problem.
Wash your hair: When your hair is oily, what do you? You wash it some more. But this is not the answer. Experts say that washing your hair more than once a day will cause your scalp to dry up causing the oil glands to produce more oil. So wash your hair on alternate days to clean up the scalp or once a day if the scalp is dirty.
Change your Shampoo: You need to select a shampoo that is mild with low pH or that is made specifically for oily hair. Clarifying shampoos are also known to be suitable for the job. Remember not to select a shampoo that contains greasy ingredients like lanolin and silicone and also avoid those shampoos that have conditioners in them.
Conditioner: Even with an oily scalp, you may find that hair ends have become dry. In this case, applying conditioner becomes important. But remember to use it only to the ends. If your hair isn’t dry then avoid using conditioner altogether.
Not too much force: Just because your oil glands have gone on an overdrive doesn’t mean that you need to be harsh and vigorous when washing your hair. When you rub your scalp with force, you remove all the oil from it, leaving it dry which only leads to more production of oil. So, be gentle when you wash your hair and do not pile your hair on the top that causes it to tangle and break.
Oil for your hair: When you have oily hair, applying oil in your hair won’t even cross your mind but some of the natural oils can help in reducing oil production in your scalp. But oil your hair only once a week or twice a month during summers.
A good massage with one of these oils can help.
- Jojoba oil- Jojoba oil has many properties that are similar to the natural oil that our oil glands produce. So applying jojoba oil to your scalp reduces the production of oil from the oil glands.
- Tea tree oil- Tea tree oil is known to reduce excess oil production in hair and fight dandruff.
Astringents: Astringents can help keep the oil off your scalp and keep the scalp clean. You can buy mild astringents from the chemist or use the natural astringent mixtures by squeezing lemon in water and applying it on your scalp. Wash after some time.
You can also use a mixture of vinegar and water to clean out your scalp. Take two tablespoons of white vinegar and add half a cup of water and apply to your scalp. Wash after 30 minutes.
Don’t brush too much: When you brush your hair, you take the oil from the scalp to the hair strands. Hence do not brush too many times in a day.
Reduce stress: Stress plays an important role in regulating your hormonal balance. If you are stressed, you cause hormonal imbalance that may cause over secretion of oil by oil glands. By dealing with stress in a better way, you can avoid oily skin, hair and scalp. Ways to reduce stress include joining a hobby class, mediation, exercising, dancing and singing.
Some other points to remember:
- Over production of oil can be caused as side effect of birth control pill, ask your gynecologist if you find a change in your hair type.
- If you have oily hair with a dry scalp, apply the astringent to the strands and not the scalp.
- Do not wash your hair everyday unless you work outdoors and be gentle on the scalp.
- Use shampoos made for oily hair and follow the instructions given on the bottle.
- If even with these remedies if your hair woes continue, consult a dermatologist.
Use these tips and say bye, bye to your oily tresses and hi to bouncy, silky tresses!
