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When you look for hair care tips online, a lot of it seems to be about dry hair. And, don’t get us wrong, dry, flaky hair sucks, but what about greasy hair? For many women with fine hair or straight hair, the struggle isn’t dryness, it’s oiliness.
No one wants to look like a middle schooler after gym class. Oily hair can make you feel uncomfortable, insecure, and just not attractive. We want those silky locks, but we do NOT want to look like a grease ball either.
So, how can we get rid of the oil without causing dryness and damage? There’s a way! We don’t want to go from one extreme to the other. So, here’s how to fix greasy hair without striping your scalp of its natural oil. Let’s get the shine without the grime:
How To Make Your Hair Not Greasy . . . And Also Not Too Dry
All hair types can experience greasy hair, but you’re most likely to experience excess oil if you have straight, fine hair. However, the texture of your hair isn’t to blame, there are a lot of causes of greasy hair that should be addressed before you come up with a hair care plan to fix it!
What Causes Greasy Hair?
Basically, your hair gets greasy when the sebaceous glands on your scalp overproduce oil. This natural oil is meant to coat our hair follicles and keep our hair shining, healthy, and absolutely radiant But too much of it makes our hair look greasy, unkempt, and even unhygienic sometimes.
Your oil glands could be overproducing because of:
Over washing
Over brushing
Incorrect hair care products
Touching your hair
Humidity
Genetics
Hormonal Imbalances
How To Deal With Greasy Hair Without Making Your Hair Too Dry
Wash your hair every 2-3 days with a shampoo brush.
First of all, you don’t want to wash your hair too much or too little. You’ve got to find the right balance for YOU. Your oily scalp may demand you wash more often. However, washing too much could dry your hair out.
A good place to start is washing every 2-3 days. When you do, make sure to use a shampoo brush to work it all the way into your scalp, and use a shampoo that’s not too heavy or moisture-focused, but instead will address the issue of excess oil production. Here are some top picks:
+ AG Care Balance Apple Cider Vinegar Sulfate-Free Shampoo
+ Kérastase Bain Divalent Balancing Shampoo (We love this natural haircare line)
Try clarifying shampoo 1-2 a month on the greasy parts.
Overtime, your scalp will experience oil and product buildup that no amount of washing seems to fix. This is why it’s a good idea to use a clarifying shampoo to strip your hair 1 or 2 times a month (with cold water, too).
However, if you only experience excess oil on the top of your head, but have dry or normal ends, only use the clarifying shampoo on the problem areas. No need to make combination hair dryness worse. .
Only use conditioner where needed.
Whatever conditioner you use should be lightweight, but even if it’s not super heavy, it simply doesn’t need to be used on the greasy parts of your hair. Those areas are COVERED when it comes to moisture, so apply conditioner to just the areas that need a hydration boost. For most that means only conditioning the ends of the hair that are naturally more dry.
Not sure what conditioner to use? Here are some of the best lightweight ones out there that’ll help balance out the oil production.
+ Kérastase Repairing Conditioner
+AVEDA by Aveda Weightless Conditioner
Try an apple cider vinegar solution.
Apple cider vinegar is a great hack for greasy hair. It’s acidic, so it helps balance the pH level of your scalp, which can help your body produce just the right amount of natural oil for perfectly healthy hair. Just follow Lauryn’s AMAZING apple cider hair rinse recipe or grab this dpHUE Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse.
Use dry shampoo between washes.
Dry shampoo is a LIFESAVER for women with greasy hair. It allows you to target the areas that are greasy without drying out your ends or overdoing it with washing. We recommend Kérastase Dry Shampoo Spray, Davines Invisible Dry Shampoo, or Crown Affair Refillable Dry Shampoo Powder.
Try a silk pillowcase.
You thought a silk pillowcase was for dry hair, right? Well, it’s for both. A silk pillowcase in general can keep your hair healthy by absorbing less of your hair’s natural oil. This is important because if our pillowcase sucks up all of our oil, it’ll actually trigger our body to produce MORE oil. (The same thing happens with acne.) This is why proper hydration is essential.
Go heatless and use light products when styling.
Heat prompts our scalp to produce more oil. It’s best to go with heatless styling options and to try hairstyles that keep your hair off your face. (You don’t want your hair absorbing oil from your face.) Try out these heatless curlers and maybe rock a slicked back ponytail.
The heat isn’t the only reason for excess oil when styling. Heavy products focused on adding moisture like hair oil, leave-in conditioners, styling creams, and styling gels are a no-go for greasy hair. Instead, go with products formulated to be lightweight like mousse, foam, and spray. Here are some products to try instead of your heavy haircare items:
+ Kérastase Volumizing and Bodifying Hair Mousse
Use a boar bristle brush.
Boar bristle brushes are magical. They have the ability to capture your scalp’s excess oil and distribute it across all your locks. This moisturizes the parts of your hair that look a little dull, and balances out the parts of your hair weighed down by grease for one even, shiny look. Definitely make the switch on this one.
Avoid touching your hair as much as possible.
Our hands are oily. Constantly touching our hair will transfer that oil and make it greasier, especially if you have bangs or shorter hair. If you have a habit of touching or playing with your hair, try to find something else to occupy your hands.
Eat well and stay hydrated.
The first step to healthy hair (and healthy skin) is a healthy you. Drink plenty of water, and eat foods that are high in vitamins and minerals that’ll promote light and radiant hair. The best choices are protein-rich foods, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, fruits, veggies, whole grains, and eggs.
For perfect hair that’s not too dry and not too oily, try these tips.
Our hair is so important to our femininity and self-confidence. However, the hair on our head is as diverse as every other part of our bodies. A one-size fits all approach isn’t going to cut it. Get to know your greasy locks and make a plan to reach all your hair goals.
For more on how Lauryn cracked the code to major hair growth, check out this post. It’s full of all her hacks that have helped her get rid of extensions and grow long, strong hair.
x, The Skinny Confidential team
+ Learn about the best foods for amazing hair, skin and nails.
++ Check out these top products for the best beach hair.
HAIR ESSENTIALS:
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