Greasy hair can appear stringy and fail to keep its
lightness and volume within a few hours of shampooing.
Greasy hair can seem lifeless, dull oily and lank. It can
also appear heavy and flat, refusing to stay clean and
fresh. Is this describing your hair? Ever ask yourself "why
is my hair greasy?" Others may judge people with greasy hair
as having poor hygiene and that they do not wash their hair
very often, even if the sufferer washes it every day.
Grease found in greasy hair is natural body oil called
sebum. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous gland. Each hair
has a sebaceous gland immediately under the skin. Greasy
hair is healthy hair as the oil (sebum) is produced to stop
each hair strand from drying and to stop the ends splitting.
Sebum is produced by the body to lubricate hair and skin and
prevents drying by providing a protective barrier. Sebum is
your own built-in moisturizer for the body.
Greasy hair is actually an excess of sebum in hair which is
a result of overactive sebaceous glands over-producing
sebum, stimulated by hormones known as androgens. Although
they are present in both men and women, androgens are male
hormones and are higher in men. Androgens do two things:
One, they increase the size of sebaceous glands in the skin.
Two, they cause the sebaceous glands to increase the
production of oil.
As hormones have a role in sebum production, fluctuating
hormone levels can be one of the causes of greasy hair.
Greasy hair can most commonly be found in older women
experiencing the menopause, teenagers in puberty, and women
in general because of their monthly cycle or pregnancy.
Stress can also be a cause of greasy hair as it can affect
hormone levels. People who have fine hair can sometimes
suffer form greasy hair because they have more hair
follicles and more hair follicles means more sebum producing
glands on the scalp.
There are several external causes of greasy hair. Washing
your hair too frequently can cause more sebum to be produced
as frequent washing can strip the hair of oils, to combat
this sebaceous glands excrete sebum. Sebaceous glands can be
stimulated through vigorous scrubbing of the hair and scalp
while washing. Touching your hair can also stimulate
sebaceous glands, along with vigorous hair brushing which
carries oil throughout the hair. The over-use of styling
products can cause hair to look greasy as the products can
build-up at the roots. Everyday environmental pollutants can
also cause hair to look greasy.
There are also many internal causes of greasy too. I have
already mentioned fluctuating hormone levels, but one of the
main culprits when it comes to internal causes of greasy
hair is diet. Western diets that tend to be greasy, high in
fat and sugar, processed and containing additives which can
be a major cause of greasy hair as the high fat content
increases oil levels in and on the skin. Hormones can be
found in meat in the western, adding to the unbalanced
hormone levels. A diet lacking in vitamin B can also
contribute towards greasy hair.
The best way of avoiding, preventing, treating and getting
rid of greasy hair is to treat it from the outside and the
inside. On the outside: steer clear of brushing your hair
too frequently, and too vigorously. Avoid using a
moisturizing shampoo as this can leave some oil in the hair.
An extra cleansing or clarifying shampoo that has a mild-ph
is the best shampoo to use for greasy hair. When shampooing,
massage you hair and scalp lightly and do not scrub your
hair and scalp.
For a more thorough cleanse, leave the shampoo in for about
5 minutes. You can always rinse your hair and shampoo a
second time. How often you need to wash your hair is down to
you. Ideally you should wash your hair 1-2 times per week.
To find what is right for you, begin washing daily and then
reduce the frequency to find your ideal balance of oil
production and washing. If you plan to use a conditioner on
your hair, apply the conditioner to the mid and ends of you
hair only, and be sure to use a conditioner made for greasy
hair. If you are using a hairdryer for hair styling don't
let the dryer get too hot, heat can cause the production of
more oil.
For the inside: do everything you can to reduce any stress
that you may have in your life. For your diet, reduce the
amount of fat and dairy products, and avoid fried, fatty and
greasy foods as much as possible. Consider vitamin B
supplements in your diet. Avoid sugar and sugary foods like
cakes, biscuits and soft drinks. Reduce the foods containing
white flour like bread, pasta and pastries. Be sure to eat
lots of nuts, seeds and whole grains, and leafy & green
vegetables, salads and fresh fish.
