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.
Hormones called androgens can cause greasy hair by stimulating sebaceous glands, causing them to become over active and begin over producing sebum leading to an excess of sebum in the hair. Androgens are male hormones, and although they are present in both men and women, they are higher in men. Androgens make two things happen: First, they enlarge sebaceous glands. Second, they cause the increase of oil production from the sebaceous glands.
Fluctuating hormones can cause greasy as hormones play a part in sebum production. Greasy hair is most common in women because of either pregnancy or monthly cycle, older women going through the menopause, and teenagers experiencing puberty. Stress can be a contributory factor in greasy hair as it is known to affect hormones levels. People with fine hair on their head may experience excessive greasy hair as they have more hair follicles and more sebaceous glands producing more sebum.
There are a number of external factors in that cause greasy hair. Washing your hair too often can increase the production of sebum as the sebaceous glands produce more sebum to combat the stripping of oils from the scalp and hair which can happen as a result of frequent washing. Vigorous hair and scalp scrubbing can stimulate hair grease. Touching hair can also over-stimulate glands, as can brushing vigorously which carry oil through your hair. Pollutants in the everyday environment can cause hair to look greasy, along with product build-up at the roots from over-use of hair styling products.
There can also be a number of internal causes of greasy hair. I have already mentioned fluctuating hormone levels; however one of the leading causes when it comes to causes of greasy hair is your diet. Diets in the Western world are typically much greasier, higher in fat and sugar, processed and contain additives, the high fat content increasing levels of oil in the skin, potentially causing greasy hair. A diet that is low in vitamin B can also be a cause of greasy hair, along with the hormones often found in the meat of Western diets which can add to unbalanced hormones.
The key of how to avoid, stop, treat and cure greasy hair is approach it from the outside and inside. Starting with the outside: avoid brushing your hair too often, and avoid brushing your hair vigorously. As you wash your hair, massage your hair and scalp lightly instead of scrubbing them vigorously. The beast shampoo for greasy hair is a mild-ph shampoo that is extra cleansing or clarifying. Look for a shampoo that is specially formulated for greasy hair. To protect against dryness moisturizing shampoos can leave oil in your hair, these should be avoided.
When shampooing, leave the shampoo in your hair for approximately 5 minutes for a better clean. Rinse and shampoo again if necessary. It’s up to you as to how often you should wash your hair. Once or twice a week is the ideal but to find your own balance of washing and oil production start with washing once a day, reducing how often you wash as you find that balance. If you are going to condition your hair, use a conditioner designed especially for greasy hair, and apply the conditioner not to the roots but to the mid and ends of your hair. If you use a hair dryer to style your hair, heat will stimulate oil production, so don’t let it get too hot.
On the inside: with your diet, Reduce the number of foods you eat that contain white flour such as pasta, pastries and bread. Increase the amount of green and leafy vegetables in your diet, along with seeds, nuts, whole grains, salads, fresh fish and vegetables. Avoid sugar and foods containing sugar e.g. soft drinks, biscuits and cakes. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet, avoiding fried, greasy and fatty foods. Consider supplementing vitamin B in your diet. Reduce and eliminate as much stress as you can from your day to day life.
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