Kick greasy hair to the curb: 5 tricks to help you care for oily hair
Just because you have naturally oily hair, doesn’t mean you have to accept greasy-looking strands! Before you throw in the towel and resign yourself to a life of constantly needing dry shampoo, read this. We’re sharing some tips on how to care for oily hair so that it looks less greasy and more glamorous. What’s more, these five tricks are surprisingly easy to follow.
What Causes Oily Hair?
Before we can get into how to care for oily hair, it’s important to know what can cause it to begin with. Oily hair is sometimes the result of overactive sebaceous glands in the scalp’s skin. While sebum—or oil as it’s more commonly referred to—production occurs naturally to help hydrate our scalp and strands, there can sometimes be an overproduction of oil that can cause our hair to look and feel greasy. While overactive sebaceous glands can be a result of many factors that are out of our control, there are some things you can do to help keep the appearance of greasiness in check.
1: Use the right shampoo
When it comes to finding the right shampoo for you, it’s important to consider your hair’s specific needs. If you have oily hair you should look for products that have been developed with your hair type in mind. So for oily hair you should be looking for products that are formulated to help cleanse your hair and help remove the appearance of excess oil without removing too much oil. This is especially vital since oily hair often needs to be washed more frequently than its drier counterparts.
Editor’s Note: While oily hair will likely have to be washed more often than dry hair types, you still don’t want to over-wash your hair. Washing too much can strip your hair of hydration, which brings us to…
2: Don’t skip conditioner
It’s common knowledge that conditioners are designed to help hydrate and moisturize your hair, but if you thought that only dry hair needs conditioning…you’d be wrong. Every hair type needs moisture, even oily hair. If oily hair is stripped of moisture, the sebaceous glands may kick into overdrive and produce an excess of oil in order to help provide the necessary hydration for your hair. That said, using a lightweight conditioner that’s suitable for oily hair and conditioning from mid-shaft to the ends can help keep your hair feeling moist and looking it’s best!
3: Cool down
While a hot shower may feel relaxing, the extra hot temperature may not be great for your oily hair. If you have excessively oily hair, it can help to keep things cooler while you’re cleansing… and by things we mean the water temperature in your shower. Washing with extra hot water can strip your hair of it’s natural, resting level of oil which may lead to an overproduction of oil (see #2 above). During your shower, keep the water on a cool to lukewarm setting to help reduce your chances of experiencing excess oil.
4: Shield your hair
Some of the impurities your hair may come into contact with during the course of the day can also be contributing factors to its greasy appearance. Everything from dirt that’s kicked up in the wind to pollution that’s constantly whirling around you, these things can cause your hair to look less than its best. In order to help reduce these factors from messing with your look, style with protection in mind. Braids, low ponytails, and ballerina-esque top knots are all fabulous ways to keep your hair looking chic and clean.
5: Embrace the quick fix
While oily hair should be washed once a day for it to look it’s best, sometimes making time to lather up just isn’t possible. In these cases, it’s totally okay to use a quick spritz of dry shampoo such as Fructis Pure Clean Dry Shampoo. Use your fingers to massage in the product and hit your hair with a cool blast from the blow-dryer to get rid of any lingering white powder residue.
