6 ways to train your hair to be less oily
Ever noticed no matter how much you wash your hair, it gets oily quick? Me too.
I used to be an every-day hair washer. Though, I am not now, it took me a long time to “train” my hair not to get so oily. I also notice, it depends on my hair color. If I am super blonde to the root, my hair lasts longer after each wash. If you think about it, it totally makes sense- what does bleach do? Dry your hair out, strip your natural color and melanin in your hair. When my hair is dark, which it is naturally, my hair SEEMINGLY gets more oily faster than when I am blonde. My natural hair has shine which can be decieving to my eyes. (LOL, the things we do to our hair, right?! Like, natural shine… what a concept.) But, is it really ACTUALLY more oily? Yep. Over washing is part of the issue.
The amount of “grease” also depends on how your hormones are acting. I know when I am having a hormone imbalance, my skin breaks out & my breasts hurt (TMI, I know), but also, my scalp feels like I need a wash quicker. I am one of those stylists who will tell you to wash once a week and use a bunch of dry shampoo. I don’t believe that is healthy, nor clean. Yes, it does depend on your activity level, however just as a blanket statement…WASH your hair!
Anyways, like I said, so many things can play a part in your “greasy” scalp days but here are a few ways to help your scalp STAY healthy and produce regular sebum.
Let me also end this intro on another kind note- having some natural oil in your hair is NORMAL & certainly not a negative thing. (As long as your scalp seems to be healthy. IE: no flaking, itching, redness, buildup, dandruff that is yellow, etc.) Let’s get to it…
Clarify your scalp
Making sure that you’re properly cleansing your scalp is so important. The shampoo is not the part to rush through. Using your fingertips, (not your nails!) make sure you are rubbing your scalp thoroughly. One of my favorite ways to wash mine is upside down. The angles I get especially around the behind the ear areas, is so much easier when I flip my hair upside down and scrub. Using a clarifying shampoo once in a while can also be helpful to avoid product build up. Especially if you have been using products that contain waxes and harsh ingredients… You’ll need to get a couple deep clarifying treatments in. Some of my favorites are “SOLU” by Davines (I carry this one) and MAXI.WASH by Kevin Murphy. There are many others great ones as well, I am just personally educated on these specific brands the most.
2. Start warm, end cool
I know all of us women joke (But, we’re mostly serious) about taking hot showers, like hot… like, the depths of hell HOT. But, we know that this is so harsh on our skin and hair. Yes, hot showers are soothing… BUT, It could be the reason your scalp (and facial pores, too) are drying out and then over producing sebum (oil) to over compensate for all the drying our you may be creating. We need to treat our scalps like how we treat our skin… after all, scalp is skin, too!
3. Give yourself a treatment
I know, broken record, right? Not enough time? I beg to differ… Look into different scalp treatments. Not all of them need to be left on and then rinsed off. So, time shouldn’t be your excuse. I like IGK’s rebalancing scalp spray. Davines has an entire scalp treatment in their Natural tech line, also. Virtue has a line that comes with an amazing scalp brush and dropper treatment. There’s so many amazing things out there. Your stylist may reccomend one that they prefer you use. Always check with your hair artist. & Remember: It’s not just our ends that need love, your scalp does too!
4. Make sure you’re brushing
I am a huge advocate for the wet brush. Really, it’s the greatest thing… helps with tangles, soft bristles, doesn’t rip the hair when it’s wet (which is when your strands are the most vulnerable, btw!) But, here’s the thing… I HIGHLY recommend that you also have a stiff-bristles brush on hand. Not super scratchy or anything like a boar bristle… but just a regular brush. The reason I say this is that a wet brush is not sturdy enough to really exfoliate your scalp. It’s wonderful, but at least twice a week you should be using a different brush that can stimulate your head. PS- the more healthy scalp stimulation- the more hair growth you may experience. There’s a reason we do scalp massages at the salon and this is one of them.
5. Blow-dry, and do it upside down
Ever wonder why your professional blowouts seem to last longer than when you do it at home? Here’s a trick: Flip your hair upside down, this will force the hair to have more volume and not stick and dry flat to your head. This will help encourage the hair to not be suffocating your scalp.
6. Don’t skip the conditioner
I know a lot of clients who have been transparent about skipping conditioner. I have heard one of the reasons being that they either just put a leave-on conditioner spray after or else they are just honestly lazy. I get it, I’ve been there. BUT, let me tell you why you should NOT SKIP the condish! When we shampoo, (& especialllllllly when we use a clarifying shampoo) we open up the cuticles of our hair strands. Conditioner is what seals down the cuticle of our hair. It’s like the sealant. Think of it like skincare… After cleansing, The toner and moisturizer that follows is what closes the cuticle. Same with conditioner, it’s our “toner”. So, don’t skip the moisture that it gives us! We don’t want it being dry and then (like I said earlier) overcompensating and producing more unwanted oil. Remember: Conditioner is only for the mid-strands and ends, not your scalp.
All photos in this blog were taken by & for JaydenP Boutique / Clothing: @jaydenpboutique