PeaceOut Grease!
Put Oily Hair Behind You!
Okay y’all, so let’s talk about one of the biggest complaints I get when I see new clients:
Oily Scalps. Greasy Hair.
It’s okay! You’re not alone!
Typically when consulting with my clients I find that very infrequently does anyone actually have a scalp that naturally overproduces oil. Check out these reasons why you may be battling it and how to fix it!
1) Over-washing your hair.
Okay now don’t even start with excuses yet. “I workout every day”, “my hair gets dirty fast”, bla bla bla I’ve heard it all. There is definitely a thing as washing your hair too much (just as there is a thing as not washing it enough). The natural oils your scalp produces are vital to ensure you have a healthy scalp and hair. It not only provides nutrients to your scalp and hair, it also keeps it balanced. When you begin over washing your hair, you strip those natural oils from it and your scalp begins to literally freak out. It over compensates to produce enough to rebalance everything. Thus, producing more oil. Then you wash your hair more, your scalp freaks out, its a whole downward spiral.
I typically recommend my clients try to go two days at least without shampooing. For people who do tend to naturally have oiler skin, or work out everyday, then every other day is acceptable.2-3 times a week is pretty standard. Washing it everyday is a big no no.
2) Poor Choice In Product
Okay so remember that downward spiral i just mentioned? This factor could be accelerating that spiral. If you are not using products that are 1) professional 2) pH balanced (unfortunately there are many pro products that are not) and 3) meant for your hair type then there’s a good chance this is the reason why, or contributing at least. So lets make a listicle inside of a list:
1) Professional Product. You guys. I need to make a blog post on its own about drugstore hair care and why its bad because it is literally such an extensive topic. I just don’t know if anyone would even care to really read it lol! I will try to simplify it as best as possible. So there’s literally no such thing as a good drugstore product here’s why:
-the pH of your hair is acidic (this is what prevents frizz, dullness, oil, etc... it’s your hairs healthy state) ALL drugstore products are highly alkaline. This means it is throwing your hairs pH off. It opens the cuticle which creates dryness and frizz and also makes your hair over produce oil to balance its self. ( guess this also covers point number 2 lol)
-they ALL contain bad chemicals and are all very watered down. Think about it: they make bottles and bottles they can sell for $5...it’s cheap ingredients and watered down! These ingredients will layer onto your hair creating a buildup (this prevents nutrients and water from accessing your hair which in return creates dryness) it will also build up on your scalp. Those nasty fillers feel like wax. That in turn adds to a nice greasy concoction going on at your roots. Also, with them being watered down, you’re never really cleansing your hair. This will also make you wash your hair more! It doesn’t feel clean, because IT’S NOT.
2) I covered the pH above so let’s talk about using the right type. I think it’s probably safe to say we all understand there are different types of hair (curly, wavy, straight, coarse, fine, damaged, healthy, chemically treated, etc…) if not, well now you do. You’re welcome. Different hair types need different types of product. If someone with baby fine, straight hair, started using a deep hydrating shampoo that was actually designed for dry, coarse, unruly hair, it’s going to weigh it down. If someone is using a curl cream to enhance their curls, unless it is meant for the type of hair they have (coarse or fine) it may not be doing anything but weighing it down and getting gunky. This is why it is so important that you go to a hairstylist that has a selection of product, and a thorough understanding of what is best for you and your hair/scalp type. Hairstylists: please for the love of all things good, educate yourself on your product and ingredients. Recommending products isnt a “pick and choose” part of our career like many stylists seem to be in the mindset of. It is literally part of our job. I could lecture on that for awhile, so moving on.
3) Misc. Factors
I would like to say the above two things are the only reasons why you may have an over abundance of oil production, but alas life likes to throw curve balls. Very rarely, but very possibly, these reasons could be caused by hormonal factors, medication, environmental, etc… Those would be things I would personally discuss with my clients if my solutions (I am about to give you) didn’t work.
Grease. Be Gone.
So now we know WHY you’re dealing with a over production of oil, how do we fix it?
1) Train Your Hair
Remember how I said your scalp will overcompensate if it is being stripped too frequently? If not, then go back and reread it. You have to train your scalp to slow its roll. This is a hard step but it’s extremely important. If you do not overwash your hair, this probably doesn’t apply to you. Basically, to begin training you are going to go one day longer than you typically do in between shampoo days. So, if you wash your hair everyday, you are going to wash it every other day…. FOR A MONTH. Yes. A month. You can do it. Own that ponytail…. work that updo. This will begin to show your hair it does not need to overcompensate and you will notice by the end of the month, that extra day is no longer a greaseball day. Then add a day for the next month until you find your happy shampoo schedule. Some people prefer every other day, i just always remind my color clients that the more you wash, the quicker the color can fade.
But how do I survive a month where I frequently feel like a product valvoline carries?
I am so glad you asked.
2) Be Besties With Dry Shampoo, & Use It Correctly
To this day I think one of the biggest mind blowing things I was taught was how to properly use dry shampoo, and that I LITERALLY was using it wrong my whole life. To make matters worse, many of them tell you how to use it correctly on the bottle…. Yeah. So I’ll help you out and clue you in. Dry shampoo is actually a preventative, not a corrector. Guess what that means? You use it before you need it. BAM. What. Mind blown. It makes so much sense though, keep reading. So say you are my client who is going every other day for a month. The night before your “dirty day” you are going to use dry shampoo all over your roots. Kind of massage it in and leave it alone. What happens is: overnight as your hair produces oils, the dry shampoo actually absorbs it. The next morning brush it out of your hair and hit it with a little extra as a refresh. IT WORKS SO MUCH BETTER YALL. This will make day 2 not so miserable. I also suggest day 2 being a ponytail/bun/braid day. There are cute ways to wear your hair up and still look professional (yes i know I probably should do some blogs on that too… hush ill get to it).
Right now my fave dry shampoo is by IGK. Dude. This line has three dry shampoos to pick from. The one called “First Class” is my favorite. It has charcoal in it to help lift dirt and build up while absorbing oil and sweat (where are my fitness gurus at?) out of the hair. This is fantastic for right after the gym as a touch up if you are one of those crazy people who work out in the morning.
3) Get On The Right Product
Throw that drugstore S*** out. Trash can. Now. Buh bye. No “ill just put it under the sink in case i need it later”. YOU DONT. Talk to your hairstylist (if you don’t have one, hit me up) and get set up on the correct product for your hair type, concerns, and desired results. This alone does so much. You may feel like your hair is a little dry when you initially switch, but what is happening is that build up is all coming off. Those waxes are getting removed and it is revealing your true hair which will rebalance with the new product. That shouldn’t last long, i just always like to notify people.
To get a head start I highly suggest a detox treatment, The Alfaparf Detox Mask treatment removes impurities, pollution build up, product build up, and basically gives your scalp and hair a clean slate. I offer this treatment, and i literally don’t know why it isnt talked about more, its AMAZING. (You can book that treatment here).
I really hope this helps you all! Please let me know if you have tried any of this and if it works for you! Also let me know what else you want to learn. I am trying to start writing more, but i want to make sure I’m addressing things people want to read! Cheers!
-Abbi