The Biblical Samson, endowed with his lush hair, surely must have had no problems with it. His hair was characterized by incredible strength not without reason. It is hardly plausible that Athena or Aphrodite had dandruff. And the hair of the wife of Egyptian King Ptolemy III Berenice (Veronica), which she donated to the temple of Aphrodite for her husband’s return from war, definitely did not not suffer from being too oily, otherwise it would not have come into history and would not have given its name to the constellation.
Since ancient times, people have attached great importance to the appearance of their hair, seeing it as a source of beauty, strength, and a symbol of exceptionality of its owner. In our times, the attitude to hair has not changed. Having healthy shiny hair is the dream of many women. It’s just that the sheen of healthy hair should not be mixed up with the luster of greasy hair.
Which Hair Can Be Called Oily?
Oily hair has a characteristic dull luster. The hair of this type, in contrast to the normal and dry hair, is shiny and sticks together on the next day after shampooing.
What Makes the Hair Oily?
Oiliness of hair is caused by the activity of the sebaceous glands of the scalp. Most often, this activity is an individual feature and has a genetic predisposition. In addition, the activity of the sebaceous glands of the scalp is affected by food – the intake of carbohydrates and fats. Contrary to the popular opinion, the portion of carbohydrates consumed in food is of paramount importance: the less of them you consume, the less sebum is produced by the glands.
The hormones of the body also matter. The presence of the male sex hormone androgen in women (it appears, for example, when using a contraceptive or during a stress) activates the sebaceous glands. The structure and color of the hair is also relevant. Thin hair absorbs sebum easier, while it happens not so fast with thicker hair. Brown-haired women rarely have oily hair, while brunettes have it more often.
How to Fix Oily Hair?
Taking care of oily hair, just like caring for other types of hair, primarily includes washing. It was once believed that oily hair should be washed as infrequently as possible, so as not to irritate the sebaceous glands, and not to provoke the production of sebum. However, this myth has been busted. Now the experts recommend washing your hair when it is dirty: which means “daily” for the owners of oily hair, especially if you are a resident of a densely populated city.
How to Wash Oily Hair Correctly?
You should not wash oily hair in too hot water. Its optimum temperature is 40-45° C. To get rid of excessive hair oiliness, one should choose special shampoos, which should preferably be transparent and contain herbs.
How to Wash Oily Hair?
Remember that greasy hair should be shampooed twice, leaving the shampoo on your head for at least 3-5 minutes each time. Only in this way the shampoo will be given enough time to deal with fat. In this case, the shampoo should be applied with massage movements to remove oiliness. At the same time, do not turn washing your hair into head massage, otherwise it can amplify the performance of the sebaceous glands and the production of new oil.
The owners of greasy hair will have to forget about hair conditioners and balms. They only aggravate the condition of your hair when it already looks fallen and greasy at the end of the day. If you have a mixed type of hair, with dry tips and oily roots, the conditioner should be applied only onto the hair tips (special “smart” shampoos are just said to be good to advertise them).
Drying the Oily Type Hair
So, your greasy hair has been washed. The next step is to dry it. Of course, it would be ideal that all types of hair should dry naturally. But as it turns out, morning hair care without a hair dryer is impossible. However, the hot air coming from a dryer is another powerful stimulus for your sebaceous glands. It turns out that firstly we fight with excess oiliness, and then we provoke its appearance. That is why you should dry your oily hair by adjusting the dryer to run warm air. At the same time, use your brush gently to lift the hair close to its roots to create volume, or dry your hair in the opposite direction of hair growth, that is when you lean forward and your hair is hanging down. Be careful with the brush, it can irritate the scalp. In addition, the brush can make the sebum from the roots of the hair be carried over the entire hair length.
Styling Oily Hair
Styling oily hair is a special story. The owners of this type of hair spend hours in front of the mirror trying to create a magnificent light hairstyle, and then it is totally destroyed by the evening. And the reason is that oil aggravates hair. In a combination with foam, mousse and gels, greasy hair seems to be lifeless. Hairdressers recommend using these powerful means for styling oily hair as little as possible.
If the creation of a hairstyle is vital, use a special anti-grease hair spray before styling, and then use conventional tools for modeling hairstyles of strong fixation.
Trick to Make the Hair Less Oily
Remember that chemical dying or perming your hair reduces the production of sebum. It is not necessary to radically change your image: you can select the paint to match your own hair color, or have a light chemical dying at the roots of the hair.
Certain Haircuts Prevent Greasy Hair
The people with oily hair should be careful in choosing a hairstyle. Straight strands of hair will look sticky and unattractive in the evening. The haircut should be multi-level to give the hair some extra volume.
Maintain the Beautiful Result
Even if you manage to make hair less oily, this result must be maintained. You cannot afford relaxing: oily hair will always remain prone to oiliness. Caring for such hair is your obligation for a lifetime.
