Our comprehensive guide on managing oily scalp issues for vibrant, healthy hair.
Explore practical tips, product recommendations, and expert advice to help you deal with an oily scalp.
If you've been battling the challenges of an oily scalp, you're not alone. At Orenda Hair we understand it can be frustrating. You wash your hair, dry it, and style it, and within a few hours, it can turn flat and limp. Oily hair can look and feel greasy and may even irritate your scalp or lead to other scalp issues such as seborrheic dermatitis.
WHY HAIR GETS OILY
Sebaceous glands, found in the hair follicle on the scalp, produce sebum, an oily mixture of fatty acids, glycerides, waxes, and lipids, to protect and maintain the health of the head's surface.
Healthy hair produces a certain amount of sebum, or oil, as a way to hydrate balance and protect your scalp, and to lubricate and protect your hair strands
The amount of oil you produce varies depending on your hair type, your hygiene habits, genetics and other lifestyle factors.
Sometimes, these glands can produce too much oil, causing oily scalp and hair.
There are a few different things that can cause excess oil production, including:
Genetics: Some people are just born with glands that produce more oil, just like some people are born with glands that produce less and lead to dry skin and hair.
Hormones: Puberty, pregnancy, menopause, and imbalances due to stress can disrupt hormone levels, influencing sebum production.
Medical Conditions: Disorders of the pituitary or adrenal glands, as well as some medications can impact sebum regulation.
Weather: Dry air or very humid days can trigger excess oil production, affecting the scalp.
Overwashing: Every time you wash your hair, it sends the scalp the signal to produce more sebum. If you’re washing your hair too often, your scalp gets the message that it needs to be in oil production overdrive.
Diet and your health: Diets high in refined carbohydrates and saturated fats can increase your skin’s oil production.
TIPS FOR MANAGING AN OILY SCALP
1. Avoid Shampooing Hair Every Day
While it may seem counterintuitive, washing your hair every day can exacerbate greasiness. The skin's natural response to frequent shampooing is an increased production of sebum to compensate for lost oils. Find what works for your hair and scalp, and reduce the frequency of shampooing. we would recommend every 2 - 4 days, depending on your lifestyle and hair type.
2. Use a Sulphate - free shampoo
Sulphates contained in many shampoos are used as the cleansing agent that makes them foam up and cleanses the hair of dirt, oil, & product build-up. However, they can also strip the scalp hair of essential moisture causing the scalp to become dry and irritated sending the sebum glands into overdrive to combat the lack of moisture.
Choose sulphate-free shampoos that are formulated to gently cleanse the scalp prevent irritation and help healthy balance without triggering excess sebum secretion.
We recommend
Kevin Murphy Scalp Spa Wash - Specially formulated with Micellar Water and Celery Seed Extract to soothe and cleanse the scalp. Helps to support a clean, balanced, and healthy scalp.
Kevin Murphy Maxi Wash - A purifying deep cleanse, this paraben- and sulfate-free shampoo won’t stimulate oil production, strip your colour, or overload your scalp.
DunGud reset detox shampoo. - A sulphate-free shampoo that eliminates oil and product build-up.
If you suffer from symptoms associated with oily scalp conditions such as itching, psoriasis, dandruff, redness, and scaling.
A Specialised scalp treatment program like the Tricho Scalp Control. can help regulate sebum production and relieve symptoms
3.Look after your scalp
Too much stimulation can excite the hair follicles, causing them to produce more oil. When it comes to scalp care:
Don’t brush your hair too much. While you should brush your hair as it distributes the oils down your strands to protect your hair, over-brushing can cause the hair follicles to produce more oil.
When you’re towel-drying your hair, avoid vigorously rubbing at your scalp.
Use heat carefully. Blow-drying can reduce extra oil, but using a hair dryer that’s too hot can irritate your scalp.
Don’t scratch or pick at your scalp.
Choose your hair products carefully. Some ingredients may lead to scalp irritation or buildup, which can make oily hair worse.
Conditioner is meant for your hair, not the scalp. Apply the conditioner to the ends of your hair where it’s needed and rinse thoroughly to not leave any residue behind.