Causes of greasy hair, and best products/shampoo for greasy hair

Greasy hair can look oily and dull, and have a lank and lifeless appearance. It can look flat and heavy, and it never seems to stay clean and fresh. It takes on a stringy appearance within a few hours of shampooing and refuses to stay full and fluffy. Does this describe your hair? Do you ask the question, why is my hair greasy? Greasy hair can cause social embarrassment as others may judge that the sufferer has poor hygiene and does not wash their hair frequently enough, even if they actually wash it every day.

The grease in hair grease is oil and is called Sebum. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands which lie immediately under the skin in you scalp and each hair has a sebaceous gland. Greasy hair is in fact healthy hair, and the oil protects each hair strand from dryness and split ends. Sebum lubricates hair skin and provides a protective barrier to prevent drying. This oil is your own built-in moisturizer.

Greasy hair is actually an excess of sebum in hair which is a result of overactive sebaceous glands over-producing sebum, stimulated by hormones known as androgens. Although they are present in both men and women, androgens are male hormones and are higher in men. Androgens do two things: One, they increase the size of sebaceous glands in the skin. Two, they cause the sebaceous glands to increase the production of oil.

Fluctuating hormones can cause greasy as hormones play a part in sebum production. Greasy hair is most common in women because of either pregnancy or monthly cycle, older women going through the menopause, and teenagers experiencing puberty. Stress can be a contributory factor in greasy hair as it is known to affect hormones levels. People with fine hair on their head may experience excessive greasy hair as they have more hair follicles and more sebaceous glands producing more sebum.

There are a number of external factors in that cause greasy hair. Washing your hair too often can increase the production of sebum as the sebaceous glands produce more sebum to combat the stripping of oils from the scalp and hair which can happen as a result of frequent washing. Vigorous hair and scalp scrubbing can stimulate hair grease. Touching hair can also over-stimulate glands, as can brushing vigorously which carry oil through your hair. Pollutants in the everyday environment can cause hair to look greasy, along with product build-up at the roots from over-use of hair styling products.

There are also many internal causes of greasy too. I have already mentioned fluctuating hormone levels, but one of the main culprits when it comes to internal causes of greasy hair is diet. Western diets that tend to be greasy, high in fat and sugar, processed and containing additives which can be a major cause of greasy hair as the high fat content increases oil levels in and on the skin. Hormones can be found in meat in the western, adding to the unbalanced hormone levels. A diet lacking in vitamin B can also contribute towards greasy hair.

The secret of how to treat, cure, prevent and avoid greasy hair is to treat it from both the outside, and the inside. For the outside: avoid brushing your hair too frequently, and when you brush avoid brushing your hair vigorously. When you wash your hair, the best shampoo for greasy hair is a mild-ph extra cleansing/clarifying shampoo that is formulated for greasy hair. Avoid moisturizing shampoos as they can leave some oil in your hair to protect against dryness. When washing your hair, avoid scrubbing your hair and scalp vigorously, lightly massage your hair and scalp instead.

For a more thorough cleanse, leave the shampoo in for about 5 minutes. You can always rinse your hair and shampoo a second time. How often you need to wash your hair is down to you. Ideally you should wash your hair 1-2 times per week. To find what is right for you, begin washing daily and then reduce the frequency to find your ideal balance of oil production and washing. If you plan to use a conditioner on your hair, apply the conditioner to the mid and ends of you hair only, and be sure to use a conditioner made for greasy hair. If you are using a hairdryer for hair styling don’t let the dryer get too hot, heat can cause the production of more oil.

With the inside: do all that you can to reduce and eliminate any and all stress. In your diet, consider using a vitamin B supplement. Make sure you eat plenty of whole grains, seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, salads and fresh fish. Reduce the amount of fatty foods that you eat, avoiding greasy, fried and fatty foods as much as possible. Reduce the number of white flour based foods in your diet, foods like pastries, pasta and bread. Lastly, avoid sugar and sugary foods like biscuits, cakes and soft drinks.