I have always had oily hair, but in the last several months the oiliness has just gotten worse and worse--to the point that I could wash it as usual and it would be extremely oily only a few hours later.
This is a page about using dry shampoo. There are times when you can't get your head wet, but it really needs to be cleaned.
I take a shower everyday, but my hair always looks greasy/oily. What can I do?
By Marta G.
Try to find a shampoo that has NO added conditioners. Unless your hair is damaged, you do not need a conditioner. Conditioners, (back in the day we called them "cream rinse") just weigh your hair down, and can feel greasy.
Also, don't massage your scalp. This brings oil to the surface. Don't use a brush that stimulates your scalp. Use warm, not hot water, as hot water can stimulate the oil glands as well.
Hats, for some reason, can make the hair feel greasy. Some people just have more oil in their scalp and skin than others. If this is you, be glad, as you won't get wrinkled as fast as others. :)
My husband has extremely oily hair. He can shower and by the end of the day, it is totally oily. Is there any kind of shampoo that can counteract this or any other solution?
By Elaine
Have him try rinsing his hair and scalp with apple cider vinegar.
I have this problem and it has gotten worse as shampoos add more "conditioning" products. I use Prell now and it is great.
Why when I wash my hair, the next day it's oily and dirty looking like it hasn't been washed in days?
By Peggy
There is no way to keep oil from flowing from your pores and scalp, but if you use a cleansing type shampoo every time you wash your hair, it will at least remove any buildup of oil and products that you are using. That said, don't use any shampoo that is moisturizing or volumizing, but just a basic shampoo.
How much product are you putting on your hair? It may be too much! You can cleanse your hair & scalp by adding baking soda to your shampoo. Besides using dusting powder or baby powder for dry shampoo - there are also now wonderful dry shampoos out on the market now - I like the one by Suave.
I used to have to wash my hair twice a day to keep it looking clean. Now I wash my hair every 3 days and it still looks great on day 3. What worked for me to cure my greasy hair was to make sure I was massaging my scalp for at least 45 seconds while the shampoo is on my hair, then rinse well.
If I use too hot water to wash my hair, and especially if I use a combination of conditioner and too hot water, the day after I wash my hair I look like someone has poured vegetable oil over my head!
I have extremely oily hair too. If one doesn't have this problem, there is absolutely no way to properly relate to it. Some things that I've been told make me laugh at people's ignorance of the problem--talk about trying to cure cancer with a band-aid and thinking it will work!
Definitely do not wash or rinse your hair in hot or even very warm water; use only cool or cold if you can stand it. Brush your hair before washing it; it will distribute the oils, making it easier to get them out. Forget advice about not washing your hair every day--they simply do not understand the problem.
Use a clarifying shampoo and switch shampoo every 2-3 days -for some reason this helps. Occasionally wash your hair with dawn dish soap to strip the oils from it. Do not let people tell you that stripping all the oil from your hair is bad for it, again they do not understand the problem.
When your hair is this oily, the oils are right back. I never condition my hair (it is never dry); I also never have split ends or problems others have. Never use a hair/blow dryer, they stimulate oil glands to produce more. The same with hot rollers, curling irons, or anything hot that goes near the scalp. Let your hair dry naturally.
I occasionally rinse with a vinegar rinse to cut the oil and restore the pH. A lemon rinse will dry the hair somewhat so it isn't too oily, but will also dry the ends, so be careful about this. If you have soft water at home, it will exacerbate the problem; hard water is better for extremely oily hair.
Always wash your hair in the morning or right before you go out, not at night before you go to bed--oils will build up during the time lapse. I find that dry cornstarch works wonders for dry shampoo, much better than baby powder or anything else I've tried, but works best on lighter colored hair.
You can't go without washing your hair, but cornstarch is a great way to touch up the oiliness so it doesn't look so bad--dust it on with a puff and brush it through, keeping it away from the scalp (don't want to go out with a white scalp).
Lightening or dying hair may help cut some oiliness, at least temporarily. If possible, keep you home cool--sweating makes things so much worse. Unfortunately, when the problem is this bad, it is hormonal and usually cannot be corrected and must be lived with. Change pillowcases daily, or at least every few days. Wash combs and brushes often too. These can redistribute oils onto your hair.
If the style suit you, cut your hair short so you can wash it often - long hair takes a lot longer to dry naturally. Wash your face often and use blotting papers to keep the oil under control and so it won't wick onto your hair - unfortunately, most with this problem have fine, limp hair that really seems to soak up oil from the skin. Eat a good diet with little junk food - diet may make your problem worse, but maybe not.
I've oily hair. I simply use menthol shampoo from head and shoulder. It works perfectly for you. Anyway, its quite an affordable option, you may want to give it a try. Good luck.
Instead of baby powder I use scented dusting powder as I don't really like the smell of baby powder! You can also combine using powder to de-grease hair with the modern dry shampoo sprays.
When I was younger I stayed with my grandma, due too a bad winter storm we were snowed in and ran out of shampoo. We used the original green Palmolive dish washing liquid, it made our hair soft, clean, and grease free for several days.
I was raised partly by a grandmother and she was very thrifty with everthing. She taught me many easy solutions to all kinds of problems.
Mix the equivalent of the juice from 1 lemon with 1 cup water. Pour through your hair, and then rinse with warm water.
To keep oily hair under control, I use a clarifying shampoo every other time I wash my hair. I always follow a thorough rinsing with a mixture of one quart water and 1/4 cup cider vinegar.
Put baby powder in your hair and then brush it out. I suggest brushing it out outside or in your shower for easier clean up.
