Greasy hair never seems to stay fresh and clean, and can look heavy and flat. Within a few hours of shampooing it refuses to stay full and light and it takes on a stringy appearance. Along with looking oily, greasy hair can appear lifeless, lank and dull. Does this sound familiar to you? Do you ask yourself "why is my hair greasy?" Even if they wash it everyday, others can judge that the sufferer does not wash their hair frequently and doesn't have good hygiene. This can cause much social embarrassment.
The grease found in hair is called sebum and is oil that is produced natural by the body. Each of the hairs on your head has a gland called the sebaceous gland immediately under the skin, this gland produces sebum. Oil in greasy hair protects each strand form split ends and dryness, and is in fact a sign of healthy hair. Sebum is made as lubrication for the skin and hair, providing a protective barrier and preventing drying. Sebum is the body's own natural 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.
As hormones have a role in sebum production, fluctuating hormone levels can be one of the causes of greasy hair. Greasy hair can most commonly be found in older women experiencing the menopause, teenagers in puberty, and women in general because of their monthly cycle or pregnancy. Stress can also be a cause of greasy hair as it can affect hormone levels. People who have fine hair can sometimes suffer form greasy hair because they have more hair follicles and more hair follicles means more sebum producing glands on the scalp.
There are several external causes of greasy hair. Washing your hair too frequently can cause more sebum to be produced as frequent washing can strip the hair of oils, to combat this sebaceous glands excrete sebum. Sebaceous glands can be stimulated through vigorous scrubbing of the hair and scalp while washing. Touching your hair can also stimulate sebaceous glands, along with vigorous hair brushing which carries oil throughout the hair. The over-use of styling products can cause hair to look greasy as the products can build-up at the roots. Everyday environmental pollutants can also cause hair to look greasy.
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.
When shampooing, leave the shampoo in your hair for approximately 5 minutes for a better clean. Rinse and shampoo again if necessary. It's up to you as to how often you should wash your hair. Once or twice a week is the ideal but to find your own balance of washing and oil production start with washing once a day, reducing how often you wash as you find that balance. If you are going to condition your hair, use a conditioner designed especially for greasy hair, and apply the conditioner not to the roots but to the mid and ends of your hair. If you use a hair dryer to style your hair, heat will stimulate oil production, so don't let it get too hot.
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.
The grease found in hair is called sebum and is oil that is produced natural by the body. Each of the hairs on your head has a gland called the sebaceous gland immediately under the skin, this gland produces sebum. Oil in greasy hair protects each strand form split ends and dryness, and is in fact a sign of healthy hair. Sebum is made as lubrication for the skin and hair, providing a protective barrier and preventing drying. Sebum is the body's own natural 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.
As hormones have a role in sebum production, fluctuating hormone levels can be one of the causes of greasy hair. Greasy hair can most commonly be found in older women experiencing the menopause, teenagers in puberty, and women in general because of their monthly cycle or pregnancy. Stress can also be a cause of greasy hair as it can affect hormone levels. People who have fine hair can sometimes suffer form greasy hair because they have more hair follicles and more hair follicles means more sebum producing glands on the scalp.
There are several external causes of greasy hair. Washing your hair too frequently can cause more sebum to be produced as frequent washing can strip the hair of oils, to combat this sebaceous glands excrete sebum. Sebaceous glands can be stimulated through vigorous scrubbing of the hair and scalp while washing. Touching your hair can also stimulate sebaceous glands, along with vigorous hair brushing which carries oil throughout the hair. The over-use of styling products can cause hair to look greasy as the products can build-up at the roots. Everyday environmental pollutants can also cause hair to look greasy.
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.
When shampooing, leave the shampoo in your hair for approximately 5 minutes for a better clean. Rinse and shampoo again if necessary. It's up to you as to how often you should wash your hair. Once or twice a week is the ideal but to find your own balance of washing and oil production start with washing once a day, reducing how often you wash as you find that balance. If you are going to condition your hair, use a conditioner designed especially for greasy hair, and apply the conditioner not to the roots but to the mid and ends of your hair. If you use a hair dryer to style your hair, heat will stimulate oil production, so don't let it get too hot.
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.
About the Author:
About the author: Jennifer Summers can help you achieve great looking hair. She is a well of information on greasy hair shampoo and providing great blonde hair care advice.
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