Do you suffer from oily hair? If so, you know how embarrassing and irritating it can be. Not only are your hair follicles greasy from excessive oil production, but your scalp can easily become irritated. While it might seem like it’s hopeless when it comes to stopping this problem, it’s not. In fact, there are plenty of ways you can get rid of oily hair. This article will explore more behind the causes of oily hair and some ways you can get rid of it.
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What Causes Oily Hair?
There are a few things that cause oily hair to occur. The first is that it’s just a natural occurrence. For some people, their sebaceous glands (the glands that hold the hair follicles) overproduce oil. While everyone has oil on their hair to help keep it healthy, those who have over-producing glands will end up having their hair follicles covered in excessive oil.
Besides this, sometimes oily hair can also happen due to the food you eat. For instance, dairy and food high in oil and fat can encourage the sebaceous glands to produce too much oil for your scalp.
The Problems Oily Hair Can Cause
When it comes to oily hair, this issue can actually cause quite a few problems. Below are some of the most common.
Unsightly Hair
One of the biggest issues oily hair causes is unsightly hair. It can make your hair look damp, wet, and dirty, even if you regularly make sure to clean it. Sometimes, it can even make it look stiff when you brush it because the oil will harden your hair follicles.
Hair Loss
Because of the overproduction of oil on the scalp, oily hair can actually cause hair loss. This is because the follicles are so overwhelmed by the oil that the pores and glands open up which can cause hair loss.
Irritations
Excessive oil production on the scalp can also encourage scalp irritation. It can make your head feel itchy and leave behind red patches. When these patches start to dry, they can cause even more irritation due to it being so dry.
Ways to Get Rid of Oily Hair
While it might seem like it would be difficult to get rid of oily hair, the good news is it’s not. There are a few ways you can help to get rid of oily hair, some of which are listed below.
Use Shampoo for Oily Hair
One way you can get rid of oily hair is to use an oily hair shampoo. A shampoo for oily hair is designed to help combat excessive oil production on the scalp and will eventually stop the problem from happening. Many of these shampoos often contain natural ingredients, like tea tree oil, which work to get your sebaceous glands working properly while also hydrating your scalp.
However, make sure any shampoo you use doesn’t have silicone or sulfates in them. These chemicals increase oil production in the scalp which will only end up making your greasy hair problem worse.
Use Some Essential Oils
If you don’t feel like buying shampoos with essential oils in them, you can always just add the essential oils to your scalp yourself. Some of the best essential oils for oily hair are tea tree oil, peppermint oil, and lemon oil as they all contain properties which hydrate the scalp but remove the excessive amount of oil on it. They are also anti-bacterial and can kill off any bacteria that cause irritation on your scalp.
Watch Your Diet
Another way you can get rid of oily hair is to watch your diet. You’ll want to add food high in zinc (like fish and nuts), Vitamins B and E (like beans and sunflower seeds), and monounsaturated fats (like avocados). By changing your diet up to include food high in these things, you can help to significantly reduce the oil production on your scalp.
Make a Hair Mask
A hair mask is not only soothing but can stop greasy hair. While you can buy hair masks, you can also make them yourself, by combining ingredients like egg whites, olive oil, and lemon juice together and then massaging it into your hair. Keep in mind though that it might take a few times before you start to see results.
Lessen Your Usage of Conditioners
While conditioners can help to give your hair a silky feel and stunning shine, sometimes they can cause problems. Because of their ingredients, conditioners are meant to help hydrate and give volume to your hair. However, too much of it can cause excessive oil production on the scalp. So, you might want to consider using any type of conditioner on your hair sparingly.
Make Sure to Clean Your Brush Regularly
Surprisingly, a dirty hair brush can cause oily hair. This is because it might contain leftover hair care products which can leave behind grease on the bristles. If you don’t clean the brush, this will only end up getting brushed back onto your hair. Due to this, it’s a good idea to clean your hairbrush often.
Limit Your Usage of Hats
Wearing hats for long periods of time can encourage oil production on the scalp because they trap heat. This heat then causes your scalp to produce oil which can spread around your hair because there’s no way for it to escape. While this isn’t to say that occasionally wearing hats is bad, it might be good to limit your usage of them if you tend to have oily hair.
Having oily hair can be an annoying and humiliating problem, especially when you’ve tried everything you could to help stop it. If you suffer from oily hair, definitely keep the information mentioned above in mind. It will help to ensure that you get rid of your oily hair problems and encourage your body to produce healthy hair.