There are many types of hair: straight hair, curly hair, fine hair, normal hair, colored hair... but unfortunately there is also frizzy hair and split ends, damaged hair and, in particular, greasy and oily hair. The problem often arises from excessive production of sebum, which is a natural protection for the skin, which creates the sensation of having oily skin and can visibly diminish the beauty of the hair, which could appear fragile and unhealthy; it can also take away volume from the hair and make it greasy to the touch.
There are some tips to try to combat oily scalp and take care of your hair such as washing your hair regularly and gently applying products that are suitable for your needs. Here are some remedies and the main causes of oily hair.
There are some tips to try to combat oily scalp and take care of your hair such as washing your hair regularly and gently applying products that are suitable for your needs. Here are some remedies and the main causes of oily hair.
How to recognize greasy hair
Greasy hair is easily recognizable to the naked eye due to its characteristics, among which the greasy appearance must be mentioned in particular, which can be either shinier than normal or duller, depending on the type of sebum, and can be noticed even on clean hair that has just been washed.
In addition, greasy hair tends to get dirty easily and in some cases also accumulate greasy dandruff with a white or yellowish appearance. Sometimes they become a classic example of unruly hair, since they do not retain the hairstyle and special styling that you would like to give them. Finally, it can happen that excessive accumulation of sebum also causes the scalp to emanate a bad odor.
But why does greasy hair have these characteristics? Because the problem depends on a condition that can be defined as greasy seborrhea, that is, an excessive production of sebum.
Sebum is a mixture of different lipids, and therefore a fat, which is normally found on the skin and scalp, where it comes out from special glands, called sebaceous glands. Sebum has different purposes, very useful for maintaining the health and well-being especially of sensitive skin, such as the formation of the superficial hydrolipidic film that protects the skin.
In some circumstances, however, the production of sebum becomes excessive, and as we have said this condition is called seborrhea. For various reasons, the sebaceous glands produce too much oily sebum, which ends up accumulating on the scalp and then on the hair, determining the characteristics of greasy hair already mentioned.
Having greasy hair is therefore an annoying aesthetic defect for both men and women, which requires knowledge of its causes and the ability to intervene in the correct way.
Greasy hair: some causes
Greasy hair has several causes, although not all have been identified with certainty to date. Here are some of the possible causes:
There are a good number of tricks and possible remedies for greasy hair; unfortunately they are not always effective, because everything depends on the underlying problem. However, it is often possible to intervene at least to combat and improve the most visible symptoms.
In particular, the first of the tips concerns how to wash greasy hair and scalp. In general, it is better not to resort to frequent washing, at most once a day (better every two or three, if possible), and to use a shampoo or cleansers suitable for the type of hair.
During the washing phase, it is preferable not to stimulate the production of grease by simply removing excess sebum. To proceed, we can use warm water without massaging the scalp excessively, using a shampoo suitable for the type of hair. To dry the hair, it is preferable to use the hair dryer held at a suitable distance.
There are also many small precautions that can be taken to treat greasy hair. To avoid making the problem worse, it is best to let the skin breathe, and not to continually touch the skin with your hands, trying to resist the itching and limiting yourself to combing your hair with a delicate action only a few times a day.
Let's also remember the fundamental role of nutrition. A healthy diet brings benefits to the entire body, and helps to keep bodily functions in balance. For the well-being of the hair, it is therefore necessary to adopt a healthy and balanced lifestyle and diet.
In addition to the importance of your diet, it can also be useful to use specific food supplements for the well-being of the scalp and hair. In fact, there are supplements with ingredients and extracts designed specifically for the well-being of hair.
Greasy hair: what to avoid
Many people think that some hair problems are only due to food. As we have seen, this is not true in all cases, and yet there could be a relationship between diet and greasy hair. Let us therefore remember the importance of a healthy and balanced diet.
In addition, for hair care, there are some precautions that would be preferable to avoid. Among these we can remember:
In addition, greasy hair tends to get dirty easily and in some cases also accumulate greasy dandruff with a white or yellowish appearance. Sometimes they become a classic example of unruly hair, since they do not retain the hairstyle and special styling that you would like to give them. Finally, it can happen that excessive accumulation of sebum also causes the scalp to emanate a bad odor.
But why does greasy hair have these characteristics? Because the problem depends on a condition that can be defined as greasy seborrhea, that is, an excessive production of sebum.
Sebum is a mixture of different lipids, and therefore a fat, which is normally found on the skin and scalp, where it comes out from special glands, called sebaceous glands. Sebum has different purposes, very useful for maintaining the health and well-being especially of sensitive skin, such as the formation of the superficial hydrolipidic film that protects the skin.
In some circumstances, however, the production of sebum becomes excessive, and as we have said this condition is called seborrhea. For various reasons, the sebaceous glands produce too much oily sebum, which ends up accumulating on the scalp and then on the hair, determining the characteristics of greasy hair already mentioned.
Having greasy hair is therefore an annoying aesthetic defect for both men and women, which requires knowledge of its causes and the ability to intervene in the correct way.
Greasy hair: some causes
Greasy hair has several causes, although not all have been identified with certainty to date. Here are some of the possible causes:
- nutrition. A healthy and balanced diet and nutrition are always recommended for the general well-being of the mind and body. An unbalanced diet could lead to the production of a higher than normal amount of sebum secreted by the sebaceous glands
- hormonal imbalances. If for various reasons the body is in a phase of hormonal imbalance, the endocrine glands, responsible for producing hormones, could induce the sebaceous glands to produce excess sebum.
- stress. Stress, anxiety and a lifestyle that induces these unpleasant states can determine a hypersecretion of sebum, thus impacting the problem of greasy hair.
- heat and humidity. Of all the environmental conditions and factors, heat and humidity are known to promote the production of sebum the most. In fact, a hot climate stimulates the dilation of the capillaries in the scalp and therefore could increase the production of sebum. To this we can add environmental humidity, which weighs down the hair and causes sweating, making the greasy effect even more visible;
- Hair Care. Each hair type is different, so it is important to find a routine that meets your needs based on your hair and scalp. For example, massage and brushing can be done in different ways, some of which can increase sebum production.
There are a good number of tricks and possible remedies for greasy hair; unfortunately they are not always effective, because everything depends on the underlying problem. However, it is often possible to intervene at least to combat and improve the most visible symptoms.
In particular, the first of the tips concerns how to wash greasy hair and scalp. In general, it is better not to resort to frequent washing, at most once a day (better every two or three, if possible), and to use a shampoo or cleansers suitable for the type of hair.
During the washing phase, it is preferable not to stimulate the production of grease by simply removing excess sebum. To proceed, we can use warm water without massaging the scalp excessively, using a shampoo suitable for the type of hair. To dry the hair, it is preferable to use the hair dryer held at a suitable distance.
There are also many small precautions that can be taken to treat greasy hair. To avoid making the problem worse, it is best to let the skin breathe, and not to continually touch the skin with your hands, trying to resist the itching and limiting yourself to combing your hair with a delicate action only a few times a day.
Let's also remember the fundamental role of nutrition. A healthy diet brings benefits to the entire body, and helps to keep bodily functions in balance. For the well-being of the hair, it is therefore necessary to adopt a healthy and balanced lifestyle and diet.
In addition to the importance of your diet, it can also be useful to use specific food supplements for the well-being of the scalp and hair. In fact, there are supplements with ingredients and extracts designed specifically for the well-being of hair.
Greasy hair: what to avoid
Many people think that some hair problems are only due to food. As we have seen, this is not true in all cases, and yet there could be a relationship between diet and greasy hair. Let us therefore remember the importance of a healthy and balanced diet.
In addition, for hair care, there are some precautions that would be preferable to avoid. Among these we can remember:
- excessively massaging the scalp when your hair is wet while applying shampoo;
- drying your hair using a hair dryer that is too hot and too close to the scalp;
- brushing your hair too much or too hard;
- frequently touching your scalp or hair.