Five Things You Need To Know About Managing Oily Hair

There’s nothing worse than a social event falling on an evening where you have second or third day old hair, and not having the time to rush home after work to wash it, right? But it can be a fine line of making sure that we do not get into the habit of washing our hair every single day to avoid this, as washing our hair every day slowly starts to strip away the natural oils. And yes we hear you ask – ‘but if I have oily hair, then surely I WANT to strip away the oils?!’ But the answer to that would be no. 

 

Excess oil in your hair is generally caused by two main reasons; It can be due to hereditary or hormonal issues in the scalp, or down to poor beauty habits. You may also see a heightened difference depending on the change of seasons (the transition from summer to autumn can be the hardest on our hair follicles!), a change in your lifestyle (perhaps you have recently started to work out more? Building up the sweat and oil count in your body), or a change in your diet (indulging in junk food on a more regular basis is certainly no good for your hair!). Either way, it is interesting to learn the science behind why your hair is the way it is, in order to look out for the signs and what you can do to avoid super oily hair! 

 

The Science

 

Every pore on your skin has a sebaceous gland, meaning so does your scalp. The glands host an oily substance called ‘Sebum’,  which is what gives your hair its natural shine. Sebum is what keeps your hair healthy and smooth, and it prevents the hair from drying out and causing breakages. But in some cases, sebaceous glands can produce an excess of oil which then result in oily / greasy hair. 

 

How To Best Manage Oily Hair 

 

We all want luscious, soft, silky locks that require as minimal effort and upkeep, but look beautiful regardless. And sometimes having oily hair can cause what feels like a stumbling block in achieving this – but fear not! We have compiled a handful of our Boilerhouse Hair secrets on how to best manage oily hair, so you can slay all day! 

 

Number One – Ask WHY?

 

The first step to not just making a change, but making a deep rooted change that has substantial effects would be to ask your WHY your hair feels so oily all of a sudden, or what you think it is that stops the oils from going away in your hair over the years. Firstly, address your diet. If you find yourself snacking on sweets and chocolate and enjoying junk mood or takeaways for your meal choices, then there is one aspect that NEEDS to change. Consuming greasy foods into your body is only going protrude the grease back out, and most likely this is when you will see your hair becoming oily and greasy, and your skin becoming oily and prone to breakouts. 

 

Next up, is to address your lifestyle. How often would you say that you exercise? Keeping fit, even if it’s just one day a week, makes more difference than you may think. Sitting indoors all day, in front of the television or your computer screen certainly will not help, and being indoors with central heating on will only cause a build up or blockage in your pores. 

 

Number Two – Limit Your Shower Time

 

Washing your hair every single day is only going to add to the problem, rather than diffuse it. Therefore the best tip is to try and limit yourself on how many nights per week you actually wash your hair. If you are currently washing your hair every day, try doing it every other night. Wash it one night, leave it another, and you will only have to cope with having two day old hair. Then the more you get used to it, gradually up it just washing your hair twice a week, the recommended number of washes! Not only will this help your hair to build up a defence barrier, it will also save you SO much time in the evenings – hooray! 

 

Number Three – Products

 

Be wise about your choice of Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Masks and Dry Shampoos. If you suffer from oily hair, then the best products you can use are ones that do not include sulfates and alcohol. Dry Shampoo will also help massively for the inbetween days when you are itching to reach the shampoo, but you know you shouldn’t! 

 

Top Tip: If you overwash or scrub excessively to your scalp, then this can cause irritation resulting in MORE oils. Once you strip your hair of its natural oils, it naturally produces more! It is also a good tip to rinse your hair in cold water for around 30 seconds to remove all of the excess shampoo and conditioner out of your hair, as hot water is found to actually stimulate the sebaceous glands, whereas cold water shuts them down and closes your cuticle, reducing the damage done to your hair. 

 

Number Four – Don’t Fuss

 

Interesting facts such as the amount of germs on our mobile phones is double the amount found on a toilet seat make us really question how clean we think our hands are when we wash them! Therefore making sure you do not fuss over your hair is vitally important. Keep your hands away from both your face and hair to avoid spreading germs and oils, and try not to brush your hair too much either!

 

Number Five – Avoid A Build Up Of Products

 

If you suffer from oily hair, then a good tip to take on board is minimising the amount of products you use on your hair. Do not overdo it with the shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, serums, leave-in sprays and hairspray as this will only cause a build up and therefore produce even more grease. 

 

Also – another great top tip to try is minimising the amount of time you spend using hot tools on your hair! Try to curl your hair the evening you wash and dry it, and pin your curls into place to make the hairstyle last until its next wash, to prevent heat damage and excess oils. 

 

Book Your Appointment Today!

 

If you feel like your hair has been struggling lately, and you just don’t know what to do for the best, then why not get in touch today to book an appointment with one of our salon professionals here at Boilerhouse! We can help you determine the condition of your hair, and work out a solution to overcoming any issues you are having – not to mention have you leaving the salon looking ready for the catwalk! Give us a call today on 0191 341 0070 (Ouseburn) or 0191 281 2348 (Jesmond) and we look forward to welcoming you! 

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