Excessive sebum doesn’t only manifest on your complexion but your hair too, so do you know how to get rid of greasy hair fast without washing it?
About 40% of the total global population deals with an oily complexion, which is often linked to dilated pores, acne, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and skin irregularities. Unfortunately, your hair also produces extra sebum, which causes it to get greasy faster.
One solution would be to wash it every time it gets greasy but there are a series of external factors that can influence how often you wash your hair – stress, pollution, the number of styling products you use, genetics, and even some skin conditions – they can all affect your scalp and determine it to produce more sebum. So, what do you do then?
Wash less often
Believe it or not, if you have time and enough courage to balance this technique, it will bring you big benefits in the long term. One theory suggests that our hair doesn’t need anything else but water to remain clean, so you might just give up all styling and cleaning products you would normally use, including your shampoo, conditioner, mask, and leave-in treatments.
Over-washing your hair can strip your scalp off its natural oils, determining it to overcompensate and produce more sebum to rehydrate. So, if you don’t mind embracing the “wet look” for a while, bringing your hair back to a proper washing routine might come in handy.
If you already wash your hair daily or every other day and your scalp looks oily, you might want to sit back a few days and allow your scalp to regenerate. Some specialists say that we shouldn’t wash our hair more than once a week to keep it clean and healthy, but it might be a long way until you get there.
During the process, your hair will look even dirtier and greasier, so hang in there and avoid going outside unless you have to. Wearing your hair up in a bun or a ponytail can also mask the fact that you haven’t washed it.
Depending on one person’s lifestyle and sebum production, you will see results within a few weeks. After getting past the “over-greasy” phase, your hair will start producing fewer oils and your scalp will look fresher and cleaner.
Again, keep in mind that before reaching this phase, your hair won’t look at its best, so avoid adding extra products on it like serums, masks, conditioners, and styling gels.
Shampoo properly
It may seem weird but you can wash your hair wrong. Most people use their nails and apply extra friction on the scalp when they’re shampooing, causing the scalp to produce more oils to regenerate. In time, a wrong shampooing and washing technique might cause severe scalp problems, including flaking due to dehydration and even hair fall.
If you want to properly wash your hair, start by applying a small amount of shampoo onto your palms. Put the shampoo gently on the scalp and try using the tips of your fingers to gently massage the scalp, without creating unnecessary friction.
Avoid applying shampoo on your hair ends as it will only cause dryness. Instead, focus on the scalp, which is where the oil is. Allow the shampoo to naturally fall on the entire surface of your hair and rinse using warm water. Hot water can also cause your hair to produce more sebum as a defense mechanism against the dryness caused by the water temperature.
And, for those who were used to shampooing twice, here is news from the specialists – applying shampoo the second time is more of a marketing gizmo to trick the customer into using more shampoo and, thus, buy more products.
You don’t need to wash it twice, as long as you haven’t been in the woods for the past few weeks or haven’t worked in rough environments, filled with dirt, dust, and debris.
Use fewer styling products
Most hair styling products contain chemical substances that can not only destroy your hair in time but also cause it to become oilier. We suggest keeping your hairstyle to a minimum and avoiding the use of unnecessary products like de-frizzy formulas, serums, oils, gels, creams, and masks.
The hair mask should be used once a week, while conditioner should be applied only to the ends of the hair and not on its entire surface. Don’t forget to rinse carefully and avoid applying too much product in the first place.
Use special oily-hair formulas
If you cannot see your life without your favorite styling products, at least try to find ones that are suitable for your hair type and which won’t cause it to get greasier. Stay away from silicones and other ingredients that might produce more harm than good in the long term.
Shampoos and conditioners for oily skin are usually formulated lighter, with fewer ingredients, and natural extracts of mint or lemongrass that are known to regulate the sebum production. Leave-in conditioners and treatments can also be chosen with lighter formulas to avoid the unnecessary chemicals that will make your hair look greasier.
Go natural
Straightening irons, blow dryers, and curlers are mandatory styling products if you want sleek, shiny, or curly hair. However, in time they make your hair dry, cause split ends, and may even make your hair look greasier faster.
The best way to avoid this is to let your hair dry naturally and embrace its texture, be it curly, wavy, or a little bit frizzy. This way you will stretch out your washes and avoid damage caused by heat.
If you cannot give away your heating styling products for good, at least try to use lower heat settings. Unless it’s too humid outside, using your straightener once a week will give you shiny and sleek hair for at least three days. As for the blow dryer, it is advisable to only give it a go during the wintertime and let your hair dry naturally for the rest of the year.
Clean your brush
The hairs on your brush can be filled with oils and former styling products, apart from dust, debris, and other things, which may cause your hair to get greasy faster. A dirty brush should never be used on the freshly washed hair, so make sure to properly clean it every couple of days.
You can use a small amount of shampoo if the hairs are natural or a simple rubbing alcohol solution if the hairs are made of wood or synthetic fibers. Make sure to also remove all hairs from the tool after you’re done brushing to allow your hair oils to get in contact with the brush.
Use dry shampoo
Dry shampoo is amongst the best inventions in the 20th century, especially for busy moms or people who don’t have a lot of free time. There are hundreds of formulas and scents available from various manufacturers, so take your time until you find the right product that works for your hair.
Dry shampoo comes in a powder or spray-like formula and it is usually applied on the roots of your hair, massaging gently until it is absorbed by your scalp. It will automatically absorb extra grease and dirt and make your hair look as if it was freshly washed. You can use it in-between washes, especially if you have long hair and washing it takes at least 40 minutes.
Some of the formulas even add extra volume or a tint of color to hide your grown roots and create a uniform hair color, as if you just dyed it.
However, we don’t recommend abusing dry shampoo because it may have the opposite effect in time. Used in excess, dry shampoo can stimulate sebum production and cause your hair to become greasier faster.
Baby powder and cornstarch are similar to dry shampoos and can absorb excess grease, leaving your head looking fresh. Both these ingredients have been used for decades, if not centuries, for all people with greasy hair, and remain trustworthy emergency solutions, especially for people with light hair.
Those with brown or dark hair might not get along well with baby powder, especially if you add too much. Make sure to dose the product accordingly to avoid remains that will make your look like it has flakes.
Don’t touch your hair
On average, a person touches their hair about 40-50 times a day involuntarily. Unfortunately, people with long hair can touch their hair even more, causing it to become greasier faster.
Although we cannot always control what we do with our hands, one way to prevent over-touching the hair is to tie it while you’re at work, cooking, or exercising. This way, you won’t be bothered by it and you will not feel the need to take it off your eyes or from around the face.
