2 bad and 3 good tips for those whose hair gets oily quickly

Envying their genetics is like being angry at a person with a perfect metabolism for eating a croissant at night. Absurd, informs Ukr.Media.

I have naturally oily skin — both on my head and face. For a long time, I thought it was some kind of biological misunderstanding, until I realized one thing: my sebum is great at retaining moisture. While owners of thin, dry skin are counting new micro-wrinkles, my face holds up pretty well. The price for this is a tendency to ptosis (with age, the face sadly crawls down due to its own weight) and hair that looks luxurious at eight in the morning, but by six in the evening it is already somehow tired. This is neither good nor bad, it is just a fact that you have to learn to live with.

Let's look at what we are advised to do with our hair, and what we should immediately forget.

Anti-tip 1: get your hair used to washing less often

I hear this brilliant idea regularly: just be patient, wash less often, the glands will take the hint and stop producing oil. I hope it doesn't occur to these people to change their underwear less often so it stays clean longer.

Trichologists are turning gray from such advice. There is no standard for how many times a week you should wash your hair. You wash it when it is dirty. That's it. The thinner and straighter your hair is, the more often you will have to see the shower. Washing your hair every day is absolutely normal. But walking around with dirty roots, trying to “train” something there, is a direct path to inflammation, dandruff and hair loss.

Anti-tip 2: Always use deep cleansing shampoos

Or maniacally scrubbing your scalp. Somehow we think that washing your hair until it squeaks will make it feel better. Imagine doing that to your face every day—it would have already made it clear that it was a bad idea.

There is a myth: the more aggressively we dry the skin, the more sebum it secretes in response. In fact, the sebaceous glands do not have a direct connection with the surface, they work according to the instructions of hormones. But if you constantly peel off the lipid barrier with aggressive means, the skin becomes dehydrated and begins to peel. These microscales mix with sebum, inflammation begins, and visually it seems that you can fry potatoes on your head. Deep cleansing shampoo or acid peeling are wonderful things, but once every two weeks.

Tip 1: Style your hair

For some reason, we tend to believe that styling makes oily hair heavier and dirtier faster. In my experience, it's the exact opposite. The only scenario where I can go two or three days without washing my hair is when I'm fully styling it.

Mousse or texturizing spray makes the hair stiffer and denser. It starts to hold its shape. And the higher the roots are raised from the skin, the less it comes into contact with it and, accordingly, absorbs less oil. At night, I just gather my hair into a high, loose bun — that way it doesn’t rub against my face and neck while I sleep.

Tip 2: Make sure there is no “overfeeding”

It is important to distinguish here: is your hair dirty or have you simply “overfed” it? If you just got out of the shower, dried your head, and there is zero volume and the strands are already sticking together – most likely you have oversaturated it. In trichology, this is called the accumulation effect – when silicones and heavy oils from your endless masks have accumulated on your hair.

What to do about it. First, get off the heavy nourishing products and leave a light conditioner. Second, the water temperature. Cosmetics and sebum are fat. Try washing the greasy pan with cold water. Will it work? That's not going to work with your head. The water for washing the roots should be warm, 36-38 degrees. But you can rinse the very length with cool water at the end to close the cuticle.

Tip 3: Pay more attention to the cleanliness of accessories

I remember searching for the perfect shampoo for a long time until I realized that my favorite comb hadn't seen soap in weeks. Combs, hairpins, hats, pillowcases — all of these things need to be washed and rewashed much more often than we'd like.

You'll also have to break the habit of constantly touching your hair. That habit of scratching the back of your head while thinking about a worksheet, or melancholy twirling a strand around your finger — minus one day of cleanliness for your hairstyle. Just keep your hands away from your head.

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