Causes & Solutions For Oily Hair – How to Overcome It

Oily hair is one of the most common hair concerns that bothers a lot of our clients. And although it may seem like a never ending battle to rid your hair of the excess oil, there is a science behind why & how it happens, and how we can manage it. But to figure out what we need to do to fix your oily hair issues, we must understand what the possible contributing factors may be. So to help you get a clearer understanding on how it all works, we have decided to compose this blog with a list of causes & solutions for oily, greasy hair!

The Main Causes of Oily Hair

Oily hair is the result of excess production of sebum from the sebaceous glands in the scalp. Sebum itself is a good thing – it helps protect your scalp & hair by keeping them moisturised. However when too much sebum is produced, it will leave your hair feeling oily & greasy. 

Causes & Solutions For Oily Hair - How to Overcome It -

​There are many possible factors that may be contributing to the irregular sebum levels, which are:

Oily hair is the result of excess production of sebum from the sebaceous glands in the scalp. Sebum itself is a good thing – it helps protect your scalp & hair by keeping them moisturised. However when too much sebum is produced, it will leave your hair feeling oily & greasy. 

​There are many possible factors that may be contributing to the irregular sebum levels, which are:

1. Hereditary or Hormonal Change

A common cause of oily hair is often because it is either hereditary or from a hormonal change (puberty, pregnancy or menopause). So if family members also suffer from having oily hair and/or your body has experienced a change in hormones, it is quite likely that these could be the cause.

2. Medications or Change In Diet

If you’ve noticed your hair is more on the oily side, and you’ve recently started/changed a new medication or simply swapped up your diet, this may be a contributing factor. What we put into our bodies truly does affect the entire body, so it makes sense that if you have recently changed up your medication or had a change in diet, that this may be what’s affecting your hair. 

3. Improper Shampooing & Conditioning

As we’ve explained above, sometimes it’s about looking at what we put in our bodies that may be affecting the outside. However sometimes, it can be as simple as not shampooing twice & using too much conditioner, resulting in either not cleaning the hair properly and/or adding to much moisture when conditioning. 

4. Using The Wrong Products 

Another reason could be simply using the WRONG products. And by wrong, we mean products that aren’t suited to your specific hair needs & aren’t hairdresser approved. Products that contain any nasty ingredients such as silcones only coat the hair, making it extremely hard to wash out & make it more trouble for you in the long run.

5. Product Build Up

If you are someone who likes to use styling products frequently in your hair, the cause of oiliness may simply be product build up.

6. Touching Your Hair Too Often

We get it – its hard not to play around with your hair! However if you are constantly touching or playing with your hair, chances are you are applying any dirt & oils from your hand directly to your hair, hence it getting oily. 

7. Climate

And lastly, change in climate/seasons could also be the result of oily hair. In warmer environments you are more likely to sweat resulting in greasy locks.

Solutions to Manage Oily Hair

​1. Using a Detoxifying Or Regulating Shampoo

For us babes with oily hair, it is super important to be using a shampoo with deep cleaning properties & steering clear of any hydrating or moisturising shampoos (as these will be extremely heavy on the roots & will make your hair oily quicker). We recommend either our KEUNE Derma Regulate Shampoo, ELEVEN Australia Deep Clean Shampoo, or O&M’s Original Detox Shampoo. All are made specifically for oily hair, and are lightweight yet deep cleaning. KEUNE’s Derma Regulate Shampoo is also made to specifically regulate & balance the scalps sebum levels.

Causes & Solutions For Oily Hair - How to Overcome It -

​2. Shampooing Twice & Conditioning From Mids to Ends ONLY

When shampooing & conditioning, how much to use really does depend on how long & thick your hair is, but as a rough idea a 20 cent piece is an appropriate amount of product. It is SUPER important to do two shampoos, as the first is to clean dirt & product out of the hair, and the second is to give a deep clean whilst nourishing the hair. If you skip the 2nd shampoo, you’re hair wont be cleaned properly & will result in oily hair quicker.

You must ALSO only condition from the mids to the ends of the hair, as applying it to the roots will make hair oily. The main purpose of a conditioner is to restore hydration back into the hair, so adding this to the roots only adds extra weight to the roots which is what we are trying to avoid.

As for leave-in product, it is dependant on which product you are using, however make sure to keep any hydrating or frizz-free products away from the roots also (apply to mids to ends).

Causes & Solutions For Oily Hair - How to Overcome It -

If you find you get oily roots & dry ends – use a detox shampoo & moisturising conditioner.

​If you find you get oily roots & ends – use a detox shampoo & lightweight/volumising conditioner.

Check out our Oily Hair Pack available on our online store! The perfect pack for any babes with oily hair.

3. Use Hairdresser/Salon Approved Products

It is SUPER important to be using hairdresser approved products, as using ones that aren’t are super damaging & unsafe for your hair. A big ingredient to look out for in ALL hair care products is silicone. Silicone coat the hair cuticles and are extremely hard to wash out, leaving hair feeling greasy & oily. Not only do silicone’s make your hair feeling oily, they also make it near impossible to penetrate through when trying to colour your hair. The list could go on about different ingredients & what is okay and not okay for your hair, but in summary, products that aren’t salon approved do more harm than good. So trust the experts & use good quality products that will help your hair!

Check out our online store here filled with our favourite products!

4. Two Words – DRY SHAMPOO

If you haven’t already jumped onto the dry shampoo bandwagon, you should – right now! Dry shampoo is an amazing product that helps absorb excess oils from the hair – prolonging the time in between your washes. This is also super beneficial for prolonging the life of your colour, as the more times you wash your hair the quicker your colour will fade. So overall this is an extremely handy product to keep nearby! We have 2 dry shampoos we recommend, either ELEVEN Australia’s Dry Shampoo or O&M’s Dry Queen Dry Shampoo.

We Hope This Has Helped You!

So now you know what the main causes of oily hair are, and know what products to use to target such concerns, we hope you are on your way to happy & healthy hair.

If you are needing hairdresser approved products that are specific for your hair needs, check out our online store here!

If you are still unsure on what products will be best for your hair, come visit us! Book in with us for a FREE 15 minute consultation with one of our senior stylists so we can chat with you what products will be best suited to you & your specific hair needs.

We hope you enjoyed this blog! Stay tuned for our future posts talking more about different hair concerns! 

Love the Blanc Girls xx


Causes & Solutions For Oily Hair – How to Overcome It - Newcastle Hair Salon - Blanc Hair Studio

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