The grease in hair grease is oil and is called Sebum. Sebum is
produced by the sebaceous glands which lie immediately under the skin
in you scalp and each hair has a sebaceous gland. Greasy hair is in
fact healthy hair, and the oil protects each hair strand from dryness
and split ends. Sebum lubricates hair skin and provides a protective
barrier to prevent drying. This oil is your own built-in moisturizer.
Greasy hair is actually an excess of sebum in hair which is a result
of overactive sebaceous glands over-producing sebum, stimulated by
hormones known as androgens. Although they are present in both men and
women, androgens are male hormones and are higher in men. Androgens do
two things: One, they increase the size of sebaceous glands in the
skin. Two, they cause the sebaceous glands to increase the production
of oil.
Causes of greasy hair
Fluctuating hormones can cause greasy as hormones play a part in
sebum production. Greasy hair is most common in women because of either
pregnancy or monthly cycle, older women going through the menopause, and teenagers experiencing puberty. Stress
can be a contributory factor in greasy hair as it is known to affect
hormones levels. People with fine hair on their head may experience
excessive greasy hair as they have more hair follicles and more
sebaceous glands producing more sebum.
There are many external causes of greasy hair. Over washing your
hair can cause increase sebum production as frequent washing can strip
the hair and scalp of all oils causing the sebaceous glands to excrete
more to combat this. A build-up of grease can occur due to washing your
hair too often. Scrubbing your hair and scalp vigorously while washing
you hair can stimulate hair grease. Touching your hair can also
increase the glands to over-stimulate, as can vigorous brushing which
can carry the oil throughout your hair. Environmental factors such as
everyday pollutants can cause hair to look greasy, as can the over use
of hair styling products as the products build-up at the roots.
There are also several internal causes to greasy hair as well. Along
with changing hormone levels, a major cause of greasy hair is the food
you put inside of you, i.e. you diet.
Western diets are usually much greasier, containing more fat. They are
usually processed, containing many additives, and typically are higher
in fat and sugar. The high fat content of the diet increases oil in the
skin which can lead to greasy hair.
How to stop greasy hair
The best way of avoiding, preventing, treating and getting rid of
greasy hair is to treat it from the outside and the inside.
On the
outside: steer clear of brushing your hair too frequently, and too
vigorously. Avoid using a moisturizing shampoo as this can leave some
oil in the hair. An extra cleansing or clarifying shampoo that has a
mild-ph is the best shampoo to use for greasy hair. When shampooing, massage you hair and scalp lightly and do not scrub your hair and scalp.
When shampooing, leave the shampoo in your hair for approximately 5
minutes for a better clean. Rinse and shampoo again if necessary. It's
up to you as to how often you should wash your hair. If you are going to condition your hair, use
a conditioner designed especially for greasy hair, and apply the
conditioner not to the roots but to the mid and ends of your hair. If
you use a hair dryer to style your hair, heat will stimulate oil
production, so don't let it get too hot.
For the inside: do everything you can to reduce any stress that you
may have in your life. For your diet, reduce the amount of fat and
dairy products, and avoid fried, fatty and greasy foods as much as
possible. Consider vitamin B supplements in your diet. Avoid sugar and
sugary foods like cakes, biscuits and soft drinks. Reduce the foods
containing white flour like bread, pasta and pastries. Be sure to eat
lots of nuts, seeds and whole grains, and leafy & green vegetables,
salads and fresh fish.
