Having greasy hair is something that many of us have experienced at some point. It comes and goes leaving us confused on why it happens and ways to combat it.
Did you know there is actually a way to train hair to be less greasy? If you struggle to control the oil produced by your scalp, this guide is for you. Here, I’ll walk you through how to train your hair to be less greasy in 7 simple steps.
1. Use a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
How to make your hair less greasy? The first step lies in the type of shampoo that you use.
Sulfate is commonly found in shampoos, face cleansers, body wash, or toothpastes. These are chemicals used as cleansing agents. While your locks may feel squeaky clean at first, with time it can overproduce oils. When used regularly, sulfates can over-cleanse. This will dry out your scalp causing your body to overproduce oil to make up for the dryness.
To avoid the greasiness, opt for a sulfate-free shampoo.
2. Use Dry Shampoo Sparingly
When I’d go through periods of greasy hair, my solution was to wash it every day. However, washing your locks every single day comes with its drawbacks. For instance, it strips your scalp from its oils. It can also lead to a dry, itchy scalp.
Fight the urge of washing your tresses and use dry-shampoo instead. Spritzing some at night before bed will have you waking up to less oily hair. You can also apply dry shampoo immediately after you’ve washed your locks. This will allow your hair to go hours before soaking up the oil produced by your scalp.
3. Wear Hair Up
How often you should wash your hair depends on your hair type. However, usually after day 3, your roots will start to look a bit dirty. When your hair starts to accumulate some oil, consider an updo. This can be a high bun or a slicked back wet look.
Updos worked wonders for me when I first began to train my hair. Not only was it a great way to use the greasiness to my advantage, but it’s also a good way to prevent myself from touching my hair. Finger to hair contact only makes oiliness worse. Therefore, pulling it back reduces the likelihood of running your fingers through your locks.
4. Rinse With Apple Cider Vinegar
Make your hair less oily with apple cider vinegar. You’ve probably heard all about the benefits of using this product. It helps with weight loss, kills bacteria, and when it comes to our tresses, restores the pH balance of our locks.
Rinsing your locks with apple cider vinegar will restore pH balance while ridding our scalps of buildup. It’s also a mild solution meaning it won’t strip your scalp of essential nutrients. To use, pour some vinegar (2-3 tablespoons) into a bottle of water. Then, apply this mixture into your tresses and work it through your roots. Then, rinse it out. It’s that easy! The best part? It works!
5. Do a Product Purge
Unfortunately, some of our favorite products may be doing more harm than good. When I first started the process of training my locks, I had to get rid of certain products. The truth is – many products overwork your hair. Hairspray, gel, or creams for instance, cause buildup leading to excess grease.
Unless you can’t live without them, I suggest you skip using them as often as you can. Doing so will also allow you to lengthen the time that goes between washes.
6. Let Hair Air Dry
After showering, let your locks air dry. This can be time-consuming, but there are ways to speed up the process. Some of my favorites include:
- Condition your locks in the shower (this will repel water)
- Gently squeeze tresses before stepping out of the shower
- Soak up excess water using a cotton t-shirt
- Focus on your roots (they will dry slower than the ends)
- Comb locks gently using a wide-tooth comb
If you’re on time crunch, use a quality hair dryer on a low heat.
7. If All Else Fails, See a Doctor
This last step is necessary only if the above didn’t help. If you feel like your hair is not improving after implementing all of the steps I just went through, you may want to visit your doctor. There may be an underlying cause that’s preventing you from being able to train your tresses.
Many times, dandruff is the culprit. Others, it’s the shampoo you’re utilizing or perhaps, you have a hormonal imbalance. Whatever the case, your doctor will be able to prescribe a shampoo that contains the right ingredients to get your scalp healthy.
Final Thoughts
The above tips are a sure fire way to make your hair less oily. Here’s a quick recap of the steps you want to follow to train your hair to be less greasy:
- Use a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
- Use Dry Shampoo Sparingly
- Wear Your Hair Up
- Rinse With Apple Cider Vinegar
- Do a Product Purge
- Let Hair Air Dry
- See a Doctor
Implement them one-by-one into your hair care routine. Before you know it, greasy hair will be a thing of the past!
