About sebum

[Eryka]

Recently I've been using a boar bristle brush to see what effects it would have on my hair. The shine is great and its really invigorating.

Yet after I'm done, I notice my hair is heavier. Not precisely oily but it does kind of stick together. I figured this was the sebum but, it just seems so HEAVY. Granted my scalp hasn't been properly stimulated in a very long time so I was thinking the sebum is thicker than it normally would be.

Also, it seems that the sebum takes longer to sink into the hair than some oils. For instance, I used my BBB on Friday and it took 2 days for the heavy feeling to go away. Unfortunately I had to wash my hair today so down the drain it went.

But yeah, does anyone else have this. Or do I have thicker sebum because my scalp hasn't been properly stimulated?

[Alethia]

Sebum is just heavier than most oils I think. My daughter has managed to go SO successfully, and her hair lies quite heavily. It doesn't look greasy or anything like that, but it is heavier than it was before with SC. Sebum varies from person to person - mine is quite thin I think, because at the end of a week (I try to only wash once a week) I have oily hair up to 5" from my scalp! I tried to go SO for nearly 2 months, but I just looked like I'd swum through an oil slick and I couldn't get the oil to go any further than mid length, so my ends were still fuzzy and dry. It was not a good look. I just brushed and scalp massaged during that time. I wore my hair up or braided all the time. It just looked skanky. Good luck with your SO ventures though. My daughter's hair looks great on it, it just doesn't suit me.

[Eryka]

Thank for the reply.

I'm doing CO right now and loving it. I was just wondering because I thought sebum was thin. Apparently not.

I just washed my hair again today and now that its dry it will be interesting to see what the BBB does on clean hair. The last time I used it was on semi-dirty hair.

[Lamb]

When I go too long between washes, sebum actually straightenes my hair out. (I wet my hair every day, so curls should be fine.) You are right, sebum is heavy, and more of a waxy consistence which is why it makes hair so stiff. (And gives a good hold for updos.)

[Arctic_Mama]

Sebum-only is fabulous if you're dedicated to wearing updos.... nothing protects the hair better and it really helps 'sculpt' the style and keep frizz at bay. But yeah, I too have found that it is heavy, weighs down my wave and makes my hair more 'piecy' looking than I'd like.

Remember though, your scalp will normalize somewhat if you keep at it for a good month or two, and some of that production should taper down a bit.

[tina1025]

can someone please explain me what causes excess production of the sebum? I have very oily hair. I have to wash my hair almost everyday. :( and if u can also suggest some of the ways to reduce sebum production.

Thank you so much....

[Kirin]

can someone please explain me what causes excess production of the sebum? I have very oily hair. I have to wash my hair almost everyday. :( and if u can also suggest some of the ways to reduce sebum production.

Thank you so much....

Some will say reduction in washing will reduce sebum over time. That the "overwashing" we do makes our scalps produce more oil/sebum. I personally have not found this to be true, nor have my daughters who have tried going washless as well. Some people just produce more oil.

You can try less frequent washing or CO to try to reduce it, it may, or may not help. But, dont feel heartbroken or "out of the loop" if you have to continue to wash your hair to keep it behaving and tidy.