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View Full Version : Hair routine suggestions for a ridiculously oily scalp?



BellCat
August 23rd, 2014, 12:45 AM
Hi all,

I am looking for hair routine suggestions, or basically what I should do about my oily scalp.

My hair isn't really fine, but there is not much of it. My skin and scalp have always produced a lot of oil and my hair becomes visibly greasy the day after washing. I actually have had ( and still do ) sebaceous cysts on my scalp.

I have tried washing just once a week but it has never made a difference, although ideally I would love to be able to do this. So basically I wash three days a week - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, using this 'balancing' shampoo containing no cones, parabens, colourants and I use a similar conditioner for my ends only.

I have done olive oil masks etc in the past, but not often enough for that to be the problem. My hair has been like this as long as I can remember.

I'm also curious to know if you think my current routine is actually ok and there is no reason to change it? I would like to reduce the time my hair is spent wet but is having a cleaner scalp actually better for hair growth than stretching?

There's probably not a lot I can do to stretch it out to even two days a week but if anyone has any advice or routines that have helped with their oily scalps I would love to hear!

and also if anyone has any tips on safely removing sebaceous cysts without damage that would also be great!

Thank you all in advance for your advice :-)

GetMeToWaist
August 23rd, 2014, 02:16 AM
3 days washing a week is fine :) i do recommend the Alberto Balsam Tea Tree Shampoo for an oily scalp, this is very cheap and works extremely well. Yoghurt treatments are also good for balancing the scalp pH. I think having a clean scalp that is not clogged up by oil will be much better for hair growth. I don't know if you use a BBB (boar bristle brush) but that's good for distributing the oil instead of it all piling up on your scalp. The new Dove Care dry shampoo is reputed to be very good ad well, better than Batiste.

BellCat
August 23rd, 2014, 02:45 AM
3 days washing a week is fine :) i do recommend the Alberto Balsam Tea Tree Shampoo for an oily scalp, this is very cheap and works extremely well. Yoghurt treatments are also good for balancing the scalp pH. I think having a clean scalp that is not clogged up by oil will be much better for hair growth. I don't know if you use a BBB (boar bristle brush) but that's good for distributing the oil instead of it all piling up on your scalp. The new Dove Care dry shampoo is reputed to be very good ad well, better than Batiste.

Thanks for your advice :-) I have been using a boar bristle brush for a couple of years now and find it helps slightly! But yes I can just about deal with skipping a day between washes. I have only ever used the batiste dry shampoo, so I must try out dove's.

I have had mixed ideas about hair health, on one side I felt that I shouldn't wash it so often, that the length would be dry and hard to maintain thickness. But then on the other side - because my scalp is so oily it wouldn't be ideal to stretch washes to once or twice a week, clogging up my pores and getting more cysts!

fiğrildi
August 23rd, 2014, 02:47 AM
I think your current routine is fine, so no need to change it :wink:
Just like GetMeToWaist suggests, using a BBB could help you with redistributing the oil to the length of your mane.
Have you ever tried any no-poo method? I've noticed that washing with baking soda and apple cider vinegar leaves my scalp clean for as long as two weeks (even if I noticed it was also harsh, that's why I left it). I don't know about the sebaceous cysts problem though, hopefully someone can help you about that ;)
Here you can see a video on how to use a BBB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmNVWpP01KQ

BellCat
August 23rd, 2014, 02:55 AM
I think your current routine is fine, so no need to change it :wink:
Just like GetMeToWaist suggests, using a BBB could help you with redistributing the oil to the length of your mane.
Have you ever tried any no-poo method? I've noticed that washing with baking soda and apple cider vinegar leaves my scalp clean for as long as two weeks (even if I noticed it was also harsh, that's why I left it). I don't know about the sebaceous cysts problem though, hopefully someone can help you about that ;)
Here you can see a video on how to use a BBB: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmNVWpP01KQ

That video is great, I have not been using my BBB properly at all :-D thanks for sending it on!
The only no-poo method I have tried was co washing but I think it may have given me the sebaceous cysts although I can't say for sure!
ACV is now on my shopping list :)

Firefox7275
August 23rd, 2014, 05:36 AM
What is it you didn't like about Batiste?

Have you tried using gentler cleansers? Either conditioner-only washing but with something like tea tree oil included (anti inflammatory, anti microbial) or an acidic shampoo free of anionic surfactants but rich in cocoamidopropyl betaine? With good technique both can get your roots literally 'squeaky' clean. With co-washing it is important to massage as you rinse so you don't leave the product sat on your scalp.

You might combine this with a nutrient dense, anti inflammatory diet. Be careful not to scratch the scalp with your brush, that could potentially increase irritation. I honestly don't think people with certain scalp issues should try to overly stretch washes since elements of the sebum itself can be part of the problem.

BellCat
August 23rd, 2014, 05:47 AM
Thanks for replying Firefox. I suppose I don't like the sensation of Batiste in my hair - it felt strange and sometimes made my hair look white :-) I have used shampoos like johnsons baby shampoo - which is quite gentle on the scalp. The shampoo i'm currently using is quite gentle too http://www.bodyshop.com/hair/shampoo/rainforest-balance-shampoo.aspx I try not to use too much of it and dilute it with water.

Do you think that it might be a better idea for me to wash every day of the working week to keep my scalp clean? The tea tree oil sounds like a good idea, especially after reading it can help to remove sebaceous cysts.



What is it you didn't like about Batiste?

Have you tried using gentler cleansers? Either conditioner-only washing but with something like tea tree oil included (anti inflammatory, anti microbial) or an acidic shampoo free of anionic surfactants but rich in cocoamidopropyl betaine? With good technique both can get your roots literally 'squeaky' clean. With co-washing it is important to massage as you rinse so you don't leave the product sat on your scalp.

You might combine this with a nutrient dense, anti inflammatory diet. Be careful not to scratch the scalp with your brush, that could potentially increase irritation. I honestly don't think people with certain scalp issues should try to overly stretch washes since elements of the sebum itself can be part of the problem.

martyna_22
August 23rd, 2014, 05:47 AM
My scalp gets really greasy fast. Pre-LHC I washed every day, but I managed to stretch to 2 days.. Occasionally I leave it for 3 days, but it doesn't look nice on day 3. BBB is not a good idea for me - it makes all of my hair greasy, on, say, day 2. When there's no sebum on day 1, it's ok for me to use that, but I prefer not to. I use Tangle Teezer and it's great for me.
Other than that.. I use a really gentle shampoo, because it's really easy to irritate my scalp and using harsh chemicals is counter-productive. I'm a weird case, as henna (or maybe cassia, as I use them in a mix) makes my scalp less greasy for 2-3 weeks after application, and people report otherwise.
Washing 3 days a week isn't bad. But try what others suggest, it won't hurt to see for yourself :)

BellCat
August 23rd, 2014, 05:53 AM
Hi Martyna, that sounds like my hair, by day 3 it is completely saturated in grease!! Any particular brand of gentle shampoo that you like? My BBB doesn't seem to really spread the grease down. My ends seem to always stay 'bushy' while the top half is greasy :-) I will try all suggestions, starting with tea tree oil!


My scalp gets really greasy fast. Pre-LHC I washed every day, but I managed to stretch to 2 days.. Occasionally I leave it for 3 days, but it doesn't look nice on day 3. BBB is not a good idea for me - it makes all of my hair greasy, on, say, day 2. When there's no sebum on day 1, it's ok for me to use that, but I prefer not to. I use Tangle Teezer and it's great for me.
Other than that.. I use a really gentle shampoo, because it's really easy to irritate my scalp and using harsh chemicals is counter-productive. I'm a weird case, as henna (or maybe cassia, as I use them in a mix) makes my scalp less greasy for 2-3 weeks after application, and people report otherwise.
Washing 3 days a week isn't bad. But try what others suggest, it won't hurt to see for yourself :)

Firefox7275
August 23rd, 2014, 06:23 AM
Thanks for replying Firefox. I suppose I don't like the sensation of Batiste in my hair - it felt strange and sometimes made my hair look white :-) I have used shampoos like johnsons baby shampoo - which is quite gentle on the scalp. The shampoo i'm currently using is quite gentle too http://www.bodyshop.com/hair/shampoo/rainforest-balance-shampoo.aspx I try not to use too much of it and dilute it with water.

Do you think that it might be a better idea for me to wash every day of the working week to keep my scalp clean? The tea tree oil sounds like a good idea, especially after reading it can help to remove sebaceous cysts.

Baby shampoos are not necessarily gentle for adult skin, they are often 'no tears' which means the pH can be neutral to alkaline similar to the ocular mucosa. Hair likes pH ~4.5 and skin pH ~5.5

Try spraying dry shampoo from a little further away so you don't get any drying and irritating alcohol on your scalp, then wipe the excess powder away with a soft microfibre towel or similar. That leaves my roots volumised, glossy yet clean looking.

Not necessarily wash daily just don't overly force stretching and leave your scalp soaking in sebum (which would be unpleasant for you anyway).

martyna_22
August 23rd, 2014, 07:00 AM
I live in Poland, so I'm not sure if you'll get hold of the brand I'm using, it's a russian one, the line is called Grandmother Agafia's Recipes.
I use the 600 ml burdock one (there are extracts of 12 different natural things) interchangeably with a revitalizing 350 ml one (this line contains extracts of 17 plants, and all the shampoos are really gentle and my hair seems to love them as well).
They're quite cheap (an equivalent of 5-7$) where I live, so with any luck you'll find them affordable as well. :)
This is in Polish, but if you scroll down a few inches you'll get the ingredients for the burdock one and you'll see what it looks like:
http://wizaz.pl/kosmetyki/produkt.php?produkt=51496
And this is another one I used, great as well:
http://wizaz.pl/kosmetyki/produkt.php?produkt=52201
They leave my hair moisturized and really nice, they contain Magnesium Laureth Sulfate, but not much, I assume from the position in the ingredients, but even washing every two days is so worth it!

lapushka
August 23rd, 2014, 07:30 AM
I have oily hair that normally needs washing 2 to even 3 times a week. It is for years been stretched to a weekly wash. What we do is we resuds. That means the shampoo is globbed on wet hair, wet a little more and massaged in. This gives a rather thick later. It gets rinsed out after massaging thoroughly, but it gets rinsed out halfway. Then the remainder is sudsed up again and with that my hair is washed the second time. It helps hugely, I've found!

animetor7
August 23rd, 2014, 02:57 PM
Have you tried doing scalp only washes? This could help a lot with the oily scalp and help prevent more cysts while protecting your length. If they don't work for you, 3 times a week is fine, we are all different and need different hair care. I know one member here, Cinnamon Hair washes every day and she has gorgeous knee-length hair! She does follow the CO method, but it just goes to show that stretching washes isn't necessarily best for everyone. :) I hope that helps.

EternalSnow
August 23rd, 2014, 05:18 PM
I also used to wash my hair three times a week like you. My hair is fine and thin, and the day after washing it would start to look oily. Now I can go four or five days without washing it. Try washing your hair with lukewarm or cold water. I always wash my hair with cold water and it really helps.

Another thing I do (partly because of the cold water) is washing my hair while bending down (I usually wash it while standing outside of the bathub), that way is easier for me to clean and rinse my scalp.

For stretching washes it's better if you do it slowly. Try going two days without washing for a month and see if you notice any improvement. Once you can stretch washes to two days you can try going for three days. That gives your scalp time to adapt to your new routine.