HELP! Oily scalp problems! Please share your experiences with training an oily scalp!

[Doxieee]

Hello! It's been a while since I have been on LHC, I had pretty much given up my dream of beautiful long locks until recently when I noticed that despite even trying, my hair felt a little thicker and it gave me the confidence boost to grow! Now... here is one of my problems... my scalp is so oily/greasy! For reference, I have fine to medium hair. Ever since I can remember, I have always shampooed/conditioned daily & used commercial brand products (full of sulfates & parabens). I understand that this is a huge reason why my scalp gets oily so quickly. I no longer use harmful hair products (Currently using Acure Organics brand & thinking of switching to Calia), I have been going 4-6 days without washing my hair (keeping it up in a bun with claw clip, dutch braid or pig tail braids), I switched to a Bass bamboo brush, Ive been doing weekly oil treatments for my scalp (castor oil + coconut oil w/ rosemary & clary sage essential oils) & when I wash I massage my scalp, I shampoo twice to ensure a clean scalp & I only apply conditioner to my length. I have been following this routine for roughly 4 weeks and I still notice my roots becoming oily the following day. I can get away with wear my hair down if I use a head band, but its obvious (to me at least) that its starting to get greasy & piecey at the roots... I am asking for tips other than dry shampoo (simply not a fan) as well as personal experiences on how long it took to train an oily scalp and how long can you go now before looking greasy.

[Larki]

I am a former daily washer! I had to do it gradually (and I did use dry shampoo, a buttercream frosting scented powder one from Etsy that I'm on my second bottle of in like three years), but basically I switched from daily to every other day, did that for a few months, then every 2-3 days, and I currently wash twice a week - it's not a hard and fast rule, if I need to do it earlier I don't fret.

[Doxieee]

How long until you begin to notice your roots getting oily?

[Robi-Bird]

I have oily skin in general and can develop cystic acne on my scalp if I stretch washes too far. I can push it 3-4 days by doing two things, wearing it up, especially on hot days (I don't know why this works), and washing my scalp twice. I wash my scalp once, rinse, and then wash my scalp again, and this second time I wash the rest of my length. My hair is bcl, and I only recently started doing this again, after stopping when my hair was about bsl and boy does it help me stretch washes. I stopped because I though it would dry out my hair, turns out the scalp wants to be a little dryer.

[nicolezoie]

Disclaimer: my hair is to the floor, so the look of oilyness does not really impact my shampooing habit.

It took me a few years to stretch out from daily shampooing to shampooing infrequently. I shampoo about twice a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, but that's what I average. No real pattern, just when I notice things getting piece-y or smelling off. Between, boar bristle brush with plastic bristles in each tuft to move the oils along, but really, that doesn't do the oils much good. That's actually more useful, in my case, to get rid of lint and dust. A fine tooth comb seems better for the oils than the BBBs. A really fine tooth one, like the kind used to pull fleas off your dog. Oh, and I don't always shampoo when I wet it.

I actually notice some oil at my roots on day two, but it's not really noticeable until day 4 or so. But, my hair is up all the time, so I don't really worry about how oily it's perceived to be. What I worry most about is the smell, which is far more offensive to me than looking oily. I can't mask it with perfumes or fragrance of any kind because I get migraines from that stuff. If I catch a whiff of that 'wrong' smell (in my case it's closest to an ammonia-ish fragrance), I shampoo it, or at least rinse it and let it dry to see if that takes care of the problem.

[Deborah]

I notice that you are putting some oils ON your scalp. Maybe you don't need them, and could go longer with clean hair if you did not use them. Just wash and go!

[amiaow]

I have very similar hair to you and just wash it at day 2. This is the longest I can do without it being oily and awful (I could braid it etc for more days worth but it ends up giving me an itchy head and just isn't nice). I think that's pretty normal for fine hair, it's not porous like some coarser hair types and thus looks oily much more quickly.

[Larki]

How long until you begin to notice your roots getting oily?
I wash in the evenings, usually on Wednesday and Sunday. If I wash on Sunday, my roots are usually slightly oily on Tuesday, but fine if I put my hair up to hide them, and on Wednesdays I need dry shampoo to get me through the day until my evening wash.

[lapushka]

If you need to shampoo daily, by all means do it daily. There is no rule that says you have to stretch washes! Sometimes it's not the sulfates at all (I don't see how parabens figure into it, but hey ho) and the sulfates do keep the oil away longer. But you could try a sulfate-free shampoo and see how you go.

I'm afraid it's an experiment you'll have to do on your own.

BTW, there are no "good" and "bad" products here. Some people here use and have to use sulfates and silicones. That doesn't mean it's bad at all, just different. Like we say on this site YMMV (your mileage may vary).

[embee]

I started stretching out washes by doing scalp-only rinses when I showered. Maybe you can try that. Also, I began to wear my hair up which often camouflaged the oiliness of my scalp. Gently combing the natural oils down the length helped tame the length as well.

[Natashap]

I tried sulfate free shampoo-no help with oily scalp.
Tried washing daily -sometimes twice ,never helped.
Then switched to stretching -was terrible.
So cannot figure out whats up???

Now back to stretching to about 3-4 days max,scalp washes and deep condition ends only once a month.
Too much sulfate gives me eczema flare on scalp and extreme shed.

I am sick and tired of my scalp.
Nothing makes it happy.
ITS ALWAYS greasy and lanky hair....

[lapushka]

Sulfate-free didn't help my oily scalp either.

Maybe diluting your sulfate shampoo would work?

[Aredhel]

I'm extremely oily and sulfate-free doesn't work for me either. It just doesn't clean my scalp enough and I end up getting insanely itchy a couple days after a wash.

I echo the comment that recommended laying off the oil-on-scalp treatments for a while and see what that does for you... I really don't think you need it. It's more than likely making your situation worse.

[samanthaa]

Four weeks isn't very long. It took me well over a year to start seeing the positive results of stretching washes (and I'd never go back to frequent washing, tbh).

I used a natural dry shampoo (cornstarch- or arrowroot starch-based, with cocoa powder if you have dark hair) a lot in the beginning, between washes. I also think it was very helpful for me to replace what would have been a shampoo wash with a water-only wash to stretch the time between shampooings even further.

I'm approaching about the two-year mark, and I went from washing daily/every-other-day to washing once a week. I no longer have to use dry shampoo at all, though I still do a midweek water-wash. I've found that my sebum got less "oily" looking and more matte the longer I stuck with stretched washes. No matter how long I stretch my washes now (I've gone up to 10 or 11 days at the most) my hair no longer gets visibly "wet" or "oily" looking. It's more waxy than anything else and looks fine in a bun or braid. I can usually wear my hair down or in a half-up for the first three days (fine, thin hair here).

[meteor]

I'm a big fan of Scalp-Only washes to tide me over between full washes (the hair is either in a bun or in a braid held by one hand - covered in plastic cap, or held by bra-strap if scalp is washed in a tub/sink).
I also find that using shampoos marketed for oily and/or dandruff-prone scalps (with higher concentration of anionic surfactants and hopefully with some useful ingredients like salicylic acid or tea tree, etc...) and taking a long time to wash scalp - at least 10-15 min in total (lathering up twice/three times) - helps it get much cleaner, so that I can stretch washes more.

[Vivalagina]

I've reduced from daily washing to washing every 2-4 days. I just dropped one day per week, then a couple months later I dropped a second day, etc. Yes it took a while to get to where I'm at now but it was pretty painless and I never had to trudge through feeling gross.

[Corvana]

I cheated lol. Well, not "lol" since it involved me getting injured in a car accident buuuut... I was in too much pain to want to shower, so I just did sponge baths and said "***** it" about my hair. When I finally washed it, it stayed clean for about 2 days longer than before.

Previously I was on a every 3 days schedule, and years before that I was on an every other day one. The every 3 days came about because of my baby, too busy with him to wash my hair more often. And what I'd do to make it less gross looking? Day 1 was down, day 2 was a half up (usually pigtails or buns), and day 3 it was all up (usually pigtails or buns lol). But it was still kinda gross on day 3, I just didn't bother. Then after the accident I could go 2 days down, then only need a half up the night of day 3, and could go with a half up until day 4 was mostly over. Then day 5 it could use a wash, but I put it all up instead.

And then I really cheated and gave myself a pixie cut, and could go two weeks before actually needing a wash. And with that I learned that if my scalp got more air, it could go longer between washes. I still try to emulate that now, actually! On day 3 and 4 I'll section my hair a few times (I do more sections on top, as the top hides the bottom more), and let it have some air while I have coffee or whatever. Then it's mostly fine for the rest of the day. Day 5 is half up day, and in the summer days 6 and 7 are both full up because I'm much more oily when it's hot.

I am debating washing twice a week, as half my lack of washing is just that I hate waiting for my hair to dry.

But definitely see if a couple hours of getting air to your scalp helps. I thought I'd be a greaseball forever and need was every couple days, but aeration really helped. YMMV, of course, but it's not exactly something that'd hurt to try out!

[animetor7]

I tried sulfate free shampoo-no help with oily scalp.
Tried washing daily -sometimes twice ,never helped.
Then switched to stretching -was terrible.
So cannot figure out whats up???

Now back to stretching to about 3-4 days max,scalp washes and deep condition ends only once a month.
Too much sulfate gives me eczema flare on scalp and extreme shed.

I am sick and tired of my scalp.
Nothing makes it happy.
ITS ALWAYS greasy and lanky hair....

Do you know if you have eczema or are sensitive to sulfates? Because many people call any reaction that is unexpected eczema, when it might just be a mild allergy to a specific thing and the two conditions ought to be treated very differently. If you are mildly allergic to sulfates, you shouldn't see a reaction anywhere except where they've been applied, and depending on the extent of the allergy, where they could have rinsed to. It will be slightly red and perhaps itchy. If it really is an eczema reaction, then skin will generally be sensitive not just in a specific area, for example sometimes when I cross my arms I get a rash with bumps that swells slightly, not from reacting to anything in particular, just from my skin being very reactive in general due to eczema. With eczema you also get very distinctive scaly patches in areas where the eczema is "flaring".

I say this and describe the reactions in some detail because depending on which it is, you need to try two very different things to resolve it. If it sounds more like a sulfate allergy or sensitivity, you'll need to stop sulfate use, diluting won't help with the reaction, and one possible way your scalp might try to cope is by producing more oil. If this is the case you could try a strong, but sulfate-free shampoo such as the "torrin" shampoo from snow water soap company. There are others as well. If it sounds more like eczema, then diluting may help because the problem is too much cleansing power, not the sulfates themselves necessarily, but I'd still try diluting or using a gentler cleanser to avoid drying out eczematous skin too much.

I hope that helps, it just occurred to me reading your post that you might not have eczema but a sulfate sensitivity, which might explain why you're struggling to much with your scalp being unhappy. Things take a while to calm if you've irritated an allergy. Good luck!! :) :blossom:

[SeaAnna]

I wash my hair every other day with CV shampoo bars, and find if I stretch it out another day I'm oily on the third day. I've been reading about tea rinses to help with this and also for general conditioning. I tried a chamomile tea rinse the other day, and didn't rinse it out. My hair was a little dry, but I made it three days. Today, though, I added fresh catnip leaves and rosemary taken straight from the plants we have here (my DH is a brilliant gardener) and didn't rinse it again. What a difference! The best way I can describe it is my hair is happy. It was a little frizzy, but that's normal for me since my hair is fine and slightly wavy. Even my fairly new bangs are behaving. Anyway, I'll have to report back in a few days, but rosemary is supposed to help with the oily scalp issue. I would recommend this mix to anyone!

[sarahthegemini]

I tried stretching washes for about 8 months and saw no improvement. It doesn't work for everyone, and greasy hair isn't always due to over washing. So sick of people assuming it is. I wash every other day, sometimes it gets greasy a bit quicker so I wash it when it needs it but it averages out to about every other day. If your hair needs washing, wash it...

[lapushka]

I tried stretching washes for about 8 months and saw no improvement. It doesn't work for everyone, and greasy hair isn't always due to over washing. So sick of people assuming it is. I wash every other day, sometimes it gets greasy a bit quicker so I wash it when it needs it but it averages out to about every other day. If your hair needs washing, wash it...

It depends. For some it is and they can "cure" it by washing less, because they just have been used to washing daily doesn't mean they're equally as oily. But others really can't stretch washes, and the sulfate-free option isn't better. You just do what you need to do for *your* hair and scalp, and just let other people assume away. ;)

[sarahthegemini]

It depends. For some it is and they can "cure" it by washing less, because they just have been used to washing daily doesn't mean they're equally as oily. But others really can't stretch washes, and the sulfate-free option isn't better. You just do what you need to do for *your* hair and scalp, and just let other people assume away. ;)

That's why I said 'it isn't always..." :D

[Corvana]

That's why I said 'it isn't always..." :D

Yes I've kept that in mind a lot. It's really one of those things that you should keep in mind, but you can't prove it so much until you try to stretch your washes. If you still get overly oily after trying all of the usual "tricks", then it's likely that you just can't stretch that far. I'm fairly certain I'm more oily in summer than in winter, and even if I air my scalp I still need a wash a day or so earlier than usual.

And I keep in mind that as my hair gets longer, it'll get heavier and even less air will reach my scalp which means I may end up needing to wash more often then. I'll try other things first, just in case and because I really like just having one wash day, but if they don't work they don't work!

[Andthetalltrees]

I'm another person whose scalp is just as oily if I wash it everyday or once a week. I tried stretching washes for literally years, and it made NO difference in how oily it got. I only got shedding and sores on my scalp. Seriously if you want to wash more frequent or feel like you need it you should do just that. Since I've gone back to every other day/every day washes I've been SO much happier with my hair.

[lapushka]

That's why I said 'it isn't always..." :D

I'm sorry if you had commented before me; must have missed that, sarahthegemini! Sorry. :o

[SeaAnna]

I tried stretching washes for about 8 months and saw no improvement. It doesn't work for everyone, and greasy hair isn't always due to over washing. So sick of people assuming it is. I wash every other day, sometimes it gets greasy a bit quicker so I wash it when it needs it but it averages out to about every other day. If your hair needs washing, wash it...

I agree with you. I think every other day is good for me, but I sometimes go the extra day on the weekend.

[poli]

I wash every other day. I still have a part of the scalp that gets greasy looking after 12 hours or so. I just try to ignore it till next wash. Lately I started using birch water in between washdays, it's kind of scalp tonic. I wonder if it will help over time and make my greasy spot look better.