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smiffy
May 3rd, 2019, 07:45 PM
I'm actually not sure that I'm even on the correct forum at all, but I'm having trouble reaching out for specific advice on what to do about my oily scalp and my hair problems.

I have an extremely oil face/scalp that produces an excess of oils all day, every day and I also have fine type hair. I get probably less than 24 hours after a shampoo before the entirety of my hair begins to look wet. My hair is already not in the greatest of health, and I've only discovered recently that daily shampoo is a big mistake. So now that I'm trying to go a few days in between I find that my hair gets ultra gross, and quickly. I can run my fingers across my scalp and leave them glistening with oil. I find it embarrassing to go out on days of no shampooing because of how wet it looks. I get looks because of it. People have asked me if it was raining when they see how my hair looks. I cannot possibly overstate how oily it is. It's no exaggeration at all, it's completely bizarre. It looks like a pile of wet straw on my head after a couple of days.

I've tried a dry shampoo for the no shampoo days and it kind of changes up the texture, but it looks no less saturated. It still looks nasty. It's like nothing will do the trick but a good harsh chemical based shampoo to strip my hair of the oil. That's when I get a few hours of normal people hair bliss, just the slightest bit of lift and texture for my poor fine hair. Then just like that it's gone, like an angel's kiss. Back to straw head, or wet dog as I call it. I don't know if there are steps I can take to reduce the oil production, or what. Does anyone have any advice for oily scalp to this degree?


My second problem is with growth. It's just not happening and I don't exactly know why but I have suspect it's due to damage. The last cut I had was in 2012, it was cut at about chin length. It's now 2019, and the length is about arm pit level. I feel like it should be twice that growth in 7 years and some change. It's actually been longer than this in the past, but this time it seemed to stop about 3 or 4 years ago. Strangely it's also several inches longer on the left side than the right. Yes, I admit that I've foolishly not taken care of split ends at all. Is that truly the reason why my hair can't gain any more length? I assume that maybe it's just stuck in a cycle of breaking off at the tips. The consensus online seems to be that end trimming is a must to gain length. I've never understood that to be a necessity in just hair growth alone. Now I'm thinking it that it's probably the case for fine hair like mine.

I'd really like to gain another 6 to 8 inches, but at this rate, never going to happen. So I'm doing something wrong. Need a new strategy, or something. I'm just lost and feeling discouraged by my hair type and my oily scalp. I'm afraid of being told that I need to take several inches off in order to start over or something like that. I just don't have a lot of faith in my hair, and I'm not sure it'll ever actually grow as long as I want it. Can anyone offer me some advice on these issues?

Thanks so much.

illicitlizard
May 3rd, 2019, 08:42 PM
Hi and welcome!
There's nothing inherently wrong with washing your hair every day if it works for you. Some people with oilier hair just need to wash daily. Not sure if it'd be strong enough to cut the oils, but maybe you could try a sulfate free or slightly gentler shampoo most days and then really strip it out with your regular one if there's buildup or every couple days? It's definitely possible that your current shampoo is causing dryness/damage with daily use because it's too harsh. If the scalp oiliness seems unusual I don't think it'd hurt to talk to a healthcare professional and get relevant referrals to see if there is something that can help your oil production.
(I hate dry shampoo too btw, it just makes my hair more dirty with product and it still looks greasy :/)

About the growth, your hair's probably still growing from the root. Sounds like you have an issue of breakage which could be from any number of things. Do you wear your hair down all the time or heat style it often? The friction from hair brushing against your clothes etc. can cause damage especially if your hair is fragile. Also you're right, trimming isn't going to help your hair grow faster, though it can help with length retention, assuming you're only trimming the splits and not all of your new growth. Taking care of the splits would be my first port of call...

You don't need to do a massive chop, you could S&D (search and destroy) individual split ends, or you could try microtrimming. Or just get a regular trim but only a small one. Hopefully you can work out what's causing the damage so you can prevent further damage and get to your goals. Good luck!

smiffy
May 3rd, 2019, 09:37 PM
Hi and welcome!
There's nothing inherently wrong with washing your hair every day if it works for you. Some people with oilier hair just need to wash daily. Not sure if it'd be strong enough to cut the oils, but maybe you could try a sulfate free or slightly gentler shampoo most days and then really strip it out with your regular one if there's buildup or every couple days? It's definitely possible that your current shampoo is causing dryness/damage with daily use because it's too harsh. If the scalp oiliness seems unusual I don't think it'd hurt to talk to a healthcare professional and get relevant referrals to see if there is something that can help your oil production.
(I hate dry shampoo too btw, it just makes my hair more dirty with product and it still looks greasy :/)

About the growth, your hair's probably still growing from the root. Sounds like you have an issue of breakage which could be from any number of things. Do you wear your hair down all the time or heat style it often? The friction from hair brushing against your clothes etc. can cause damage especially if your hair is fragile. Also you're right, trimming isn't going to help your hair grow faster, though it can help with length retention, assuming you're only trimming the splits and not all of your new growth. Taking care of the splits would be my first port of call...

You don't need to do a massive chop, you could S&D (search and destroy) individual split ends, or you could try microtrimming. Or just get a regular trim but only a small one. Hopefully you can work out what's causing the damage so you can prevent further damage and get to your goals. Good luck!

Actually, yes and no. Prior to having this hair epiphany, I used to wear it down all the time. If you would have asked me I would have never guessed wearing it down could be damaging. I've been tying it back now for a couple of months for a change... On the other hand, no I don't use heat on it at all and haven't for many years. Though lately I have been blow drying on cool, I've been mostly air drying for the past 7 years. Been through a lot of different shampoos and sure they all work well enough at first, but the results fade so fast. I never used to condition, and I think that could be the source of the problem. I do now, though my fine hair doesn't much appreciate it as it's easily weighed down, and seems to take what little texture my hair has right out. It's so hard to do anything with fine hair when it's that slick and heavy. Just no body whatsoever, which is why I neglected conditioning for so long.

I might try the method of alternating shampoos, I just hope that daily washing is not the main cause of my breakage. Oh, and I have had my thyroid levels checked before and they were found to be normal. I'd like to know if there's actually anything that can be done about the oil. I'm so envoys of people who have dry scalps, lol. Their hair looks like cotton and clean as a whistle. What a dream it would be to not absolutely need a wash all the time!

Begemot
May 4th, 2019, 01:15 AM
Would it be possible for you to do scalp washes? I believe there's a thread of scalp only washes somewhere here... Protect your ends and length with conditioner or oil when you do wash your hair (CWC method, ROO).

The amount of oil your scalp produces does sound extreme. Consulting a doctor might be your best bet at this point but hopefully people here will have more advice and experiences to share! :)

Joules
May 4th, 2019, 05:27 AM
Scalp oiliness is controlled by hormones. If your scalp is that oily, I'd suggest going to a doctor and check your blood. It could be a sign of some sort of inbalance in sex hormones. Correcting that could solve the issue.

If your blood tests comes back ok, then it's just you. The best thing you can do is just go with it. Stretching washes can hurt your scalp in the long run, so please don't try that. If you're afraid of a harsh shampoo damaging your hair, just oil your ends and lengths before shampooing, or try the CWC, WCC or ROO methods (condition-wash-condition, wash-condition-condition and rinse-out oil respectively).

About hair growth - you never described your hair care routine other than saying you're using a harsh shampoo to combat oiliness. Any conditioners? Masks? Leave-ins? Because if you're just using shampoo, then yes, it's damaging and it is probably the thing that hinders growth.

lapushka
May 4th, 2019, 07:32 AM
If you need to wash: wash; there is nothing wrong with daily washing.

DO make sure you get a shampoo that is preferably sulfate based (cleanses the best) and that is geared towards oily scalp. If you do want to go sulfate-free, the charcoal one by HASK is a goodie from the drugstore! For sulfates I recommend the Pantene Aqua Light, but in some countries that one has been discontinued, the volumizing one by Pantene does just as good a job (sulfates, no silicones).

It may be silicones in your shampoos that are making your hair oilier faster, so be careful of that.

And as far as growth goes. Do you heat style?

Strwberryfields
May 4th, 2019, 08:31 AM
I completely agree with what everyone else has said. You can wash your hair daily, just like you can skip moisturizer if you need to due to having an oily face. I can't wear it during the day or my makeup melts off even quicker. I had a friend say she adds tea tree oil to her shampoo to reduce oiliness. She's got very fine hair like you described, and has mentioned people asking her if her hair is wet when she doesn't wash it, so that's why I brought her trick specifically up. Generally speaking people don't need to wash daily so that's why you hear that thrown around so often. It sounds like you need to. I think if you're gentle you won't get any damage. Hope you find some relief!

milosmomma
May 4th, 2019, 08:57 AM
I agree with everyone so far, you may just need daily washing. I second using a conditioner or oil on your lengths BEFORE shampoo to protect the ends. Maybe look at the ROO(rise out oil) method as a step for your wash. Also suggest more protective styles, you say you've been pulling it back, but is that just a pony? The ends can still tangle and rub in a pony. Maybe try a peacock twist and fluff your ends out for a little volume. I think everyone looks great in double dutch/french braids as well, the ends can still rub but not nearly as much as a loose pony. Sometimes braiding when your hair is oily can kind of hide the greases a bit too. If your scalp is oily and the length is dry I think I would just go with it and oil the length until the next wash(which is 100%fine to be everyday) but I have noticed I get less splits when my ends are oiled.
I would look into S&D and or micro trimming to get the splits under control, but honestly if you protect the ends in an updo they should continue on growing.

lapushka
May 4th, 2019, 09:24 AM
I completely agree with what everyone else has said. You can wash your hair daily, just like you can skip moisturizer if you need to due to having an oily face. I can't wear it during the day or my makeup melts off even quicker. I had a friend say she adds tea tree oil to her shampoo to reduce oiliness. She's got very fine hair like you described, and has mentioned people asking her if her hair is wet when she doesn't wash it, so that's why I brought her trick specifically up. Generally speaking people don't need to wash daily so that's why you hear that thrown around so often. It sounds like you need to. I think if you're gentle you won't get any damage. Hope you find some relief!

Tea tree can't be used "directly" on skin, or it may cause issues; you need to dilute it into a carrier oil, and that might defeat the purpose. She could always dilute it into her shampoo, but it would have to be a minimum amount!

Also, USE shampoo, use what you need, not the dime size "they" recommend, use globs if you must to reach every nook & cranny. I do. I think I use about 50ml of shampoo per use. But I do my lengths as well.

RottenMango
May 5th, 2019, 12:04 AM
I have an extremely oily face and scalp but tight curls that are dry by nature. I shampoo every three days, but cowash everyday in between to refresh my scalp and hair. I have shampooed my hair as often as every other day and experienced no dryness or breakage even having 3c hair. So, I think washing daily or however often you need to is fine. Every hair type is different and some people truly cannot stretch out their washes very long. Moisture removed from hair via shampoo can always be added back with a conditioner and/or leave in conditioner.

Five of Five
May 5th, 2019, 12:21 AM
Daily washing is definitely no hindrance to growing out long and healthy hair, so long as you are careful about manipulating it while it is wet, since your hair is more delicate then. Stretching washes in your case might cause scalp problems which could hinder your growth.

I hope you can get to the bottom of the oiliness. It could be simply your natural predisposition, or the result of a medical condition, or perhaps even a food intolerance. When I gave up dairy, for example, my skin and hair became much less oily.

Wusel
May 5th, 2019, 12:41 AM
When I was growing out last time I tried to stretch my wash routine to once a week and it was a desaster. My scalp can't take it. I need to wash more often. And I don't think that it is bad for growth. I wash every second day, sometimes every day and my hair grows up to 3cm per month. But yes, go to a doctor. It could be sex hormones. Prolactine for example.