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View Full Version : Oily hair, Shampoo less?



tooqute2nv
May 21st, 2009, 12:56 PM
Alright, so I've been reading a lot about how if you have naturally oily hair, you should actually wash you hair LESS, and I guess you shouldn't wash your hair daily anyways, right?

Here's my thinking so far, that when I was younger I had thick hair, always fine, but still thicker. Now I have pretty thin hair, and of course it is still fine. I don't know if it was a hormonal or diet thing, but my hair becomes visibly oily, at the roots, from the time I go to bed to when I wake up in the morning...Since I daily use "regular" shampoo (currently Dove Very Volumizing), and I've been reading more about how washing daily can actually make your scalp produce MORE sebum (oil?), and that it is possible for the hair to grow less because of out of balance oil production (I think I read something like this??), maybe shampooing less is something I should try??

But, I'm worried about if I stop shampooing, my hair is going to look so oily/greasy and flat. :/ How long, if it can, does it take for the oil production to re-regulate itself?:o:confused:

teela1978
May 21st, 2009, 01:03 PM
I think that some people have scalps that produce excess sebum when it's overwashed. I think that a lot of people with oily hair are just doomed to oily hair and regular washings though. Every time I've tried to stretch out my washings I think I've just acclimatized myself to having greasy roots :)

Kirin
May 21st, 2009, 01:12 PM
Personally? I think the advice of washing less for less oily hair is pure hokum. Unless you are having a sensitive scalp issue, and producing more oil in response to an allergen in your shampoo.... your scalp produces a rather usual amount of sebum a day.

I tried the no washing and washing less techniques that by some miracle, my scalp would finally stop with the bacon greasies. Nope, not a chance. From my time here too, I know people who have become less greasy using a different shampoo, method of cleansing the hair, but not from simply not shampooing.

I am of the serious notion, that the advice is generally given by those who had an allergy / sensitive scalp issue and stopped, or by people who just don't produce a lot of sebum.

I've found this advice of simply shampooing less will "fix" oily hair, almost cruel to those of us really suffering from an abundant daily oil / sebum supply. Its not just my hair, but face/neck/back as well.... if I didn't wash those either, I would have horrendous acne. Not washing my hair produces "cradle cap like" sores, and chunks of dandruff.

Stopping washing did not help, however changing my shampoo DID.

Norai
May 21st, 2009, 01:27 PM
I've been trying to stretch out washings as much as I can, but I still can't get beyond every-other-day. It just looks too greasy, even when up... I think my fine, straight hair makes it more noticeable. >.<

tooqute2nv
May 21st, 2009, 01:34 PM
Thanks so far, ladies! I'm having to agree so far. Maybe not "doomed", but definitely am going to have to continue conditioning the length part of my hair, and daily washing the roots. :/ Unless anyone else offers another view.:o

Btw, I'm TOTALLY feeling you on the straight fine hair, Norai, and I agree.

florenonite
May 21st, 2009, 01:38 PM
I use to have to wash every other day, now I can go a week (though I think in part it's because I've just gotten used to my hair looking less than spectacular on those last couple days). I don't think it was really washing less that helped, but changing my method. I used to shampoo with just straight shampoo. I started diluting it with water and got it down to twice a week. I got lazy with this and went back to straight 'poo, and my hair needed washed about three times a week. Because I couldn't really be bothered with diluting in a jug, I started taking a glob of 'poo about the size of a toonie and a glob of conditioner about the size of a quarter in my hand, rubbing them together and 'pooing with that. This got me down to washing every four to five days. Once I accidentally went six days and thought, "if I can do six, I can do seven", as I've always loved the concept of being able to wash once a week. By about day four or five my hair needs to be up, but it's not horrible if I remember to brush it before bed.

I suspect, however, that I have a sensitive and not greasy scalp. My face is the same. I can't use any harsh cleansers as they just make my spots worse. You might be like me or you might be unfortunate and just produce a lot of oil, in which case you'll need to continue shampooing regularly.

One suggestion, though. If you try and wash more gently and it doesn't help, try the other way round. My aunt, who's in her sixties, once told me that when she was younger the shampoos they used were harsher and you could wash once a week and be fine. Now, however, they're gentler, perhaps to accommodate more frequent washings and more drying practices (heat-styling, colouring, etc.), and so you might be better off trying a harsher cleanser.

Akiko
May 21st, 2009, 02:18 PM
My scalp is very oily. I used to wash every day. Since I joined LHC, I learned to dilute my shampoo and apply conditioner only on the length. It seems to help a little. Now I wash every other day. But by the end of the second day, my hair looks greasy.

If I don't wash my hair for 3 or 4 days, I look horrendous. It looks like I dunked my head in a bucket of oil.:blueeek: I cannot handle! So I wash every day.

AJoifulNoise
May 21st, 2009, 02:22 PM
I have an oily scalp. It gets noticeably oily in 24 hours. But, shampooing daily dries my hair out. So, I condition-only wash 4-5 days a week and shampoo/condition 2 days. The condition-only washes hold off the oil without stripping my hair between shampoos.

Ursula
May 21st, 2009, 02:50 PM
I've seen this result - less oily hair when I wash less.

But, it was a very gradual change, and the overall process involved not just washing less, but also changing the way I washed (CWC at first, eventually doing mostly CO) and the products which I washed with (first, switching from silicone to non-silicone conditioner in the CWC washes, later doing CO for some washes, evetually changing from sufate [ALS] to non-sulfate shampoos for most of the times when I do shampoo.)

And the overall process took years - at first, my big "LHC" change just was doing CWC with my old ALS shampoo and 'cone conditioner, and I made changes from that routine fairly slowly.

The biggest thing to realize, I think, is that once your hair gets past a certain length, the oil your scalp produces doesn't make it down the length in the time between washes. This makes CWC beneficial. It can also be possible to take advantage of the oil with less frequent washes and brushing to move the oil down the length - using it to condition the length. And if you're wearing your hair up a lot, as people tend to do as their hair gets longer, the oil that gives a "flat roots" feeling with loose hair gives a "smooth, non-frizzy" look to a bun.

OhioLisa
May 21st, 2009, 02:53 PM
Rather than trying to skip a day right away, and risk looking like an oil slick, maybe try either diluting your shampoo as others have suggested, or try alternate washing methods, such as poo bars or even just sulfate-free shampoos.

In all my time here, I have only been able to comfortably stretch to every other day washings. I see no point in walking around with oily hair or trying to mask the oiliness in an updo just because we're "not supposed to wash often". If your hair likes being washed, just do it. ;)

kdaniels8811
May 21st, 2009, 03:04 PM
OhioLisa is right, it is about finding out what works for you. My hair used to be super oily and I washed daily. Not sure what is causing it but it is less oily as time goes on and I shampoo less, down to twice a week. I do use a catnip rinse every other day, so my hair does get rinsed, just no shampoo but every four days. The "less oilyness" occured about the same time I quit washing my hair so much.

You could try going longer between washes, it took about two weeks for me to see the difference and I was wearing it up all the time and cringing at my flat roots. Another change I made is to stop using shampoo and using herbs, primarily, with an occasional dairy whip or poo bar washing. Experiment and what works for your hair is the best solution. Each of us has different needs and you will hear about every one of them here! Good luck.

Lile
May 21st, 2009, 03:06 PM
I had normal scalp,not sensitive or anything.My mother told me this rumour of washing less=less greasiness.
Well...it worked for me.
Why I said "had"?

When I switched to SLS free shampoo,my scalp started to produce less sebum,and of course felt waaaay better than with SLS shampoos.
Then it turned even drier when I accidentally bought a jojoba herbal shampoo for dry scalp....
Strange paradox isn't it?
But I think now that the rule "oil kills oil" must be really true. The same rule is applied by the famous Dr Hauschka skincare brand in products for oily skin.

I wouldn't believe if it wasn't my own experince as well.

If I were you,I'd first swith to SLS-free poo.
Then do a light oiling on scalp,leaving it on for night,washed out in the morning.

It's the same thing with skin.
When I don't put any night creams on,then in the morning my face is very oily.
When I put some on,then in the morning it's normal.


Teach your skin.
And if it doesn't work,at least you tried it.
Don't give up!!!!

spidermom
May 21st, 2009, 03:14 PM
I think the "washing less produces less sebum" is poppycock. A scientific study linked by another LHC member in the past described that the scalp produced the same amount of sebum every single day whether it was washed or not. So wash your hair whenever it needs to be washed; that's the best policy.

Lile
May 21st, 2009, 03:22 PM
"Like treats like.
Though it might seem counterintuitive to apply oil to an oily complexion, it's actually the most effective solution. The skin knows whether it's sufficiently protected, producing more of its own oil when skin is dry and less when it's balanced. Drying, soap-based products and oil-free acne treatments can rob the skin of its defenses, leaving it vulnerable and triggering the sebaceous glands to produce even more oil."

from here: http://www.drhauschka.com/about/7-facts/#

teela1978
May 21st, 2009, 03:30 PM
"Like treats like.
Though it might seem counterintuitive to apply oil to an oily complexion, it's actually the most effective solution. The skin knows whether it's sufficiently protected, producing more of its own oil when skin is dry and less when it's balanced. Drying, soap-based products and oil-free acne treatments can rob the skin of its defenses, leaving it vulnerable and triggering the sebaceous glands to produce even more oil."

from here: http://www.drhauschka.com/about/7-facts/#

I do think that this type of approach works for some people. Not for everyone though. We all have very different heads of hair, and I would say that just about everyone in this thread has tried alternative methods of washing. Personally I co'd for a very long time, and while it worked well for me I still had to do it daily for my roots to not be a greasy mess, same for sls-free shampoos. Others can switch to gentler methods and find that they suddenly can wait a week in-between washings. I do often wonder if people just adjust to having greasier hair though. That's how I stretch out my washes (well, that and laziness) :)

MsBubbles
May 21st, 2009, 04:14 PM
In all my time here, I have only been able to comfortably stretch to every other day washings. I see no point in walking around with oily hair or trying to mask the oiliness in an updo just because we're "not supposed to wash often". If your hair likes being washed, just do it. ;)

Yeah same here :agree: . And another thumbs up to diluting your shampoo first. I think it looks worse on ash or blonde colors. My hair looks dark and dirty by day 2. I always put it up the 2nd day, which ain't pretty on me either, but my ends aren't so straw-like any more and that's what keeps me going on the every other day wash schedule.

creativehoney
May 21st, 2009, 10:41 PM
I co wash. But have only been doing it for about a month.
when I was shampooing I could skip 2 days before I would get oily.
I heard the less you wash the less oil you produce so I'm experimenting. A little

I use half the amount I would usually use for co, and I only do my scalp roots and maybe 2 to 3 inches down and add a little water and really work it through the roots.
So far it works.
it let's my length hold on to the oils I put on it, so I don't have to oil as much.
(My hair length tends to be dry, so this was the only tip I could find about retaining moisture with less washing and reducing oiliness.)
So,
I'm going to try this for a while and then wean this out of my routine so I can skip a day or 2 without washing without gettin oily.
I hope it works.

You could try that with watered down shampoo .
And see if less washing really works.

I've read it takes a few weeks to adjust to new routines,

rose_in_bloom
May 21st, 2009, 11:26 PM
I think that washing less works for some people, but for me it caused itchy scalp and a MAJOR shed (not fun). It also made me look and smell awful. Yuck. So for me, every other day washing works best. I also try to handle my hair as little as possible, as this makes it stay cleaner for a longer time. Sometimes I skip an extra day if my hair needs some extra moisture and I just wear a scarf or wide headband to cover the oil slick.

Find what works best for you, and don't think that you have to follow "rules" that someone else dictates. You know your own hair. :)

rogue_psyche
May 22nd, 2009, 12:06 AM
I would just experiment. I find that if I only shampoo my roots and only condition nape down, I can stretch out washes. I wash around every 2-3 days. If I do something particularly grody, I may wash two days in a row. That rarely happens though.

I'm new here, and I've recently switched to poo bars. The transition hasn't been too bad so far except I haven't yet been able to go til day three with them. I enjoy clean hair, so I don't mind washing slightly more often until I adjust.

I'd also suggest trying cornstarch, hair powder, or baby powder (make sure there's no talc in the last two) as a dry shampoo, applied and then thoroughly combed out.

By the way, I consider myself to have oily hair. My roots get all clumpy with oil if I go too long without a wash or use conditioner/oil on the wrong spot.

Lile
May 22nd, 2009, 02:13 AM
It seems to me that there are two kind of people: 1:who have naturally oily hair for some reason
2.:who have oily hair because of excessive use of chemicals,or products that don't work well with their scalp.

Those who belong to the first,I think it's good to try to stretch washes from time to time,because as far as I know,too oily scalp can be for hormonal reasons.
It can change.So it can be good to give it a go every couple of months.
I mean if somebody is more stick with X days between hair washes,might not even realise that the oiliness is coming from excessive shampoo use and not from the hormones anymore.

uh,I hope it makes sense.I find it hard to express all these in English.

florenonite
May 22nd, 2009, 02:42 AM
It seems to me that there are two kind of people: 1:who have naturally oily hair for some reason
2.:who have oily hair because of excessive use of chemicals,or products that don't work well with their scalp.

Those who belong to the first,I think it's good to try to stretch washes from time to time,because as far as I know,too oily scalp can be for hormonal reasons.
It can change.So it can be good to give it a go every couple of months.
I mean if somebody is more stick with X days between hair washes,might not even realise that the oiliness is coming from excessive shampoo use and not from the hormones anymore.

uh,I hope it makes sense.I find it hard to express all these in English.

I think this is particularly true of teenagers. When I was younger I needed to wash every other day because of hormones. I think it did later just become a question of I'd done it for so long that my scalp expected it, because switching to gentler methods did help.

Another thing I've noticed since stretching my washings to once a week, is that on day 4 or 5, by evening my hair starts to look really bad. I think "I'll wash it tomorrow", but by the following morning it's fine. Not day-1-cleanliness, but perfectly presentable. So if you are trying to stretch out washings, don't think "my hair was greasy last night so I'll wash it in the morning", just take a look at it in the morning and see what it's like.

magpielaura
May 22nd, 2009, 03:24 AM
Try some different shampoos and washing methods - I noticed you are using a volumizing shampoo, which probably works by coating the hair in some way. A lot of shampoos are designed for daily use and can look bad with a days worth of sebum on top. Try clarifying to get any residue off and see how your hair behaves.

Some people can stretch out washing, some can't. Part of it is getting used to not-so-clean hair and learning how to make the best of its texture day to day. Experiment, and perservere through a few greasies to see what will happen but in the end if daily washing is the only thing that works then there is no point being unhappy about a limp head of hair if washing will make you smile:)

rhubarbarin
May 22nd, 2009, 07:32 AM
I COed exclusively for years and my scalp never got less oily (I don't even have a particularly oily scalp - I have dry hair. But COing, and using leave-ins to define my curls, meant every bit of oil showed). I washed every day, otherwise my roots were nasty and length got weighed down.

My hair and scalp are happier and my hair looks better now that I shampoo.

Madame J
May 22nd, 2009, 07:42 AM
When I hit puberty, my scalp got really oily, and never really let up. Now I wash every third day, with herbal rinses and WO washes in between if I do something to make my hair dirty (like sweating a lot). After about a month of this, I've found that, unless I sweat a lot in my sleep, I can wake up two days after washing and have hair that still feels "clean." It will sometimes get a little greasy during that day, but I know I'm washing it the next day anyway. I do use a BBB every morning, after detangling, to distribute oils.

You might want to try cutting down on your washes. If you have a day where you're not going anywhere, maybe try not washing your hair that day. There, you're down from 7 washes/week to 6. Maybe spend one day with your hair in a French braid, or under a bandanna, and you can cut back to 4 or 5 washes a day. I stuck at 4 washes per week for a while before stretching to 3 days between washings.

ravenreed
May 22nd, 2009, 07:59 AM
My scalp gets greasy slightly less quickly since I dropped shampoo. I find that SLS makes me have rebound oilyness on my scalp AND skin. But I cannot go more than 3 days at most, and the 3rd day is flat and not too attractive. I am using CO and it seems to take off the excess oil but not strip things so much that my oil production goes into overdrive.