How to stimulate sebum ?

[Cailie]

I want more !

any tips ?

Scalp massages ... but is there anything else
(without stripping my hair with daily shampoo routines, of course !)

[curlylocks85]

You can use Jojoba Oil, which is as close to sebum as you can get.

[bumblebums]

Why do you need to stimulate sebum? How often do you wash your hair?

[Cailie]

Thank you ! (:

but I want my sebum... the head kind :p

The more I oil, the dryer I get (skin / scalp, etc.) ...

I'd like my scalp to produce more.
I tried increasing the fat content of my diet *healthy fats, of course!* and I massage daily... wondering if anything else could help...


Why do you need to stimulate sebum? How often do you wash your hair?

well, I feel I should wash it weekly, at least, for it to be clean, but it's still not really oily then.

My hair is on the dry side and feels better when unwashed... I've been reading about WO, and would like to try. I just don't think I could ever produce enough sebum to cover and protect my hair while WO'ing (and I have curls too...)

Is it weird to want more sebum ? :oops: (not saying I want LOADS, just a bit more :p)

[bumblebums]

well, I feel I should wash it weekly, at least, for it to be clean, but it's still not really oily then.

My hair is on the dry side and feels better when unwashed... I've been reading about WO, and would like to try. I just don't think I could ever produce enough sebum to cover and protect my hair while WO'ing (and I have curls too...)

Curly hair sometimes tends toward dryness. But if you don't have enough sebum even after a week of not washing, there may be a health issue. Sometimes dry hair is a sign of a thyroid problem, for example...

Can you describe your routine in a bit more detail, as well as your hair? What do you wash it with, how do you dry it, do you style it, what kind of climate do you live in, etc?

[ETA] it's a bit unusual to see requests for more sebum in this community :) usually people complain about too much. Hence the need for more details about your hair.

Also, I should say that you do not need to wash your hair once a week just because you feel you should do it. If it feels clean and does not smell, you're okay and can stretch it longer. Dry hair shouldn't be washed very frequently.

[Cailie]

I doubt it's a serious health issue. I do have some little oil after a week, but I'm not "greasy" in any way.

I've always washed my hair about weekly, week and a half. I think it just was never used to lots of shampoo and producing a lot of oil to compensate.

I have been using oils and Co'ing (all natural products) and ACV rinses and washing ice cold only (etc.) for a few months. I feel that oils don't actually hydrate the length of my hair so well. They tend to love it wet... but then dry a little crispy. Coconut does that. I think I like EVOO better... maybe I should try jojoba.

I dry it in a low braid, usually, and I dont style it much, it's up with a hairstick most of the time.

My hair isn't too damaged either. Use to be, but it's presently pretty healthy, I think... just still a bit hard to condition.

I'm also vegetarian and used to eat very few fats in my diet. I've increased that, I think it might help (nuts, avocados, EVOO, fish, etc.). Anyways, I try to eat more ! Maybe I should drink more water too... exercise and sweat more ?

Anyways, I'm not "veryyyy dry", but I could use more skin oil production in general.

Maybe it's because it's still cold and winter and we use inside (house & car) electric heating ... (?) the air is pretty dry, that's propably not so good...


I think I'm a "perfect candidate" for WO, because I am so "not oily", and I am very curious to try... but wonder if I will produce enough sebum to protect my hair ... ?

[bumblebums]

I doubt it's a serious health issue. I do have some little oil after a week, but I'm not "greasy" in any way.

I've always washed my hair about weekly, week and a half. I think it just was never used to lots of shampoo and producing a lot of oil to compensate.

I have been using oils and Co'ing (all natural products) and ACV rinses and washing ice cold only (etc.) for a few months. I feel that oils don't actually hydrate the length of my hair so well. They tend to love it wet... but then dry a little crispy. Coconut does that. I think I like EVOO better... maybe I should try jojoba.

I dry it in a low braid, usually, and I dont style it much, it's up with a hairstick most of the time.

My hair isn't too damaged either. Use to be, but it's presently pretty healthy, I think... just still a bit hard to condition.

I'm also vegetarian and used to eat very few fats in my diet. I've increased that, I think it might help (nuts, avocados, EVOO, fish, etc.). Anyways, I try to eat more ! Maybe I should drink more water too... exercise and sweat more ?

Anyways, I'm not "veryyyy dry", but I could use more skin oil production in general.

Maybe it's because it's still cold and winter and we use inside (house & car) electric heating ... (?) the air is pretty dry, that's propably not so good...


I think I'm a "perfect candidate" for WO, because I am so "not oily", and I am very curious to try... but wonder if I will produce enough sebum to protect my hair ... ?

Check out the "Official WO thread" (can't provide a link since search is broken for me right now). It explains the theory behind WO. The idea in a nutshell is that the sebum takes some time to travel down the length of your hair; water just helps the process. Eventually, therefore, you should produce enough sebum to coat it all. And you're right that someone like you is more likely to have success with this method than a person with straight, naturally oily hair.

[MonikaHa]

You can have some of mine! I got waaay to much LOL.
Usually a good brushing with a BBB stimulates my scalp to produce it, so maybe a good brushing session would help.

[bumblebums]

You can have some of mine! I got waaay to much LOL.
Usually a good brushing with a BBB stimulates my scalp to produce it, so maybe a good brushing session would help.

Right, only it's generally considered to be a bad idea to brush curly hair.

[Cailie]

Hahaha, sebum trading :p ! ok, maybe not !

BBB, I though about it ... I know it would uncurl my curls (which I don't mind so much as I wear my hair up and usually combed and pretty much wavy anyways)... But I'm scared it would lead to hair damage (??)

Why is BBB not good for curlies ? is it because it breaks the curl pattern or because it actually harms the hair shaft ??

I did check some of the WO tread - oh my - it's HUGE !!! :D

[little_cherry]

What temperature do you use to wash your hair with?
I've heard that using warmer water and massaging helps stimulate sebum.

What sort of shampoo/conditioner do you use?

Just wondering, have you ever taken proaccutane? I've heard that it can make your scalp and skin unable to produce much sebum.

[Cailie]

Thank you for your ideas :)

I don't take any medication or supplements, except advils when really necessary. Godbless, I am overall healthy.

I wash cold. (scared the hot water would dry my hair... )

As for conditioners, I've used many... including Giovanni 50 :50, Burtbees, kiss my face, etc. I try to choose the most natural ones I find. I use them about once a week. Sometimes do an oil treatment before...

I did do many oil tests (including on my scalp) during the last few months (argan, olive, coco, castor, etc.). Maybe the oil has reduced my sebum production and it will be better with time if I don't apply any oil / condish on my scalp for a few months ???

I know that if I oil my face often (ex. at night to prevent wrinkles) it becomes VERY dry if I stop oiling. as in so dry it hurts and shows :o It took me about 2-3 weeks of cold WO on my face once a day to get back to more normal not too dry and blemish free skin.

That's mostly why I'm very intrigued about trying WO on my hair

** edit : the last smiley was supposed to be ":(" ... not a happy face ! haha

[bumblebums]

If you have dry skin on your face, I wouldn't put water on it at all. Water has a higher (more basic) pH than skin and hair. Try OCM, maybe, or wipe your face with a cream cleanser instead of washing. Use a slice of cucumber to wipe your face, or make some oatmeal water. (Just google for homemade skincare recipes.)

As for curly hair and BBBs: it does seem to damage the hair, at least for some people. BBBs work great for some people with sleek, straight hair, but they are a disaster for curly hair. They tear the hair and strip it away. At least that was my experience.

Anyway, the first thing I'd do if I were you is wash even less than you have been. The second thing you might try, since you are into natural stuff, is something like a flaxseed wash (see http://community.livejournal.com/no_poo/tag/flaxseed%20wash and especially http://community.livejournal.com/no_poo/365014.html). It's great for curly hair.

[lesbia]

You can try jojoba oil: it's a vegetable oil and it's very similar to sebum. This can help you maybe :)

[Anje]

I've been shampooing more lately, and I think my scalp's reacting by producing more sebum. Not everyone has a reactive scalp, but with mine, drying it with shampoo makes it greasier, and moisturizing it by letting it get oilier makes the sebum dry up.

The trouble is that it takes a few weeks to get things switched, even if your scalp reacts to moisture levels.

[illumina]

You are not alone!

I can't offer any advice on this (I'm a newbie here) but I just thought I'd let you know that I'm in the same position. I've always had dry skin and hair, my body just seems to produce very little oil. Even as a teenager I rarely got spots, but I do have problems with painful dry skin, especially in the winter. As far as my hair is concerned, even after a couple of weeks of no washing my hair still doesn't look greasy, even at the roots.

I don't think this is the relevant common factor but I am also vegetarian, and have been all my life. At different times I've eaten more "good" fats (i.e. avocados, nuts and seeds etc) and more "bad" fats (butter, cheese etc), neither of which made much difference to my hair or skin (as far as I noticed). I was once tested for thyroid problems (due to fatigue, not my dry hair and skin) but all was fine.

I've now come to the conclusion that this is just the way I'm made. The downside is that I need to do more to keep moisture in my hair and skin and sometimes get sore dry patches (particularly on my elbows, ouch) But, the bonuses are that I rarely get spots and I can leave my hair unwashed for weeks and it still looks fine. :)

I don't know how WO would work for you. I've always been put off for the same reasons as you. If you do try it out I'd love to hear how it works. And if anyone does have any suggestions on increasing sebum production, I'll be listening too!

[Cailie]

Oh, feels good not to be alone :D

Thank you Bumblebums, lesbia and anje for your ideas, I will look into it for sure :)

Illumina, do you also find that using oil too frequently reduces your sebum/oil production even more and leads to even drier skin ?

Can't wait for summer, I'm sure the weather will help us both :p

[desisparkles]

Hi I know this thread is over 8 years old but just wondering because I believe I'm in the same boat - did you do anything specifically different after realising you have a drier scalp? oil more/oil less etc? do nothing and hair still grew long just the same?