Many people know the problem: After washing your hair in the morning, your hair already looks stringy or greasy after a few hours. Accordingly, one feels unkempt and unhygienic. There are many reasons for the tendency to greasy hair.
What are greasy hair?
Greasy hair manifests itself in mostly unattractive, greasy shiny strands. Greasy hair manifests itself in mostly unsightly, greasy shiny strands. The reason for this is an increased production of sebum, which is passed on to the hair by the sebaceous glands on the scalp. If the production of these glands is too high, the hair becomes greasy and unattractive to look at more quickly. On the other hand, if the production of sebum is correspondingly low, the opposite of greasy hair occurs, the brittle or fragile hair.
Causes
Oily hair can be caused by many different factors. A first reason is hereditary predisposition. Some people simply produce sebum faster than others, or simply have a higher number of sebaceous glands on the scalp. Unfortunately, there is little that can be done about this cause. Another reason for the tendency to oily hair is stress, for example. People who are frequently exposed to stress tend to produce more sebum than people who are exposed to comparatively less stress. Hormonal changes can also be the reason for increased sebum production on the scalp. This includes, for example, puberty. In women, pregnancy can also significantly increase sebum production. Fine hair, by the way, looks greasy faster than very thick hair, because the same amount of sebum is distributed to a smaller number of hairs and thus a visible effect occurs more quickly.
Diseases with this symptom
- Acne
- Hair root inflammation
- Menopause
- Parkinson’s disease
- Hormonal imbalances
- Seborrhea
Diagnosis and course
Whether you are also prone to the formation of oily hair, can best tell you a hairdresser or even a dermatologist. By examining the scalp, he or she can give you information on whether their sebaceous glands are overly active. By the way, if you have a tendency to oily hair, dermatologists usually recommend not washing your hair at all for a few days at first, so that the scalp can recover first – this can be very unpleasant for patients at first, but it is worth it in the long run, as sebum production decreases greatly as a result of less frequent washing.
Complications
When naming the complication, the whole health disorder should be included. A complication medically is a subsequent symptom of a health disorder or the side effect of a medical preparation, as far as it was used against this health disorder. Complications may thus occur in the absence of treatment or in the course of treatment. Greasy hair is actually not a complication of a disease, but rather a concomitant of hormonally induced overproduction of wool fat during puberty or menopause. Greasy hair may be a harbinger of these hormonal transition periods. With age, the production of wool fat decreases, which tends to cause too dry hair. Washing the hair too infrequently, but also too frequently, causes greasy hair. Also the use of too much degreasing shampoos can be the cause of greasy hair, because the skin protects itself with the increased fat production against the thereby arising skin irritation. However, slightly occurring greasy hair is also a sign of healthy hair growth. Since this is not really a sign of disease, there is no need for medical examination or treatment. A healthy food intake, avoidance of excessive consumption of sweets, alcohol and cigarette smoke protect the skin and thus can better regulate the production of wool grease in the scalp. Regular skin care, choosing shampoo according to hair type and changing pillowcase regularly will also help.
When should you go to the doctor?
Oily hair is not a health problem, but a cosmetic one. Nevertheless, it can be helpful for those affected to see a doctor. After all, a cosmetic problem can turn into a psychological burden. Anyone who is forced to wash their hair every day or even several times a day should consult their family doctor.In fact, a hormone imbalance (due to puberty or menopause) can be the cause, which can be treated medically. For this purpose, it is first necessary to control the hormone level. This is possible by means of urine or blood tests. If it turns out that the ambitious sebum production of the scalp has hormonal causes, further treatments can be coordinated. For example, women who use the pill for contraception can be given a different preparation after consulting their gynecologist. In addition to greasy hair, other symptoms may also indicate that a visit to the doctor is necessary: acne and greasy skin are signs of a hormonal cause. In addition, various failed attempts in the past to solve the problem are reason enough to consult with the doctor. These attempts include the use of special shampoos, fewer hair washes per week or various home remedies (hair wash with rye flour, dry shampoo). To prevent psychological consequences, effective treatment by the doctor should be considered.
Treatment and therapy
There are many methods to treat oily hair. First of all, you can wash out the grease. However, as already mentioned, frequent washing is a cause of producing so much sebum in the first place. That is why it is recommended to wash your hair in the morning rather than in the evening, because at night the sebaceous glands are most active. When washing, lukewarm water should be used at most, and hot air should not be used when blow drying. The heat stimulates the scalp and thus ensures increased sebum production. Likewise, a targeted scalp massage can help get rid of sebum. The massage forces it out of the pores, thus the skin has less sebum available. The hair should also not be brushed during the day, as this distributes the grease found at the roots of the hair. It is also advisable to use baby powder, which can absorb the grease. Healing clay can also have a similar effect. Likewise, the use of dry shampoo helps. Many people feel that the hair is not properly cleaned in this way, since water is not used, but this is not so. Also cold tea, converted into a conditioner, can sometimes be effective against oily hair.
Outlook and prognosis
Greasy hair usually occurs in people who take little care of their personal hygiene. Therefore, greasy hair does not necessarily require a visit to the doctor. The symptom can also be removed with simple means. If the person concerned does not do anything about his greasy hair, the problem will not improve on its own. This lack of hygiene can also have a negative effect on the scalp, causing inflammation and other diseases. However, it is very easy to get rid of greasy hair. To do this, you just need to wash your hair a little more often with a mild and gentle shampoo. When washing, it is important to make sure that the hair is not washed too often either, because this damages the natural protective layer of the hair and it then becomes greasy more quickly. Here you need to find an optimal rhythm in which the hair is washed. Most often it is a wash with shampoo every second or third day. With regular and good hygiene, in most cases there is a positive progression of the symptom and the greasy hair disappears. Only in rare cases, the affected person must then go to the doctor because of this problem.
Prevention
To prevent oily hair, it is also recommended to avoid hair conditioners, as they are more suitable for dry or straw hair. Shampoos with silicone as an ingredient should also be avoided. Also oils, essences or similar substances should not be included in the shampoo for oily hair. Finally, the hair should not be washed every day. In the beginning, the hair may look so even greasier, but in the long term, the sebum production of the body is reduced and the hair does not need to be washed as often as before.
What you can do yourself
Oily hair can usually be treated very easily, this symptom does not require a visit to the doctor. They are usually a sign of poor hygiene and can be treated simply with a more frequent washing of the hair. Here you need to choose a shampoo that does not make the hair greasy quickly and ideally also without silicones.The hair is thus spared during washing and therefore does not become greasy so quickly. Under certain circumstances, hair gels or hair sprays can be the reason for greasy hair. Those who use these products should possibly do without them. There are also many products that contain wax and thus the hair does not grease so quickly. However, greasy hair can also occur if the patient washes the hair too often. The hair becomes greasy more quickly because the natural greasy layer is washed off too often. In this case, washing the hair less often helps. In the first few days this may seem uncomfortable, however, the hair improves after a few days. The interval here can be increased continuously to get the hair used to it.
