Why the scalp quickly becomes oily: we understand the reasons

Oily scalp type is characterized by a tendency to excess sebum secretion. Accordingly, hair gets dirty faster and needs to be washed more often. Clients with this type of scalp wash their hair every 1-2 days, as it gets dirty.

This type of hair is quite easy to style, but does not hold its shape very well. Often those with oily scalp suffer from dandruff. A common misconception is that dandruff is caused by a dry scalp, but here it’s just the opposite.

Yulia Sedletskaya, a hair and scalp rehabilitation specialist with 12 years of experience, spoke about the most important reasons why the scalp is prone to excessive oiliness.

Yulia Sedletskaya , hair and scalp rehabilitation specialist with 12 years of experience, technologist at ORising Ukraine

First of all, you need to understand that the work of the sebaceous glands is influenced by factors related to the internal state of the body : hormonal levels, nutrition, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. This is all connected with the client’s internal state. If this is, for example, a girl client who suddenly has oily scalp, but this was not the case before, then, first of all, it is necessary to refer her to a gynecologist-endocrinologist in order to exclude the cause of hormonal changes, namely an increase in male sex hormones , because they affect the functioning of the sebaceous glands.

The sebaceous gland is the excretory system of our body. Its secretions consist of waste products, so in order for the skin to become less oily, you need to eat more vegetables, fruits and reduce the amount of sugar, fast food and fatty foods consumed. Insufficient drinking water, in turn, will also affect the functioning of the sebaceous gland and the production of sebum.

Also, increased oiliness of the scalp is often associated with improper hygiene . Many clients forget (and they need to be reminded of this) that shampoo is selected according to the type of scalp, and not the type of hair structure.

It often happens that a client with bleached, colored hair chooses a moisturizing or shampoo for colored hair. This type of shampoo does not have sufficient ability to properly rinse the scalp. It is because of poor quality cleansing that she may have a complaint of increased fat content.

Therefore, after diagnosing the scalp, a trichologist or hair treatment specialist must select a shampoo suitable for a specific skin type, or even better, comprehensive care.

Also, many clients have problems with oiliness due to the fact that they are trying to “accustom” their skin to infrequent washing . And now we return to the points described above that we cannot externally influence the work of the sebaceous gland, because all this is about the internal state of the body. When a client rarely washes her hair, she can develop dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, because such a serious care mistake has been known for centuries. It is simply impossible to train your skin to become “less oily” due to infrequent hair washing! This is an absolute myth.

What else is very important? The technique of washing your hair is also not the last point in hair care. I always tell my clients that they need to wash their hair every other day or two. And always rinse twice, “lather” with shampoo. You should use shampoo according to your scalp type, and the water should be warm enough and comfortable. Under no circumstances should it be boiling water, but cool water cannot cope with the breakdown of the secretions of the sebaceous and sweat glands that accumulate on the skin. Washing your hair in cold water is not washing your hair well enough.

As for styling products. I don't recommend camouflaging your hair because it clogs your pores and makes the problem worse. Using dry shampoos is also not a solution to the problem of increased oily scalp. Dry shampoo was originally created for use when extra volume is needed. For example, on the catwalks, when volume was needed in hairstyles, but there were no conditions for the usual creation of it, it was dry shampoo that came to the rescue. Now clients have begun to abuse this, sometimes replacing the usual process of washing their hair with dry shampoo, thereby worsening the condition of their scalp.

Using nourishing and moisturizing masks too often on skin that is prone to oily skin can also aggravate the situation. It is necessary to use only properly selected care and peelings for cleansing.