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Here's the thing, I've been washing my hair once a week (went two weeks once) for nearly 2 months, and my scalp is still greasy after a day, to the point where I can only wear it loose once a week. Is there anything I can do to stop it getting greasy quickly?
I wash my hair every second day. It gets way too greasy on the third day. Also, lots of people here seem to wash their hair every day.
"Is there anything I can do to stop it getting greasy quickly?"
Yup, wash it more often. Every day or two probably won't hurt a thing, especially if you use cool water, good shampoo, and a good conditioner.
--Val
Problem there - My hair gets incredibly dry even shampooing it once after not doing it for two weeks, it loses moisture so quickly. Conditioner does nothing for me, it's never made any difference other than weighing it down.
I can see how that could be a problem. I can't personally attest to their effectiveness, but a number of people here have mentioned oil/hot oil treatments as a way to condition dry hair "deep down." You might also want to pay attention to the air humidity in your general environment. This time of year especially, the air tends to get very dry (at least in cooler climates)... a humidifier is a wise investment.
Maybe you'd be a good candidate for "water only" washing, but try doing it more frequently than you would if you were using shampoo. For example, you might wash your hair every couple of days, using only cool water, apply conditioner and let it really "soak in" for several minutes, then rinse with cool water. Gently soak out some of the water with a towel--but don't vigorously "scrub" with the towel--then let it air dry.)
Hopefully, some members of this community who actually have experience with your hair type will have advice that's worth more than my babbling conjecture. Frankly, I'm baffled by the idea that your scalp is greasy, yet your hair is dry. I guess I always assumed that the two didn't occur simultaneously. Live and learn!
--Val
I have tried water only (for about 8 or 9 weeks!) but it gave me the same problem - hair is greasy one minute but after it has been washed it gets very dry. Plus my hair is quite fine so it looks really bad quickly, which is why greasiness is such a problem.
Hi Kanden,
Sounds very much like my type of hair. I usually try and mitigate it using leave-in conditioner. I usually let my hair down the first day after washing, finger-raking it quite regularly to help distributing scalp serum to the ends. Worked quite well for me. For the second and third days, I'll try and leave it down if it's tolerable, but usually, I'll tie it in a ponytail or braid on the third as by then, I'll be having a head of oil. Yes, I shampoo on every third day.
Jin, your hair looks very much like mine (except yours is a lot thicker). I'll try and find a leave-in conditioner today, and I'll start washing every third day and see how it goes. Thanks guys!
Just for classification, our hair types are known as "combination hair type". We have oily scalp, and dry ends.
Another key issue is the shampoo (why, of course!!). I usually take note of the ingredients list before making a purchase of a new shampoo. The "culprits" that would dry hair are those ending with "Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates (or Sulphates)". They are essentially the agents that produces lather in shampoo. I WILL NOT purchase those where these ingredients are listed FIRST or SECOND (after Water), as that means the shampoo has a huge proportion of it. I'll take the shampoo if it's listed fourth, fifth or even lower down in the list. Best to use Lauryl/Laureth Sulfate-free ones (but they are very hard to find). Also, those with "Laureth" are less harsh and drying than those with "Lauryl".
Finally, a note on the way to shampoo hair... I lather on my scalp only (above the ears), do not pile my hair on top or squeeze the lather down the length. I just let the lather wash off the length, and that is, to me, good enough to clean the length of my hair. After that, I apply conditioner on my hair every where BELOW my ears. Try this, I am certain that this would work well for you!