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It’s not the first time we’ve been asked, “Why does my hair get greasy after one day?”. And you can understand why. For many people with a good hair grooming routine, greasy hair is baffling and frustrating after a day. This article offers some insights on the issue and recommends inexpensive and straightforward remedies.
Excessive sebum production and incorrect use of hair cosmetics are the major causes of greasy hair after one day. Other contributing factors include your hair type or texture, humid environments, constant sweating, and frequent exposure to dust. Excessive sebum production is caused by malfunction of the sebaceous gland, hormonal changes, excess scrubbing of the scalp, and over-washing your hair.
Sebum is the essential natural oil your scalp and hair need to maintain a healthy and moisturized status. It makes your hair look healthy and strong, but just like any other thing, too much of it is bad for the hair.
Causes of Greasy Hair After One Day
There are two primary causes of greasy hair after one day. One of which is human error in the overall hair care routine. The other is the malfunction of the sebaceous gland. But we discuss these in more detail below.
Excess Sebum Production
Sebum is the organic oil generated by the sebaceous gland. It is entrusted with preventing disease-causing microbes and maintaining healthy hair and scalp. Despite the body regulating its production, various factors can lead to excess sebum production. These include malfunction of the sebaceous gland, hormonal changes, over-washing your hair, and hair texture.
Malfunction of Sebaceous Gland
A malfunction of the sebaceous gland can lead to Seborrheic Dermatitis. These are inflamed and scaly patches in the scalp that form dandruff. The condition also results in the build-up of excess oil, which causes a greasy feel after a day of hair washing.
Hormonal Changes
Sebum secretion is highly dependent on hormones such as androgens. For instance, androgen hormones like testosterone increase when a woman approaches her monthly period. Sebum production is hence increased, leading to greasy hair. The same applies during puberty when the sebaceous glands expand and grow to function more intensely.
Over-Washing Your Hair
Frequent washing of hair might seem to be the reasonable thing to do when faced with greasy hair. However, this is not encouraged because it is counterproductive. Over-washing rids your hair of natural oils, which keeps it healthy and strong. When the levels of natural oils reduce drastically, the scalp is triggered to produce more oil to compensate for the loss.
Again, sometimes we are tempted to think that we must scrub it thoroughly to keep the scalp clean. However, when shampooing, the rule of thumb is to scrub the scalp gently to not irritate it. Apart from other undesirable effects, an irritated scalp could result in the production of more sebum. And this may cause your hair to get greasy after one day.
Hair Texture
The texture of your hair might be the reason your hair appears greasy after a day. Sebum production is often higher on textured hair, so you would expect it to be greasy. However, thick and textured hair tends to handle excess oil much better than thin or fine hair. On the other hand, multi-textured hair can have an uneven distribution of natural oils leading to a greasy feel at the root.
Use of Hair Cosmetics
If not applied appropriately, products used during and after your hair wash routine can cause greasy hair a day after washing. Below are a few of the elements you should avoid.
Incorrect Use of Hair Products
Some hair products should be applied on the tips instead of the roots and along the hair strand. For instance, the hair conditioner on the hair root might not come off easily when rinsing. The waxy product will ultimately promote build-up leading to a greasing feel a day after washing your hair.
Use of Product Combination
A wide range of products is used in washing, treating, and styling. For instance, the use of leave-in treatment products, scalp ointments, and styling gels will encourage grease build-up. The combination will likely cause a greasy feel a day after the wash.
Greasy Hair Remedy
The following are some simple remedies to consider avoiding greasy hair after one day.
Correct Product Application
Always use the product as instructed. Remember, hair conditioning is mainly done on the hair strand and not the roots. Therefore, ensuring the conditioning product does not affect the hair roots is essential. Also, be sure to flush out all the shampoo before starting the conditioning process.
Invest in Quality Hair Products
Buy shampoo products that can clean your oily scalp while effectively regulating sebum production. It may be worth investing a bit more to get a shampoo that has dual capability. But in the end, it proves cost-effective.
Come Up with a Hair Routine
Over-washing or under-washing can lead to greasy hair. Since we all have different hair types, the hair routine should be based on one’s hair needs. There are those that wash their hair once per week. And then there are others who prefer to do it bi-weekly. You can experiment and determine the routine that works for you.
Use Amalgamated Hair Products
For hair needs that will require different hair treatment regimens, one is advised to buy composite products. This is as opposed to buying different products that might encourage the build-up of chemicals, buying one that can serve various purposes.
Know Your Hair Needs
Before purchasing a hair product, you should ensure that you’re aware of the type of hair you have. This will help you pick a suitable variety to address your hair needs.
Manual Sebum Distribution
This method entails distributing sebum build-up from the root to the strand by combing and brushing the hair. This technique, also called the sebum coating method, moves excessive oils from the root and improves hair strand moisturization.
Purifying Shampoo
Purifying shampoo is ideal for removing excess oil build-up. It can be very effective when used weekly in conjunction with the appropriate shampoo and conditioner for your type of hair.
Conclusion
Discovering your hair needs a second wash 24hrs after your last wash can be frustrating and draining economically. While such a situation can be managed with simple and inexpensive remedies, a recurring condition might need a dermatologist’s attention.
To prevent your hair from getting greasy, monitor your hair routine, environment, and quality of the hair products you are using.
