Tips & Advice On Getting Rid Of Oily, Greasy Hair

For those of you who follow my blog, you’ll have seen my recent ‘Tips & Advice On Getting Rid Of Oily Skin’ (link) post. I got a great response on it and decided I’d put together my top tips for minimising oily hair, which I also unfortunately suffer with! I am coming to terms with the fact that I’m just a generally oily person and need to take extra these steps to keep my hair and skin from looking terrible, but I don’t mind at all. I’ve always had greasy hair, ever since I became a spotty, smelly teenager and I’m pretty much used to it now. My hair has very dry ends because of the bleaching I do, which can make things a bit more tricky, but I address that here too! If you’re interested in knowing how to keep greasy hair at bay, then keep reading for my top tips!

Keep your brushes and combs clean

If you’ve got oily hair, then whenever you brush your hair, you’re transferring all the oils onto your brush, and it is collecting there. This means that when you brush your hair, even when it is clean, you’re putting the oils straight back in! I never realised this until midway through last year! I mix a few pumps of antibacterial soap with water in a spray bottle, and spritz them through the bristles, then rinse it off and leave it to dry.

Change your pillowcases

As I said in my oily skin post, pillowcases are brilliant at harbouring all that oil and giving it straight back to you. I like to turn over my pillows after I’ve slept on them, and changing them more often.

Use a dry shampoo

Dry shampoos are sprays which absorb the oil and refresh your hair between washes, and it’s been an absolute saviour for me! You spray it in the roots and sort of massage it in, and not only does it clean up your greasy bits, it adds a bit of volume and texture too. If you don’t have dry shampoo, you can always use talcum powder, but I’d recommend this for lighter hair as it doesn’t blend in to darker hair and can make you look like you’re going grey!

Use the right shampoo and conditioners

When choosing a shampoo and conditioner, look for words like ‘cleansing’, ‘purifying’ or ‘anti-residue’ and avoid ‘nourishing’ or ‘moisturising’ ones. If you’re a person with dry ends though, like me, you make up the moisture when conditioning, but you only condition from the mid-lengths down, and leave it on longer. Make sure you rinse all the products off to ensure the hair stays cleaner for longer.

Keep your skin clean

Your hair is constantly touching your face, neck and back, which can get pretty oily themselves. This transfers onto the hair and causes it to get greasier looking far quicker. To avoid this, keep your skin clean and fresh. I use Skin Doctors T-Zone range, and I absolutely adore it to keep my skin matte and oil free (review here).

Tie up your hair when possible

When your hair is down, it is like a big net for dust, oil, smells and fumes that are floating around in the air. Tying it up is a great way to prolong its freshness because you’re keeping it sort of protected. Use a scrunchie though! Hairbands can damage your hair.