I wish I only had to wash my hair once a week. Sadly, that still remains a distant dream. Come summer, my naturally fine hair is often greasy the day after washing it. Add to this an oily scalp that goes into overdrive in the heat, plus my being assiduous about sunscreen application, and the season is a disaster for my bangs, which immediately become stringy. I always carry a travel-sized dry shampoo in my handbag, but a hairdresser recently gave me some great advice for keeping my greasy hair under control—and since I’ve been following his tips, my hair doesn’t get greasy nearly as quickly, too.
The best pro tips for greasy hair
Use a deep cleansing shampoo
Instead of standard shampoo, hairdresser Pascal Schymick, founder of About Hair in Düsseldorf, recommends washing hair with a clay-based formula, like Kérastase’s Balancing Shampoo. “It’s a deep cleanser,” Schymick says. “It’s recommended that you use it once a week, however, if your hair becomes greasy quickly, you can use the product more often.” I’ve been using it every other wash ever since. Not only have I noticed that my hair isn’t as greasy (washing every third day), but it also has a lot more volume.
Consider the scalp separately
One reason I’ve shied away from deep-cleansing products in the past, despite my oily scalp, is the dry ends of my hair, which are quite damaged by regular highlighting. Schymick’s solution is mixing products from different ranges. “Long hair, especially lightened hair, has completely different needs on the lengths of the hair than on the scalp. You should consider both in isolation and select the products accordingly.”
More expert tips to combat greasy hair
- Turn down the temperature of your shower. “Hot water boosts sebum production,” explains Schymick, who recommends washing with lukewarm water.
- Rinse well. It’s extremely important to thoroughly rinse out all of the in-shower products applied to the hair. People know “that product residue can make hair look separated and dirty,” he says, but “product residue can also irritate the scalp and therefore stimulate sebum production.” The rule of thumb is to always rinse out for at least twice as long as you take to distribute the product in the hair.
- Don’t use dry shampoo every day. Yes, it soaks up excess oil, “but too many layers can put a strain on the scalp.”
- Don’t air dry your hair. “Hair dryers used to dry out your hair and break it as they got very hot. Now they are very gentle. Also, avoid sleeping with wet hair.
- Don’t be afraid of hair oil—even if you have fine hair. “When used correctly, a good product is actually extremely light and doesn’t weigh hair down,” says Schymick. “Look for something light but that will still provide intensive care. You only need one or two drops and I recommend rubbing it into your hands like a hand cream, really only running it through the tips and lengths of your hair.”
