CAN you go days without washing your mane – or are you one of those people who need shampooing every other day?
If your answer is the latter, a beauty whizz has revealed how a common drying mistake will make all the difference and keep your tresses fresher for longer.
According to experts, there are a number of factors behind why your hair seems to get oily so quickly.
These range from your hair products and hairbrush, to how often you’re washing your locks and whether you’re on your period.
More than a mere nuisance, greasy hair can also sometimes indicate other issues – such as hair loss or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
But as recently explained by TV doctor Raj Arora, what you do after showering can also have an impact.
Spilling the beans on TikTok, the guru explained that there’s no need to fork out on pricey haircare products or go days without washing your locks to ”train” the mane.
The answer to fresher tresses for longer – drying your hair the right away.
Dr Arora said: ”Number one hack is – don’t bother buying expensive products.
”Don’t bother with trying to train your hair or do whatever you’re doing – cause none of it is going to work.
”Best thing to do is make sure that you are blow drying your hair and not air drying your hair.
”That will help to reduce how quickly your hair becomes greasy,” she said in the video posted under the username @drrajarora.
Plenty of other experts in the field have also warned that air drying your locks could actually be making them look worse.
“When hair is wet the hydrogen bonds are broken, temporarily, and by repeating the process of leaving your hair damp for hours on end is likely to damage the cuticle of the hairs and its outer layers, over-exposing the cortex,” hair loss specialist Stephanie Sey told Glamour magazine.
And another hair expert – dermatologist Dr Sharon Wong – agreed.
“The hair has an outer protective cuticle layer formed of overlapping keratin protein layers like tiles on a roof,” she explained.
“When these ‘keratin tiles’ are laying flat and tightly overlapped this creates a highly protective layer.”
But when hair is wet, it’s in its most “elastic state” and at its most vulnerable.
If your hair gets really greasy despite regular washing, there is a beauty buy that may be for you.
Infused with pro-vitamin B5, M&S’ Clarifying Hair & Body Wash cleanses and nourishes your skin and hair with every use.
Its gentle formula includes natural sugar beet to remove impurities while hydrating, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalised.
The effective formula also boasts sea fennel and cedar, making for the perfect refreshing scent – and it retails for just £3.
Ingredient DOs and DON'Ts for greasy hair
If you have oily roots, try to choose products with ingredients to help balance your scalp without overwhelming it.
Here are some ingredients to look for, according to Kate:
- Salicylic acid: This ingredient helps exfoliate the scalp, removing excess oil and dead skin cells, which can contribute to buildup and greasy hair
- Tea tree oil: Known for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties, tea tree oil can help to control excess oil while soothing the scalp
- Witch hazel: A natural astringent, witch hazel can help to tighten the skin and reduce oil production, making it a good choice for oily scalps.
- Green tea extract: Rich in antioxidants, green tea extract can help reduce sebum production and promote a healthier scalp environment.
Ingredients to avoid:
- Heavy oils: Ingredients like coconut oil and argan oil can be too heavy for those with oily roots, potentially making the problem worse
- Silicones: While silicones can make hair feel smooth and shiny, they can also build up on the scalp and hair, trapping oil and leading to greasy roots
Social media users react
Posted earlier this summer, the clip has already racked up more than 700k views, over 26k likes and 133 comments.
One person cried: ”I have greasy hair, nothing helps. Its just the way my hair is and i cant beat the system, just wash them every 2 days, no hacks will help.”
Another had the same struggle, writing: ”I wash it in the evening, blow dry it, go to sleep, wake up and have to put dry shampoo in it already, it looks greasy at 11am already.”
”Whenever i blow dry my hair i feel like it gets oily faster,” someone else chimed in.
