Should You Wash Oily Hair Every Day?
You probably already know that washing your hair every day will do nothing but strip away all the helpful natural oils on your head. But here's the thing: for some people, specifically those with oily hair, keeping their strands slick with oil is probably the last thing they could think of.
In this article, we'll answer the question: should you wash oily hair every day or will it only worsen your case?
Natural Oils And Hair
Your strands are already loaded with natural oils that make it look plump and lively, in addition to keeping it nourished and moisturized. For some people, however, they may experience an excessive amount of oil, causing their hair to look greasy and unclean.
Now, washing your hair could remove all the extra 'grease' from your strands, but it could backfire in the form of stripping away too much of it. Removing all your hair's natural oils is not at all beneficial, since without it, there's nothing to lock in moisture and nourishment to your strands.
Oily Hair Causes
Oily hair is usually caused by the overproduction of sebum by your scalp's sebaceous glands. The reasons for this are many and varied, and we've already listed the most common ones in this article, "Why Is My Hair So Oily?"
But for the purposes of this article, here's a rundown of the common causes of oily hair:
- bad hair care habits
- poor diet
- side effects of medications
- genetics
All of these can work together in order to cause your oily hair. For example, you can have the best genetics in the world, but if you're eating junk food every day and aren't taking care of your hair properly, then you shouldn't expect to have effortlessly gorgeous hair either. Meanwhile, even if you're eating all the best foods and making sure to regularly do your haircare , if you're taking medications that can cause excessive sweating or other gland issues, then there isn't much you can do to combat the oiliness either.
Should You Wash Oily Hair Every Day?
If you're dealing with oily hair and are wondering if washing every day could help your problem, then we're here to tell you that the answer isn't so clear-cut.
Some people swear that washing their hair on a daily basis has helped them cut down on all the excess oil. In a way, it does make sense, since water is strong enough to wash away your hair's natural oils. No oils, no oily hair, right?
However, we can't exactly recommend washing your hair every day, either. Regardless of how thin or oily your hair may be, washing it every day can still give your dire consequences. Firstly, did you know that you could get oily hair by dehydrating your strands, too? When your hair isn't moisturized enough, your scalp actually tries to overcompensate for this by producing excess sebum, which obviously leads to oily hair.
Conclusion
Seems like a no-win scenario huh? Actually, the best thing to do if you feel like this method works for your would just be to wash often, but still not every day. Do it every other day if it feels like it lessens the oiliness. Just don't overdo it by doing it daily, or else you might do more harm than good.
Can't deal with oily hair? Here's our guide to taking care of oily hair the right way!
For more hair care concerns and questions, don't forget to check out our ZALA blog!
