Help needed to sort greasy hair nightmare!!

[ApocalypseMeow]

Hello, looking for some help with my Dd's hair which is currently a disaster. She is 11 years old so I think the hair problem is hormonal. It has been getting greasier over time and this morning she has set off for her first day back at school in tears as it looks so bad. She washed it last night but has woken up with a greasy mess. Does anyone have advice on which products to use, how often to wash etc. Really want to help her as she has poor self esteem when it comes to her appearance already and having bad hair is not helping. Thanks

hmm not sure I agree that washing hair makes it greasier , I have greasy hair and find that I need to wash my hair very thoroughly twice for it to last two days.
Does you dd wash her own hair and does she do it properly , I know my dc needed proper instruction on how to clean head properly , there are youtube videos on how to wash hair properly.

I agree - I still grab DSS2 (16) and wash his hair in an attempt to teach him how to wash it thoroughly and, crucially, rinse it thoroughly!

Thanks for the new suggestions and personal experiences, all really helpful A haircut with layers will probably help, she is due one anyway so will ask next time we go. Better supervision of hair washing is probably required too!

Sympathy for your DD, it must be grim getting used to this.

She should definitely be getting up a bit early and washing her hair in the morning, not at night.

She shouldn't use any conditioner on the roots, and certainly not any shampoo which is 2-in-1 - the natural oils are conditioner enough (if her hair is longer than shoulder length a little conditioner on the tips only is fine.

When washing, do a pre-wash with a small amount of shampoo, then a more thorough second wash.

I find that a thorough scalp-massage with the second wash helps keep my hair non-greasy for longer. I also find that if I wash my hbair every day it is greasy again within 8-10 hours of washing, but that if I wash every 48 hours it stays presentable for at least 20 hours, so I use batiste on alternate mornings. However, this won't be true for all hair types so she'll need to experiment.

Just a question were you using Pantene before? It can leave a "coating" on the hair that makes it really greasy once it builds up.

I second the SLS and silivone free.shampoos as maybe the shampoo she has been using so far has been too harsh and hence.more oil to compensate for it.

I also have a teenage daughter who has struggled with greasy hair for the past two years. Washing every day seemed to make her hair even greasier so we have cut back to washing twice a week and using dry shampoo (if needed) on the other days. Currently we are using a cheap shampoo from Aldi (Carino Herbal Family Shampoo for normal & greasy hair). She uses a small amount of shampoo and washes, rinses and then washes and rinses again. She usually leaves her hair to dry naturally. The other days she uses Batiste dry shampoo if necessary (but often not needed) and this system seems to work best for her at the moment. Of course it could be that her hormones are levelling out and her hair isn't actually as greasy as it was two years ago. I don't know. Anyway this is the best we've had in a long while! Wishing you luck as I know how stressful (and time-consuming) it can be!

I second that Pantene can leave a coating on your hair. I thought I'd greasy hair and so washed my hair more and more to try and get rid of it. The more I washed it the worse it looked. It turned out there was a build up from the Pantene shampoo. My hairdresser suggested the Aussie range and my hair is now much better.

I third the coating (Pantene and others). It's a silicone build up. I've had it myself a few years ago and nothing seems to get rid of the greasy bit for a weeks or so, despite washing it every day as I've always done. My hairdresser recognised it as silicone build up, not grease, and told me to switch to silicone free products. I did that and it was fine from the next wash.

The silicone could be from shampoo, conditioner or products, so you need to look at all of them. Anything with -cone at the end of the word is silicone, so needs to be avoided.

The best one we found for dd 11 is the herbal essence oily one in a green bottle we have to make sure that her hair is fully blow dried otherwise is looks awful with this shampoo she needs it washing every other day

I would wash it in the morning, finishing off with a cold rinse. If that's impossible time wise, be sure to change pillowcases (100% cotton and pillow made of goose down or similar natural fibre) extremely regularly, if not every day. And wash hairbrushes thoroughly regularly too. Clean towel daily too.

Silicone free shampoo - pantene, timotei; or a Lush bar.
Conditioner on ends only.
Washing in the morning - and blow drying.
Using Batiste - personally I hate the brunette one ans prefer the texture of the ordinary one.

I used to be able to go at least a week before I needed to wash my hair Tbh, I could have got away with longer, but that would have been icky. Unfortunately, it's definitely true that the more you wash your hair, the more you need to wash it. The thing is, nobody wants to walk around with greasy hair, so it's a tricky cycle to get out of.

Anyway, now I wash my hair 2 -3 times a week, but I would need to probably wash it every day- every other day. I've tried silicone free shampoos, shampoos for oily hair etc, but they don't really make much difference.

I think OP's dd's situation is different though, as it definitely does sound hormonal. Is she having any other hormonal symptoms, such as mood swings, acne etc? I would have thought that if it is some kind of hormonal imbalance, then this could be helped if you go to your gp, possibly with medication, but I'm not an expert. For now though, I would suggest that your dd washes her hair in the morning and not the night before. Make sure the water isn't really hot, don't use too much conditioner (maybe she doesn't need any) DON'T massage your roots too vigorously, gently massage, but not for long and don't use conditioning shampoos. Also, suggest that she doesn't touch her hair much.

Really hope this gets sorted for your dd. We all know how tough those years are and a problem like this is going to feel huge to her. Has she been to her gp?

My teenage DDs have the same problem and to solve it use the Redken Hair Cleansing Cream Shampoo once a week or so to remove product build up.

Redken is usually available in hair salons rather than shops. Any clarifying shampoo will do the trick though if you can't get Redken.

Ah, you see, layers are death to my hair. Less volume for the grease to spread through so it's even worse. I have layers of less than one inch shorter than my longest length.

Sadly it's trial and error but hopefully you've got a few ideas.

Ds1(10) hair gas become very greasy recently. Assumed like you, it was hormonal.
He is having a shower most mornings.
I have VERY greasy hair and have never been able to wash it the night before. If I did I woke up with greasy limp hair. I wash it in the shower, every morning. Have done for 30 years.
Maybe your dd is just going through a stage, or maybe this us it for her, like me.

Naked do a shampoo and conditioner and its sls free i believe

I know that if you use a harsh shampoo and no conditioner your hair gets more greasy as there are not natural oils left to nourish it. You could try gentle shampoo, or baby shampoo, yes, she will have to shampoo 2-3 times to get it clean. Then use a conditioner all over incl the scalp, as if the scalp is dry, then more natural oils and produced to nourish it and your hair is more greasy at the end. Let her wash her hair in the mornings and use a hairdryer for more lasting effect.

Dd (10) and I both have greasy hair, we use either tea tree shampoo and conditioner or vosene as that strips the hair, we both shower every morning, 2 shampoos and a conditioner, only conditioning from the nape down, I always check dds hair to make sure she has properly rinsed it, if there is conditioner left in it goes really greasy.

What ever you do don't cut her hair short! I had the same problem 6 years ago when I was 12. I had to wash my hair every day the problem was silicone and build up from hair products and shampoos, all she needs is a clarifying shampoo that removes build up one of the best ones is Herbal Essences Fresh Balance shampoo for normal/oily hair in a green bottle asda has it for £1 at the moment! It will remove all the build up and silicone that stays on her hair if you've used heat from hair tools and dryers that silicone layer will heat up and cool down again putting a sealant on her hair. Try the shampoo tresemme also does one called deep cleanse in a green and black bottle again £2.50 for a huge bottle in asda don't use every wash as it harshly drying on the hair and use a small amount of dry shampoo in between washes when the roots start to feel oily. Hope the problem is sorted for her I know how it feels x www.boots.com/en/Herbal-Essences-Fresh-Balance-Shampoo-400ml_863367/ www.boots.com/en/TRESemme-Vitamin-C-Deep-Cleansing-Shampoo-500ml_14756/

Another vote for batiste. Had greasy hair from around 10 yrs old and batiste has been my saving grace. Another vote too for putting it in before bed and in the morning.

Also I don't care what anyone says- I have to wash my hair every day or it's not fit to be let out in public. Maybe science says otherwise but the mirror doesn't lie. I've tried leaving it but the grease on my hairline just gives me a spotty head!