Nightmare combination hair - greasy roots and dry, fluffy ends. Please help!

[MingoLikeMe]

Hi everyone,

Really hoping that the S&B gurus can help. I have collarbone-length hair which is naturally wavy. It gets greasy so quickly at the roots, literally a day after washing, sometimes less. It's actually worse underneath, so it looks gross if I try to wear it up - I thought you were supposed to be able to wear your hair up nearer to 'washing day', but I seem to be the other way around The rest of my hair sticks out in a fluffy triangle, like Hermione Granger (but definitely Book Hermione and not glossy Emma Watson )

I've tried soooo many products and tricks to try and tame it. Sulfate-free shampoos (OGX and Body Shop), curly girl, Tresemme clarifying shampoo, water softener on the shower, drying hair upside-down, not going to bed with damp hair, washing every day, washing twice a week...

One thing that's helped has been getting a proper brush, with a combination of synthetic and boar bristles, and getting the ends trimmed a bit where they were super dry and splitting. There are nice things about my hair - it's thick and I like the colour - but I'm definitely not getting the most out of it. I'd love it to be shiny and wavy and swishy, and to stay bloody clean just a bit longer

I'm thinking I might need to go for a higher-end/more intensive sort of product? Or maybe a medicated/pharmacy one for my nightmare scalp?

So far I've found the following suggestions:

• Neutrogena T-Gel once or twice a week, plus Dr Organic Charcoal purifying shampoo
• Hask Charcoal purifying shampoo
• Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil or Sunday
• Philip Kingsley Moisture Balancing - I noticed that one of the main ingredients is SLS, so not sure whether this is worth it? People seem to rave about it though, so I'm willing to give it a go!
• Kerastase Specifique Bain Divalent - this one had more mixed reviews, but open to trying it

Can anyone help, or share what has worked for you? I'm totally at the end of my tether with my mop!

I have slightly longer hair and am loving olaplex 6 on the mid to ends. A tiny bit has sorted my fluffies.

Ah, thank you @Bimblesalong! I've just bought Olaplex No 3, but I've not tried it yet. I'll look into 6 too!

What do you do to style your hair? If it is fluffy or frizzy, you will probably have to do something like blow dry it properly or straighten it to sort that out.

As for the roots, my hair is curly and I was getting really greasy roots. I do think it was a bit of product build up. Since I started using OGX charcoal shampoo, I don't have the problem.

Also blast the roots of your hair with the hairdryer. Mine is always less lank and greasy if I blast the roots.

What is your water pressure like? Are you rinsing properly? I had crap hair for about two years as a student simply because the shower in my house was shit and I wasn't rinsing enough because of it.

As a last resort,

Thank you, @MrMeeseekslookatme I normally roughly dry it with the hairdryer and then straighten the ends, which probably doesn't help with splittage! I do have a Revlon One-Step as well, which I'm trying to use more often. Blasting the roots definitely helps a bit, thankyou! Great tip as well about rinsing, I don't think I do rinse enough.

I use the Phillip Kingsley. It's really very good

@BadEyeBri oooh, I'm so tempted. It was the SLS that made me doubt it, but everyone has such good things to say about it. I don't mind spending a bit more if it really does work. I think there are tester sizes available too... Do you use any of his other products? The Elasticizer (sp?) is mean to be brilliant, isn't it?

Op, when you say you blast your roots, do you have it on the highest heat. Too much heat on the scalp can cause more oil.

Could you post a pic? Maybe it needs cutting shorter, to stop the dry ends?

@MingoLikeMe I have the shampoo, conditioner, elasticizer and some serum stuff. I got a box set in the sale from John Lewis. It's really very good and lasts ages coz you don't need a huge amount.
I have scalp psoriasis and it's been very good whilst using the PK. I've only used my medicated shampoo once a week max. Good luck

PK Moisture Balancing shampoo and conditioner was a game changer for me. Fine, but lots of it, bra strap length hair, greasy roots and dry ends. I always shampoo twice and condition mid lengths and ends only. Elasticizer once a week. Went from daily washing to every 3 (or 4 if I put it up) days. It is expensive, but worth every penny for me.

You need a good sulphate shampoo to clean the roots properly and a silicone conditioner to smooth the ends. Believe me have tried EVERYTHING and also understand the chemistry. Look at the crap that is in sulphate free shampoos. And that crap doesn’t even clean the hair as efficiently.

I have not seen a picture, but, it sounds like you have lovely wavy thick hair that is basically out of control (you were me a few a years ago).... don't strip it, try kerastase for firiz (the salmon/pale orange colour). Get a wide toothed comnb - afro combs super, the dyson comb you get with the hairdryer even better (lots on ebay!). Wash it, condition it,put the antifrizz kerastae stuff throught it, comb it with big comb, then leave it alone....
if you have to dry it, "plop" it in old tshirt, but basically leave it alone. Then you get waves :-) If the ends are dry, go for argan oil, Morrocan oil (treatment) is ok, but any 'end' treatment is good.

Just use an anti dandruff shampoo for a bit

Dandruff is actually caused by oily skin believe it or not, so those anti dandruff shampoos will eradicate the grease from your roots and balance your hair even though you don’t have dandruff. Follow up with masks and serums for your ends

Thank you all for your advice! I'm a bit nervous to add a picture but I'll try later.

@TFISunny that's interesting about the heat! I do normally use my dryer and Revlon on the hot settings, I'll try turning them down.

@BadEyeBri I've been thinking I might have SP too - going to get a tiny bottle of the Neutrogrena to use now and then to see if that helps, as well as the cool drying and rinse rinse rinsing!

@LivesInLegoland I've also ordered small versions of PK Moisture Balancing but I'm so excited to try them. I had no idea @Blessex that sulfates/SLS would be what my hair actually needed to keep it clean, as well as silicones for the ends - I totally bought into the sulfate-free thing and just thought I had crap hair/a crap scalp! Maybe I do as well, but it seems sulfate free hasn't helped

@Sillybillypoopoomummy () I do actually have a big comb already which I wield with much delight. I'll have a look at the anti-frizzing Kerastase very jealous of your lovely thick waves!

Thank you all so much for your help!

The L'oreal clay shampoo and conditioner is for greasy roots and dry ends, you should give it a go.

@MingoLikeMe I use the T gel coal tar once a week.

@MingoLikeMe hey OP yes the whole sulphate free thing is marketing nonsense cooked up by marketing people. Sulphates are actually really efficient cleansers. It also means they wash out of the hair super efficiently too. Look at what they replace them with. A whole list of alternative chemicals such as Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulphonate (that’s the one in OGX and some Davines products) that don’t even wash out of your hair efficiently so linger around. I find sulphate free shampoos make my hair greasy at the scalp and dry and straw like at the end.

Then one of the most amazing cuticle smoothers is silicone. You can get silicone in both your shampoo and conditioner at various levels. They make my hair smooth and goddess like :-). Again some unscrupulous marketers like to scare us with rubbish stories about them. But many silicones today are super duper lightweight and don’t weigh the hair down.

Good luck x

Dry shampoo for the roots? Won't de-frizz the ends but might help on the hair-up days

I shampoo the top of my hair to the mid lengths and then just put conditioner straight onto the rest and rinse through. Means the ends only get a shampoo rinse and the top doesn't get conditioner.

You're probably trying to hard. I really rate Gruum shampoo and conditioner bars and just get the basic coconut one. My hair has been lovely since using it as well.

I was every 3-4 days and can stretch another day or two with dry shampoo. Similar length wavy 'combination' hair to you.

Hi OP- I have very similar hair to you. Blessex are there any products you could recommend?
Thank you 😊

@Bimblesalong I am also loving Olaplex 6. Expensive but a little goes a long way and I have really noticed an improvement with my dry, straw like hair.

I developed really greasy roots a few years back (possibly peri menopausal - who knows) and have tried quite a few products. I now wash my hair daily as I get a very itchy, scabby scalp if I don't. I was successfully using Neutrogena Oily Scalp shampoo which was amazing for my scalp but waaaay too harsh for the ends. I have long, wavy, colour treated hair so the ends were frazzled even though I was trying to shampoo the roots only and condition the ends. Recently though, I discovered a range called Imbue and it's been revolutionary for me. I still wash daily but my scalp is clear, the ends are in wonderful condition and my curls are the best they've ever been.
I use the shampoo, conditioner, leave in curl conditioner spray & curl defining cream daily and twice a week I use their conditioning treatment.

imbuecurls.co.uk

Agree with @Sukura7, the L'Oréal clay shampoo and conditioner is amazing on my greasy roots and fluffy ends.

I was going to suggest Kerastase Bain Divalent before I saw it was on your list. I’ve used it for another 10 years and also occasionally use the over 40s one too, green rube can’t remember brand. I have hair that sounds similar to yours, possibly not quite as thick. I tend to avoid conditioner. I wash it every other day. I’ve found the Kerastase one the best, recommended to me by my (old) hairdresser.

This describes my hair perfectly and I also have no idea what to do to fix it. I have also recently come to the conclusion that sulphate free does not work - I get massive product buildup that looks like thick grease especially when I put my hair up.

I’ll give the Olaplex 6 a go but definitely watching with interest.