Help - how to wash thick, greasy teen hair!

[BreakfastClub80]

We’re having trouble with DD12’s hair and I wondered if anyone could offer any advice. She has very thick, long hair and now puberty has hit it is getting greasy. The problem is that she is struggling to get her hair clean when she washes it in the shower, it generally seems to hold onto the grease or possibly some of the shampoo. We’ve been trying different shampoos and using a squirt bottle to get diluted shampoo to the roots but it’s not really helped.

If I wash it for her in the bath, it’s ok but obviously she doesn’t want me to do that every time.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

You can buy shampoo brushes in boots.

Shampoo it twice

(As in shampoo rinse shampoo rinse)

@BreakfastClub80 My hair used to get very greasey at the roots but dry at the ends.

Super drugs Manuka Honey and Avocado Shampoo and Conditioner works great!

Shampoo twice.

Have a good thinning haircut.

Would it be worth getting it thinned out? My DD found hers much easier to manage once some weight had been taken out.

DD has the same problem and we’ve discovered that Head and Shoulders (2 x washes) does the trick, also to apply to damp hair rather than under running water (to give it a proper lather before rinsing).
And no conditioner as that tends to make it greasy.

There's a L'Oréal Elvive shampoo and conditioner for oily roots. It's got clay or something in it and it's in a turquoise bottle.
I have really thick hair and go through wee phases of it being ridiculously greasy and this stuff sorts it right out! I shampoo it twice and have my hair thinned out a few times a year

get her to really work the shampoo suds into the roots of her hair, and if she doesn't feel there's enough use more product - maybe try to avoid double shampooing as this could strip her scalp too much and cause over-production of oil to compensate.

make sure she only conditions the ends and mid-lengths of her hair - her scalp doesn't need the extra moisture.

if your shower head has the function where you turn to change the pressure by twisting the head get her to turn it so it only comes out of the middle fews holes quite forcefully and use that for her final rise to really push any remaining product out of her head.

Thanks all, some good ideas here.

If you thin the hair, is it noticeable when tying it back etc?

I also have thick hair but I’m wondering if mine has been thinned generally with the styles I have so maybe it’s been easier for a long time.

DD2 has similar hair although she has had it cut to shoulder length last summer.

Herbal Essences the green one www.boots.com/herbal-essences-shampoo-dazzling-shine-400ml-10083180 is great for greasy hair but she needs to get used to doing a double shampoo and rinsing for a lot longer than she thinks.

Conditioner on the lengths and ends, the scalp doesn't really need it.

DD2 has to wash her hair every day (so do I and have done since I was a teenager) and she also found that she gets seborrhoeic dermatitis which is what cradle cap is in babies but T gel sorts it out used 3 or 4 times a week as the first wash. The dermatitis makes her hair look really greasy around the scalp even when it has just been washed.

Another vote for a shampoo brush here. My hair is also very thick and gets greasy very quickly, a shampoo brush works better than any other method I've tried and means I don't have to have my hair thinned out (which can make it awkward to put into updos I find).

Conditioner from just below where a bobble would sit on a low ponytail only. Use the brush to brush this out too.

You don't need nearly as much shampoo as you would otherwise and they feel really nice on the scalp too.

I just use a tangle teezer and it leaves my hair very clean and soft. Brushing out after conditioner makes it easier to make sure everything is properly rinsed out too so there is no unpleasant residue

Switch the shower off while shampooing and lather it up on the scalp.
Put the shower back on to rinse

Tangle teezer wet brush for both shampoo and conditioner

My hair had a residue after washing...herbal essences daily detox is really good and got it feeling clean again. Wash and rinse twice and only put a small amount of conditioner on ends

Make sure she emulsifies the shampoo before putting it on her scalp

Does your daughter use lots of products on her hair? May be that there is product build up that the shampoo isn't getting through. If mousse or gel is used it's got silicones in it and needs a good sulphate laden shampoo to get it all out.

If product build up isn't the problem it may be natural oils and in that case it may be oily as shampoo is stripping natural oils and drying hair and scalp has gone into overdrive producing oil. In that case I'd recommend washing with a milder sulphate free shampoo and washing less often to allow the hair to settle and it will produce less oils over time and will balance.

Shampooing twice is good if there is a build up of products. (Ie. Shampoo, rinse, shampoo rinse and the little bit of conditioner on ends and then final rinse)

We swim twice a week and wash it at the pool. Hair washing is a BIG reason for this. Her hair gets really properly wet and I can easily help her in the shower.

It’ll be her technique if you can manage to do it properly in the bath.

So I would concentrate on teaching her. Stand in the room while she’s showering if you must, but reiterate to lather it up, use her fingertips, leave it for a bit then rinse for a few minutes. Then repeat.

A clarifying shampoo really helped mine, Aussie Mega Shampoo is good. She needs to really get her fingers in and scrub. I wouldn't use any conditioner to be honest, I still rarely use it and if do then only on the very ends. I also still have to wash my hair every day, no amount of washing it less for any length of time has ever stopped it being oily

Another vote for a scalp/shampoo brush www.amazon.co.uk/Massager-Shampoo-FReatech-Cleaning-Silicone/dp/B077PQB2HC

I second the L’Oréal shampoo for greasy roots, with clay in it. It’s the only thing that works for my teen’s greasy hair.

My teen dd’s hair is the same and she was really struggling to get it clean. She uses the Elvive clay shampoo and she has an undercut which has made a huge difference.
Her school are fine with it as it’s only visible when she puts her hair up for pe.

Try a clarifying shampoo - we use Paul Mitchell's Shampoo Two. Expensive but you don't need very much. DDs greasiness was mainly product buildup and not rinsing properly, this helps a lot. Also, only using conditioner on the lengths and ends, not the roots.