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Original poster

Help - how to wash thick, greasy teen hair!

62 replies

BreakfastClub80 · 14/12/2021 16:48

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.

OP posts:
Original poster
BreakfastClub80 · 14/12/2021 21:10

Thanks so much!

DD doesn’t use products but has had some dandruff so it sounds quite like your DD @MrsPnut. I think she really needs to shampoo daily but she’s not that interested yet (I’m sure it won’t be long before I can’t get her out of the bathroom Grin).

I’ll get some of the shampoos you’ve all recommended and I think I should watch her in the shower as you say @Iggly. I think we’ve moved on from me actually doing the shampooing and supervising the rinse to her doing it all herself at the moment when puberty kicked in. We also used to do some washes at swimming too @VerveClique.

OP posts:
AnotherMansCause · 14/12/2021 21:28

Conditioner below the neckline only.
If she's struggling with getting a good lather, I'd recommend one of the silicone scalp massage brushes that are designed for using with shampoo. My 9y/o DD has got a lot better at washing her thick hair since I got her one.
Definitely wash twice. Not necessarily with a harsh shampoo, it could be overstimulating oil production.
Can she wear it up literally all the time in between washes? I used to. My hair was dreadfully oily as a teenager, I had to get up early before school every day as it looked awful within 12 hours unless I wore it up & didn't touch it (looked reasonable then). I got quite good at styling it damp so it held all day, in a number of styles, with very little product & no heat so I had no splits.
The type of hairbrush makes a difference. Thick oily hair does not suit a bristle brush. I've always used a brush with a wooden handle & metal prongs, much better. It doesn't create static, flatten the hair or encourage the oil production as much.

KitKatKit · 14/12/2021 21:40
  • Proper haircut with weight taken out
  • Shampoo,rinse, shampoo again, rinse again
  • Conditioner on the very ends only
  • Make sure she's washing / moisturising her face properly- if her skin is greasy or unbalanced, that will trickle into her scalp and add unnecessary oils.
  • Try The Body Shop Ginger Shampoo. It's great for dandruff and seems to have a clarifying effect on my very very thick barnet.
  • Your DD might actually have a super dry scalp and the excess oil production is down to the scalp over compensating. Try liberally massaging pure almond oil into her scalp as a hair mask/ treatment , leave it in for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon when you're at home and nowhere to be, then rinse out with at least three shampoos. If you do it weekly it will help rebalance and hopefully make her scalp less oily in the long run.

HTH!

SweetBabyCheeses99 · 14/12/2021 21:48

It’ll be technique not shampoo brand. My much younger sister had terribly greasy hair when she hit puberty and our parents were useless so I had to help her to do it properly until she caught on.
My preferred technique - get hair really wet, inc. underneath. Wash roots only with a solid shampoo bar - really emulsifies things. Rinse and Wash again with shampoo. Then condition mid lengths to ends.
I find blowdrying actually makes it stay clean longer (ensure wash hands first so no cream or oils on them) but not straightening.
Having hair “thinned out” has its cons as well as pros. It will sit better in a style - but the key word is style as you actually need to put a bit of effort in! If hair is left to air dry or just piled up then the shorter hairs all stick out and it looks worse!

NC6789012 · 14/12/2021 21:52

Double shampoo, emulsify a single pump/10p size shampoo in your hands first, wash the scalp not the middle & lengths. Condition only the lengths. Don't get a greasy hair shampoo as itll strip the scalp causing it to produce more oil. Get a shampoo & conditioner for normal hair.

honeylemonteaforme · 14/12/2021 21:56

Thick heavy hair is hard work in the shower, we often go for washing under the water in a bath with only the final rinse being with a jug.
But you need to teach her to really get her hands into to the roots under the water.

pastypirate · 14/12/2021 21:57

Is the water pressure crap? I can really struggle in some showers and I have thick greasy hair.
Dd1 has to use head and shoulders and I tell her to scrub her scalp and this seems to get the job done

nothingcanhurtmewithmyeyesshut · 14/12/2021 22:01

Mines the same. I have to wash it in the bath and the only way it gets properly clean is to actually submerge it and rinse it underwater. I lie down and dunk my head back. Easiest way.

liveforsummer · 15/12/2021 07:13

My dd12 has had the same problem for the last year. We've tried a few things already suggested here including head and shoulders but my latest find is the tea tree shampoo and conditioner from Lidl. It's been a game changer and is cheap as chips too

christmaspavlova · 15/12/2021 12:59

It's worth trying a shampoo bar.

nanbread · 15/12/2021 13:05

2 x or even 3 x shampoos, focused on scalp, try not to rub too hard or use water that's too hot but you really need to get in there. some shampoos don't lather enough or lather too much especially if you are in hard water. An apple shampoo or something slightly acidic (tea tree also) can help.

Make sure you rinse REALLY well and get hair really wet before shampooing. The bath dunk idea a PP suggested works well. Tiny amount of conditioner on ends only. If it gets tangled try brushing it before you get in the shower.

Use Batiste dry shampoo on between days. Try not to touch hair or brush roots and keep it off face of face is greasy. Headbands are good for that

Original poster
BreakfastClub80 · 15/12/2021 17:49

Thank you 🙏

I think this is going to need a bit more patience than my DD has but at least I know I have all the tricks now. I have thick, greasy hair too but I guess when I was her age, we only had a bath so it must have seemed more manageable!

OP posts:
KirstenBlest · 15/12/2021 18:08

I'd guess that the shampoo is rinsed away by the shower water before it's lathered up properly or that the hair isn't properly wet when it's applied

Camdenish · 15/12/2021 18:14

Having similar issues. High end hairdresser friend suggests she does one wash with shampoo on dry hair, shampooing the scalp. Rinse and shampoo the now wet hair.
Oh, and it’s important the shampoo and conditioner don’t have silicones, or anything with “cone” on.

Clean the hair brush and comb, and new pillow case on daily.

TR888 · 15/12/2021 18:54

When I was your daughter's age, I had similar hair and the shampoo didn't lather properly first time. So I shampooed it once, rinsed it, then shampooed it again. Otherwise I couldn't get it properly clean.

I don't need to do that any longer, now that I'm older. Your post brought the memory back!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 15/12/2021 18:58

@KirstenBlest

Switch the shower off while shampooing and lather it up on the scalp. Put the shower back on to rinse
Or just move your head out of the way of the water Grin

OP, I second washing it twice and no conditioner. Also swapping shampoos now and again ,maybe a baby shampoo.

KirstenBlest · 15/12/2021 19:05

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor, I switch it off, and do the same when I apply conditioner.

It uses less water and less electricity, and my hair benefits.

While the water is off I use soap on my wet smelly bits , then when I have the conditioner on my hair, I use nice shower gel on one of those net things. Otherwise it just goes down the drain.

I rinse thoroughly between applications

I care about the planet

DuchessSilver · 15/12/2021 21:39

Lots of good suggestions but agree it may be the water pressure in the shower. I cant get my greasy thick hair clean in an electric shower, it just doesn't get all the shampoo/conditioner/grease out.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 16/12/2021 00:13

[quote KirstenBlest]@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor, I switch it off, and do the same when I apply conditioner.

It uses less water and less electricity, and my hair benefits.

While the water is off I use soap on my wet smelly bits , then when I have the conditioner on my hair, I use nice shower gel on one of those net things. Otherwise it just goes down the drain.

I rinse thoroughly between applications

I care about the planet[/quote]
LOLGrin

Original poster
BreakfastClub80 · 16/12/2021 13:05

Well, the first results are in… DD tried the tip of working the shampoo into the scalp with dry hair (thanks @Camdenish) and following with a second wash. Bearing in mind her hair was horrible yesterday, it has worked really well. There is just one bit where it needs a bit more work but we are both really encouraged.

I will definitely try some of the shampoos recommended too and look for the shampoo brushes as I think these will become easier to use as her hair gets cleaner.

I can’t thank you all enough, it’s been the bane of my life for months now. The only positive thing was that she’ll soon be taller than me so I wouldn’t see it so much! Now I can look forward to lovely hair again Smile!

OP posts:
Justilou1 · 16/12/2021 13:35

Hi @BreakfastClub80… If DD’s hair is greasy and you thin it out, it will probably look more noticeable. (Lanky and stringy…) If DD’s hair is that hard to manage at her age, I would also look at the bigger picture. Does it smell cheesy/or like feet? (If so, you need pharmacy-strength Selsun Gold or something with 2% ketoconazole to help lift dead skin cells, break through the waxy sebum and treat the imbalanced flora (fungus) that develops as dead skin cells that have been trapped underneath the sebum/waxy layer are broken down. You have said that she has a bit of dandruff….. This can also be symptomatic of that problem or even seborrheic dermatitis. Either way, treatment is the same. Both of those shampoos need to sit in the hot and on the scalp for the recommended time.) Does she have any skin problems/excess facial or body hair? Is she overweight? If she is menstruating, is she regular/heavy/suffering from what you consider to be excessive or abnormal pain with her period? Migraines? All of these things could be symptomatic of a hormonal imbalance (such as PCOS) and that should be addressed ASAP. Sometimes going on a contraceptive pill helps, but she is probably a bit too young for that.
Anyhow, I would take her to GP, just to rule out hormonal problems.

CombatBarbie · 16/12/2021 13:46

Def shampoo twice, this has been a game changer for me. First time it doesn't really lather up as its dealing with the grease. 2nd time it does.... And when conditioning remind her to only do from nape of the neck down.

I've also just invested in a shampoo brush so that it gets right into the hair.

For what it's worth I also only wash my hair one or twice a week as found daily washing was making it worse, takes a few weeks for the hair to adjust but will be better for her in long run. Dry shampoo between washes is used on occasion.

ToughTittyWhompus · 16/12/2021 14:10

Clarifying shampoo
Brush
No conditioner above the jaw line

DD1 had the same issue.

sashh · 16/12/2021 15:26

I have psoriasis on my scalp so I have Alphosyl on prescription. You can buy it OTC but it is expensive.

It's very drying and also strip artificial colour it might be worth using once a week.

Make sure she is rinsing her hair from the roots to the ends, the term 'squeaky clean' was coined for hair washing, if it squeaks it is clean.

I treat my hair and scalp as a 2 process wash, I massage and wash my scalp with the shampoo then I wash down the length.
Then I rinse it, starting at the scalp.

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