Greasy hair help needed

[dontdarepokethebear]

DD is soon to turn 14 and thanks to the hormones, her long, fine hair has become very greasy. It is really getting her down.

We're at a loss how to improve it. She washes it daily. If she washes her hair in the morning it is greasy by the end of the day. More often, due to timings she washes it at night but by the morning it greasy again, so she uses volumes of dry shampoo on it.

She has tried oil control shampoo but the only impact seems to be drying out the ends of her hair.

If she uses conditioner, it's only on the ends.

Can anyone suggest products she can use to improve it?

Do silk pillowcases work?

I thought about getting her a heated brush or curling wand for her birthday so she style it out.

Any suggestions/recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Dry shampoo spray, Batiste. Also gives volume.

It sounds like me when I was your DDs age.
Mine was hormonal and washing less did not help at all.
I washed it daily until I was 46, when I finally got Isotretinoin for acne (caused by the hormonal issue). After one week I now have lovely soft hair that can be washed just two or three days per week. This is because my scalp pumps out less oil. I haven’t changed how I wash my hair or the products or how I style it.
I’d not wish acne on anyone but the right treatment for me has certainly be life changing in some ways. My hair and also normal skin which is now normal and isn’t oily and shiny like glass after half an hour of putting on make up…. Which then slid off! Two very happy side effects of the meds (plenty of rubbish ones too mind)

I have greasy hair. I used to wash my hair daily, now evry other day.
What helped me to reducuce frequency of washing hair is the way I wash my hair.
I shampoo them first, massage my scalp then rinse and washing hair again. and with final rinse I use diluted apple cider vinegar.

I’ve found the same. All the clear Herbal Essences shampoos seem to be good for my greasy hair. Definitely washing it twice and I do a final rinse with cold water. Dry shampoo at night before bed, massage it in well but don’t brush it out until the morning. I wash mine every other day but have to wear it tied up on the second day.

T gel shampoo for greasy hair works well for my hair (I still wash it daily though or I feel disgusting) and a scalp scrub once/twice a week. Might just be a marketing ploy but makes my scalp feel totally clean and build up/oil free, think I've got the Pantene scrub at the min

Finally a thread about greasy hair where the majority of people aren’t saying to wash it less. The only thing which has had a decent impact was pregnancy - proving it’s all hormonal and just my skin/hair type.

I’ve never found a conditioner that’s had any affect. But I do think the Lush New shampoo bar is good. Also never let it air dry as it just goes even more lank and stringy and seems to look greasy as soon as it’s dry.

It’s rubbish but hopefully my greasy face will be a bit less wrinkly when I’m older.

i have thin mousy brown hair that is greasy if i do t wash it daily and i have to wash it in the mornings.
I find i can use any shampoo but a few years ago I found Davines All in one milk conditioner and this has transformed my hair.
I still need to wash daily but my hair isn't greasy at the end of the day and it protects my hair from the hairdryer.
I tie the front section of my hair up in a clip to stop me flicking it around and making it more greasy !
Good luck

This is expensive and it comes from NZ but it is hands down the best shampoo I have ever used.
shop.sansceuticals.com/products/volumising-hair-wash
It might help to look for products that don’t have silicones and sulfates, that might be kinder to her scalp?

@dontdarepokethebear, please don't torment your daughter by telling her not to wash her hair every day.
I'm old. When I was 14 I started washing my awful greasy hair every day, although I wasn't allowed. It was the only way I could face leaving the house. About 60 years later I'm still washing it every day because I like the clean feeling, and it's still in good condition.

Thank you for all the recommendations. I definitely don't want DD to put up with greasy hair any longer than she has to - nor does she.

I know DD resents having to wash her everyday so that was hopeful thinking on my part that cutting down on washing which worked for a few people may also work for her.

She will try anything but the reality is, a change of shampoo and continuing with daily washing is the way forward. I'm also going to get her a heated brush for her birthday.

She has spoken about cutting her hair but she doesn't want to. She had a bob in primary school but prefers long hair. Also, she doesn't want to cut the only non-greasy part of her hair off.

DD is feeling more hopeful now (and less alone) - thanks everyone.

I have tried many dry shampoos from £2 to £50 and the only one that works for me is Moroccanoil. I have heard about rinsing the hair in peppermint tea might help.

I’m actually going against the grain here and saying don’t get it cut shorter. I’m a fellow lifelong very very oily, very very thin and fine hair sufferer. Whenever I’ve had a shorter cut it just emphasises the grease as you say OP - you have less hair so there aren’t any bits which aren’t greasy!
I’ve always had it around bra strap length. I will say keeping the ends neat and tidy is important though as if the ends get dry and tatty if just emphasises the oiliness of the roots.

Other than that I completely agree with everything my fellow sufferers are saying - continue to wash everyday but do it in the morning. I know it’s a pain and she will have to get up earlier to wash and dry but sleeping just makes my hair so greasy. If she wants to try and get it an extra day because she really can’t be bothered to wake up early the next day, do what a PP said and LOTS of dry shampoo the night before so it has time to soak up the oils as she sleeps.

I have had greasy hair for as long as I can remember - my newly discovered top tip is to use dry shampoo before bed on the night when I’ve washed my hair. Seems to keep the grease at bay for slightly longer for me.

basically I always use a little dry shampoo on my freshly washed hair

Also definitely no conditioner except on ends of hair. Don’t even spray leave on conditioner on the top part.

Glad its been helpful OP

I don't really understand the hatred for daily hair washing.

Here is the dryer I have I mentioned on a previous post.

I can be up showered made up and hair blow dry in 25 mins. It really take me less time to wash and dry my hair than it does to try and style it without washing.

The wearing it up that people with normal hair will do on day two work on greasy hair, it just looks slick!

I'm looking for a silicone and sulphate free shampoo too.

i have hair like that and I have to wash it every day. I used to not wash it every day and it was so lank and awful. I’ve tried again not washing it every day but it doesn’t work. You just need to find a shampoo that works for her hair. I use Aussie miracles

An anti-dandruff shampoo for a few washes solves a greasy scalp.

Not for everyone! It didn't for me.
I wish people would stop giving 'advice' based on what worked only for them, thinking it would work for everyone.
For some people greasy hair and skin can be due to hormones, anti dandruff shampoo isn't going to cure that!

Products sold as 'volumising powder' will soak up grease too - they are basically dry shampoo in little pots rather than aerosol. Might be cheaper than dry shampoo too.

rotating shampoos can really help. I have 3-4 I use on rotation. your hair gets used to one type and then using a new one really helps.

also I use cornflour rather than dry shampoo, much cheaper and does the same job. I put it in a herb shaker / salt type shaker thing. then brush through.

I'm not sure it's that simple. I had greasy skin as a teen, but dry skin now but still greasy hair that does not get less greasy with not washing.

Another one who hates the train your hair advice - if any other body part was dirty and greasy the advice wouldn’t be to wash it less so why should that apply to hair?

Some tips from another (mostly) daily washer:

the herbal essences clear shampoos are very good - make sure she’s shampooing twice.

a scalp scrub once a week - find one with sea salt which will dry and add volume.

blow dry hair - do not let it dry naturally, it makes it greasier.

dry shampoo the roots after blow drying - this helps keep it fresher for longer - the trick to dry shampoo is to use it to stop the hair getting greasy rather than hoping it will soak up grease on day two.

touch it as little as possible

bleach highlights work wonders in drying the hair out.

following this I can get two good days out of my hair - so washing every other AM, if I’m not going anywhere on day 3 I’ll put it up and forget about it but it looks terrible.

I’ve also attempted to train it - I was in a cast for 9 months which made hair washing a nightmare so I was only doing it once every 10 days, it made no difference it was still disgusting on day 3, tried the same in lockdown 1 for the same result!

If she has a fringe she could try washing just that part of her hair every other morning. Another once a day (or twice if going out in the evening) hair washer here.

Thank you, so helpful.