Common Reasons Why Your Hair Is Greasy (and How to Fix It) (2024)

Waking up in the morning to find that you have suddenly greasy hair can be very frustrating, especially if you’ve just washed it. But you may be relieved to know that there are many reasons your scalp may be oily which have nothing to do with hair hygiene.

You may be experiencing seborrhea, a common skin condition that causes your glands to produce too much oil [1]. Or you may be undergoing hormonal changes which disrupt the oil production balance in your skin and hair. Your diet, medication and stress levels could also play a part in making your strands greasy, as could the hair products you use and even the air quality around you.

While all these factors seem difficult to control, there are things you can do to fix your greasy hair and prevent it from becoming oily again. Depending on your circ*mstances, they may include finding the best hair care routine for your hair type, balancing your hormone levels, eating a healthy, nutritious diet and lowering your stress levels.

Keep reading this article to find out more about:

• The biological process that leads to greasy hair
• The main reasons why your hair is greasy
• How to fix your greasy hair problem
• The relationship between a greasy scalp andhair loss

Table of Contents

What is the grease on your hair?

The natural oil you can see on your scalp, hair and skin is called sebum. Its role is to protect the surfaces it coats from friction, sunlight and excessive moisture. Furthermore, it has been shown to possess some antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties [2]. Sebum is produced by a multitude of sebaceous glands, which cover the entire surface of your skin, except for your palms and the soles of your feet.

Your scalp contains sebaceous glands as well, which are linked to the hair exit channel. The sebum is then spread from your hair roots to the entire length of your strands when you brush it or run your hand through it. If your tresses are long, you may not always produce enough natural oils to reach their ends. This can causedry, brittle hairunless you keep it conditioned and moisturised.

Sometimes, due to a variety of causes, your sebaceous glands may start to produce more oil than necessary. This excess oil can not only clog your pores, leading to acne orscalp folliculitis, but it can also leave your strands looking greasy, flat and clumped together. This can make your hair look dirty even 1 day after you’ve washed it.

What causes greasy hair?

Greasy hair is caused by a variety of reasons, not just infrequent washing. Here are some of the most common causes of a greasy scalp and oily hair:

1. Overactive sebaceous glands

If you are experiencing a condition known as seborrhea, your natural oil-producing glands may be larger than usual and excrete an excessive amount of sebum. Sometimes, this can be an inherited trait, but it can also be triggered by other factors, such as your age or hormones [1].

2. Hormonal activity

Our hormones impact the level of sebum our skin and scalp produces in different ways. Male hormones (androgens) make your sebum-producing glands larger, so men naturally have oilier hair and skin than women.

During puberty, the body is flooded with androgen hormones, which make sebaceous glands increase in size and produce more sebum [3]. The same thing can happen to menopausal women, who no longer produce sufficient amounts of oestrogens to balance their androgens.

Furthermore, ovulating women experience a temporary increase in progesterone, which also leads to greater natural oils produced.

3. Medications

Since hormonal activity influences hair’s oiliness, it may not be surprising that some kinds of birth control medication can increase your sebum secretion (especially mini-pills, which only contain progesterone). However, there are also hormonal contraceptive pills specifically designed to lower sebum production, for cosmetic purposes [4][5].

Additionally, other kinds of medications can make your scalp and skin oily as well. One such example is anabolic steroids, which some athletes take to increase their muscle mass [6]. Some corticosteroids can also cause sebaceous glands to become enlarged in certain people, producing more sebum [7].

Finally, using topical medication for hair loss or common scalp problems, be it a serum such as Minoxidil, a steroid cream or any kind of ointment, can produce a greasy look if it is not applied carefully and it gets in your hair.

4. Hair products

Using hair styling products frequently or in large quantities can lead to buildup on your scalp, especially if you don’t wash your hair very often. This product buildup combines with sweat and sebum and can give your scalp and hair an oily, unhealthy look.

However, the products which can play the largest role in making your hair greasy are certain kinds ofessential oils for hair growth, especially if the hair oil is applied in large quantities and not rinsed properly. For example, mustard oil for hair, castor oil,olive oil for hairand marula oil for hairare heavy and fatty, so they can cause greasy hair if used on an already oily scalp.

5. Hair washing practices

Not washing your hair frequently enough, adding too much conditioner to an already greasy scalp or using the wrong kind of shampoo for your hair type can lead to greasy hair. Moreover, excessive use ofdry shampoo may not cause hair loss, but it can build up on your scalp, giving it an unkempt look.

For this reason, it is important to wet-wash your hair regularly if you frequently use dry shampoo, preferably with a clarifying shampoo to deeply cleanse both the hair and oil buildup on the scalp. Read more regarding how often you should wash your hair to keep it strong and healthy.

6. Temperature

Excessivesunlight is not good for your hairin general, but did you know hot, humid weather can also make it greasier? That is because it can naturally increase the amount of oil brought to the surface of your scalp.

Studies have shown that a 1°C increase in temperature stimulates your sebaceous glands to excrete 10% more sebum. That is not normally due to increased oil production, but to the fact that when exposed to heat, sebum becomes less viscous, making it easier to flow to the surface of your scalp and skin [8].

7. Environmental pollution

Sometimes, simply living in a polluted environment, such as a big city, with abundant traffic, can be enough to make your hair oily [9]. That is because pollution can produce inflammation and oxidative stress which can disrupt the normal functioning of your sebaceous glands, causing them to produce more oil [10].

8. Unhealthy diet

Eating a diet high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and processed foods may not only take a toll on your overall health but on your hair as well. That is because studies show that these dietary habits can increase sebum production, leading to oilier hair [11].

9. Stress

High levels of stress can have significant negative consequences on your hair and scalp and you may know thatstress and anxiety can cause hair loss, as they can inducetelogen effluvium. But it can also make your scalp and hair greasy [12]. When you are under psychological pressure, your body releases a hormone called cortisol, which can lead to increased sebum production.

10. Contact with oily objects

Frequently using the same hair brushes, hair bands, or even hats without cleaning them regularly can coat them in sebum. With every use, some of that sebum is spread across your hair. Keep this in mind when borrowing or lending this type of personal objects or hair tools.

Furthermore, your hands themselves can make your hair greasy if you run them through it when they are not completely clean. While your palms may not produce sebum, touching your hair while you are handling greasy foods, or after you put on oily hand lotion can lead to some of it getting on your strands.

How do you fix greasy hair?

• Wash your hair frequently– you may have heard the myth that washing your hair every day can lead to increased sebum production. However, studies show that washing your hair 5-6 times a week makes it the healthiest [13]. So don’t hesitate to wash that excess sebum off as often as you need to.
• Use natural remedies to lower your sebum production–rosemary oil for hair[16] and green tea tonic [14] have been proven effective in sebum reduction and treating an oily scalp. Coconut oil can provide your hair with some protection against the effects of pollution, but it should be used sparingly and rinsed well to avoid making your hair greasier [9].
• Clean your styling tools and hair accessories thoroughly– make sure that all the objects that come in contact with your hair (especially your hairbrush) are cleaned frequently, so they don’t spread oil on your strands.
• Get your hormone levels regulated– especially if you are a perimenopausal woman, it is a good idea to see a gynaecologist or endocrinologist and have some tests to check your hormone levels. The specialist may then be able to make recommendations for balancing out your hormones.
• Reduce your overall stress– exercise, meditation, spending quality time with loved ones or getting therapy can lower your stress levels and improve your hair health.
• Eat a well-balanced diet – try limiting the intake of saturated fats and refined carbohydrates and getting enough vitamins and nutrients which support hair health, such as iron, zinc,vitamin C for hair,vitamin D for hairorVitamin E for hair.
• Reduce or quit smoking– Whilesmoking can cause hair lossand damage your overall health, it can also increase sebum production, making your hair greasy [15].
• Find the best care routine for your scalp and hair type– While trial and error can be effective, they can also take time and produce frustration. If you want to know the best shampoo to use, what hair treatments may benefit your oily scalp or what hair products to stay away from, the best thing you can do is see atrichologistfor advice.

Can greasy hair cause hair loss?

While greasy hair is unlikely to cause hair loss on its own, it can lead to several scalp problems which, in turn, can result inhair shedding.

When your scalp routinely produces too much sebum, it can feed a fungus that causesyeast infections on the scalp, such as dandruff or seborrheic dermatitis. Whiledandruffonly causes unsightly white flaking and some itching,seborrheic dermatitiscan produce more severe scaling, itching and inflammation, which can cause hair loss.

Excess sebum can also clog your hair follicles, leading to scalp acne or scalp folliculitis. Both these conditions manifest with pimples or pustules around your hair roots and can cause pain, itching and inflammation of the scalp. The infection can make yourhair fall out, while the scratching can lead tohair breakage.

Are you concerned about your greasy hair?

If you have tried everything and your hair is still greasy, there’s no need to lose hope.Book a consultationwith a trichologist at your earliest convenience. They will examine your scalp and hair and provide personalised hair care advice, tailored to your particular needs to keep hair fresh and healthy. This will help regulate your sebum levels, so you will no longer have to worry about oily hair.

Moreover, if your greasy hair is accompanied by hair loss orhair thinning, you may be experiencing atype of alopecia, such as telogen effluvium,androgenetic alopecia(male orfemale pattern baldness), oralopecia areata. While some of the conditions resolve on their own, others require prompt intervention fromthe first signs of hair thinning and balding. So getting a timely diagnosis and treatment can be the first step on your journey to beautiful healthy hair.

1. Oily Skin: An Overview
2. An update on the role of the sebaceous gland in the pathogenesis of acne
3. Dermatological problems of the puberty
4. The effect of a phasic oral contraceptive containing Desogestrel on seborrhea and acne
5. Effects of an oral contraceptive containing chlormadinone acetate and ethinylestradiol on hair and skin quality in women wishing to use hormonal contraception
6. Anabolic Steroids and Other Appearance and Performance Enhancing Drugs (APEDs)
7. The Effect of ACTH and Hydrocortisone on the Human Sebaceous Gland
8. The effect of local temperature variations on the sebum excretion rate
9. Understanding Hair Loss due to Air Pollution and the Approach to Management
10. Environmental Air Pollutants Affecting Skin Functions with Systemic Implications
11. Sebaceous gland lipids
12. Association of psychological stress with skin symptoms among medical students
13. The Impact of Shampoo Wash Frequency on Scalp and Hair Conditions
14. Development and clinical evaluation of green tea hair tonic for greasy scalp treatment
15. Acne and smoking
16. Hair loss and herbs for treatment