If you’re about to Google “why does my hair get greasy after one day” let us stop you right there. Getting greasy hair only hours after you’ve washed it is painful. Especially since, for most of us, a full wash and blow dry is the most time-consuming admin in our beauty calendar.
We asked the experts to give us a rundown of why we might be experiencing extra greasiness and what we can do to help minimise it. Alongside factoring in your hair type, there are a whole bunch of lifestyle factors that you may never have thought of that can exacerbate oil. We’ve lined them up below so you never have to wonder “why does my hair get greasy after one day” again.
Your hair texture may be predisposed to more oiliness
Fine-haired girls often wrestle with greasiness more, but there’s a reason for that. “Every hair follicle on your head has an oil gland that produces sebum. Those with finer textured hair, tend to have more hairs per cm on their head than those with thicker, coarser or coiled hair textures and therefore more oil glands producing more sebum,” explains Anabel Kingsley, consultant trichologist and brand president at Philip Kingsley. “This is the reason those with fine hair often feel their hair gets greasy quickly, and they feel the need to wash it daily to avoid the appearance of flat, limp roots,” she adds.
You may not be washing your hair correctly
You might need to take it right back to your hair wash. “Greasy hair is also a result of not shampooing frequently, or not taking your time when you cleanse your scalp with shampoo to effectively remove oil and product build up,” notes Anabel. “You should spend approximately one minute gently but firmly massaging your scalp when you shampoo and pay attention to all areas (people often forget to massage the back of their scalp),” she says. Finally, make sure you’re washing all of the product away. “Rinse well to ensure shampoo residue, and the dirt, oil and dead skin cells trapped in it are washed away, for some a double shampoo may be required,” notes Anabel.
Your using the wrong shampoo
Your shampoo might be the culprit. “The most common reasons we see for people having greasy hair after one day is that they’re using the wrong shampoo,” explains Siobhan Haug, co-founder, Haug London Haus. “For example, if you’ve got dry hair you may think your hair needs a really nourishing, moisturising shampoo, but actually if your hair is also oily it needs to be cleansed first, before you put that super hydrating formula onto your hair,” she says.
“If you find your hair is getting greasy after a day, use a gentle cleansing shampoo that’s very light on ingredients and isn’t focused on a specific need, like hydration or strength. Then once your hair is thoroughly cleansed, do your second shampoo with your lovely nourishing formulation that’s targeted to your hair type,” recommends Siobhan.
“If your hair is particularly oily then go for a clarifying shampoo, but don’t be tempted to keep reaching for it. If used too often, its strong surfactants can strip your hair of natural moisture, causing your scalp to overcompensate by pumping out extra sebum, which exacerbates the problem,” Siobhan explains. “So, always double cleanse with your gentle cleansing shampoo first and then your targeted formula second,” she says.
Your diet may be creating extra greasiness
Those greasy foods might be playing out at your scalp. “Just like the skin on our face, our scalp can be prone to oiliness from the foods we eat, such as eating a fatty or sugary diet,” says Anabel. Fried and heavily-processed foods, alongside sugary snacks, white bread and pastries can all contribute to oilier roots, which may explain the hair hangover.