Help for greasy hair!

[plain jane]

I hate to post this "out there" but I am feeling really sad for her and am hoping that the Hive can help.  My dd12 has been struggling with greasy hair for the last year now.  Before, she had great hair.  I have been buying her shampoo with tea tree oil in it but it doesn't seem to be cutting it anymore.  Her hair is just so gross and yuck, especially the bottom layers (you can't always see it on the top layer but can if you touch her hair or it swishes around.  Her bangs are the ones that get greasy the first and the worst and they have caused her forehead to break out all the time (her forehead is also really greasy now because of this, but the rest of her face has really nice skin).

 

I've never had this issue and I don't really have much of a clue anymore how to help her stay on top of this.  It's gotten pretty bad and I'm sure if she was in PS she'd be "that" girl that the kids picked on because of her hair.  :(  Please Hive, help me help dd with this one!

[kewb]

My hair stylist taught me this trick for my dd's greasy hair.  Dawn dishwasher detergent.  The one they use to clean wildlife after an oil spill.  Once a week she shampoos with dawn.  Make sure she is working it down to the scalp.  My dd has a lot of hair.  The other days she uses a clarifying shampoo.  Make sure she only use conditioner on the ends of her hair not near her scalp.  My stylist also told me to have dd wash her hair in the morning so that the peak school hours will be less oily.

 

I know a lot of people have had success going the no poo baking soda route but I have never been brave enough to try it.

 

You can also make a vinegar rinse.  Apply to hair and scalp after shampooing and then let hair dry.  You have to live with the vinegar smell until the hair drys.

 

Another natural remedy is to make a past of baking soda.  Massage on scalp for five minutes and then let sit for 15 minutes.  Rinse out.  My dd is not willing to sit there with baking soda on her head for 20 minutes so we use the dawn.

[gingersmom]

Suave clarifying shampoo worked for my daughter at that age

 

We went to food store and kept,trying different brands till we found what worked

[Lara in Colo]

I am going through this with dd13

I don' t know if this is the correct thing to do, but this is my theory.

 

Oil glands make oil--- dried out oil glands make more oil.

 

so--- even though her hair is oily, I don't let her wash her hair more than three times a week.  I am working on getting a more gentle shampoo.

 

I also would put cornstarch in her hair to absorb the oil, but not strip the hair of oil-- I did this in between washings.

 

I used to treat her scalp with a mixture of coconut oil and tea tree oil (mainly because her hair smelled)-- I would let it sit for a few hours one day a week, then she could wash.

 

Her hair has gotten better.

 

Her forehead is getting breakouts and I make her scrub with a mixture of sea salt and coconut oil---no soap to dry the skin.

I don't want her glands to produce more oil.

 

 

my next plan is to have her use a lotion on her hair.

I have super curly hair and a dry scalp and I have found the best thing for keeping my curls under control --  with out drying my hair or making it too crunchy or oily is ----- hand lotion!!! Yep I put cetaphil hand lotion on my hair --- it works wonders and I am considering making SS13 do this too.

[walkermamaof4]

don't try the baking soda. It is really damaging to the hair. If you google it and find posts where people have tried it long enough to see the outcome, that is what they report. I tried it for several weeks. The apple cider vinegar rinse does help. 

[Zebra]

I struggled with this mightily as a teen.

 

Does she shampoo her hair twice every time she showers?   That's probably the biggest thing that worked for me.  Shampoo, rinse completely, and repeat.  I know people will tell you it's bad for your hair, but some of us just have greasy hair that nothing else works for.   Also, certain shampoos work better than others.   Pantene works the best for me and Suave daily clarifying is good.  I also had to start switching shampoo every time I finished a bottle.   I can't use even Pantene long term, I have to switch back and forth.   Also make sure she is not using a 2 in 1 shampoo and only putting conditioner on her roots, if she uses conditioner.   If I use a 2 in 1 it looks like I didn't even wash my hair.

 

Some other things that helped were growing out my bangs, taking a shower in the am, and blow drying my hair.  

 

I've tried no poo, and vinegar rinses and even many natural shampoos.  None of it helped.  And it hasn't been until the last few years (I am in my late 30's) that I have been able to get away with only shampooing my hair once in the morning.

 

 

[ondreeuh]

Are you sure she is scrubbing down to her scalp all the way around? She can shower in a swimsuit and show you how she washes her hair. And then make sure she is thoroughly rinsing. That would be the first thing I'd do. I have encountered many pre-teens who got away with minimal washing as a kid but once those hormones hit, the lack of attention really shows.

 

Neutrogena makes a good clarifying, residue-stripping shampoo. I use it for 3 days once in a while to wipe the slate clean, so to speak, but longer than that dries my hair out. After the clarifying treatment, use a shampoo for oily hair.

 

I'd have her shower in the morning and wear a ponytail, braid, or other "updo" to keep her hair looking nice.

 

My daughter had a similar issue around that age because she was swimming and the chlorine was damaging her hair. She got a rat's nest by the nape of her neck every day. Ugh.

[klmama]

In the past year has she transitioned from you helping wash her hair to doing it all herself?  Even if she did it herself before, she may have developed poor habits that need retraining.  I would wash it for her in the kitchen sink once to see how it turns out when you wash it.  It may be that she isn't getting the lather into her scalp, or it may be that she isn't rinsing well.  She might need to wash twice - lather, rinse, repeat.  If she uses conditioner, she should only use it on the ends, not near the scalp, and never on the bangs.  

 

As for the greasy hair making her forehead break out, it may actually be the other way around.  There may be extra oils on her forehead that are making her hair greasy.  I would try having her wash her forehead with Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash, even into the scalp around her face, and I would encourage her to keep her bangs off her face until her face clears up.

[msjones]

Give her some shampooing lessons.  When I was her age I just plopped the shampoo on top, smooshed it around a bit and called it good.  My hair looked awful but I didn't know any better.

 

Also, I second the double washing idea -- lather up twice each time, every day.  T

[Chelli]

I still have hair like your dd's.

 

 Here is what helps me the most:

 

1) No conditioner. Ever. Even on the ends. Definitely no 2-in-1 shampoos.

 

2) Switch shampoo each time you shower. I use Suave Clarifying one time, the next time I use T-Gel shampoo, the next time I use a volumizing shampoo for oily hair. Then I cycle back through all of these.

 

3) The most I can go without washing my hair is about every other day. When I was your dd's age, though, I had to wash every day. 

 

4) If she wants to go a day in between washing, the new dry shampoos that are out are her best friend. Get one that is specifically for oily hair.

 

That's all I got. Slowly my hair is getting drier as I get older, but it is still really greasy if I get too lax with it. Good luck and give her a  :grouphug:  for me. It's tough being a teenager with all the crazy oil stuff that goes on with your body.

[gardenmom5]

don'tcha love those oil glands in teens.  

 

suave daily clarifying shampoo.

 

eta: while I only occasionally use the suave (dh uses it everyday - so it's in our shower), I always have to double shampoo - occasionally I've tripled if it's particularly dirty.. (and now that I'm in the coloring stage of life, my hair is dryer.)  I do use conditioner - as my hair will (and was even worse when I was younger) tangle like crazy if I don't.  I avoid getting conditioner on my scalp.

 

oh - hair styling products like mousse and hairspray will attract dirt and seems to make mine even oilier.

[Ripley]

I liked Lara's post because I agree with her!

 

To add more, it seems counter-intuitive but goes along with Lara's theory: oil to remove oil.  I have super greasy hair and part of what helped was to reduce the number of washings. There was a not-pretty but necessary period during which my hair (first fought back, and then) adjusted.  Three cheers for hats and 'do rags.  Now I wash twice a week, using cornstarch as a dry shampoo once between wash days.  To de-grease I use coconut oil; just a touch, and she may need help washing it out but it truly does eliminate grease/oil.  Dawn probably does, too, as suggested above; I use it on my dog but didn't want the smell on my own hair. 

 

Also, does your daughter often touch her bangs - move them out of her face, or otherwise subject them to a lot of hand touches?  That could exacerbate already oil-prone hair.  I do this, especially when studying or housecleaning. I hate wearing things on my hair but I suck it up and put on a headband or bandana to do school or chores, and it helps some.

 

I think tea-tree is drying.  I tried using it for my scalp and it helped in the short-term but was worse in the long-run.  I was once a week with T-Gel, which I used the tea tree to hope to avoid, and once a week with whatever is in the bathroom I happen to use.  My son uses Lush, my daughter uses Bed Head, and I keep a jar of coconut oil in my bathroom. 

 

 

[Lara in Colo]

I liked Lara's post because I agree with her!

 

To add more, it seems counter-intuitive but goes along with Lara's theory: oil to remove oil.  I have super greasy hair and part of what helped was to reduce the number of washings. There was a not-pretty but necessary period during which my hair (first fought back, and then) adjusted.  Three cheers for hats and 'do rags.  Now I wash twice a week, using cornstarch as a dry shampoo once between wash days.  To de-grease I use coconut oil; just a touch, and she may need help washing it out but it truly does eliminate grease/oil.  Dawn probably does, too, as suggested above; I use it on my dog but didn't want the smell on my own hair. 

 

Also, does your daughter often touch her bangs - move them out of her face, or otherwise subject them to a lot of hand touches?  That could exacerbate already oil-prone hair.  I do this, especially when studying or housecleaning. I hate wearing things on my hair but I suck it up and put on a headband or bandana to do school or chores, and it helps some.

 

I think tea-tree is drying.  I tried using it for my scalp and it helped in the short-term but was worse in the long-run.  I was once a week with T-Gel, which I used the tea tree to hope to avoid, and once a week with whatever is in the bathroom I happen to use.  My son uses Lush, my daughter uses Bed Head, and I keep a jar of coconut oil in my bathroom. 

 

How do you use the coconut oil?  I was putting it on her scalp (with the TT oil because her head had a 'moldy' smell --even after a washing)

 

I have her "wash" her face with CC oil, but not her hair--- please tell me what you do.

 

BTW--I decided to go this route because my 50yo DH still uses oxy 10 daily and cleans his face 2-3 times a day with Seabreeze.  I have noticed that his skin has actually gotten MORE oily over the last twenty years.    So I am trying to "calm" her oil glands down---

 

 

[Cafdog]

I had very greasy hair at that age.  I used Sebastian Blue Mint shampoo, and it worked wonders.  I also agree with the other comments here about proper washing technique.  If she has thick hair, it can be difficult to really clean the scalp and rinse properly - which can sometimes leave a "greasy" appearance, especially on the bangs.