Why is my scalp so oily

In daily life, it is quite common to have an oily scalp. There are many reasons for this. For example, it may be a congenital factor. Some people have a relatively strong oil secretion. For such people, they should be more alert to seborrheic dermatitis. There may also be other reasons. From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, an oily scalp is often caused by dampness and heat, which is related to eating too greasy food on a daily basis.

Why is your scalp oily?

Oily hair is mostly caused by dampness and heat, or by eating too much fatty and sweet food, which damages the spleen and stomach, generates dampness and heat, fumigates the skin, and forces excessive oil secretion. Some people have a phlegm-damp constitution, while others have bad acquired lifestyle habits. For example, people who like to eat too much sweets and fish are prone to phlegm-dampness. When phlegm and dampness are generated internally, fat metabolism in the body becomes obstructed, and nutrients that cannot be digested or excreted become waste products that are blocked in the body, causing damp heat that cannot be discharged, thus accumulating in the scalp and fumigating, resulting in greasy hair over time.

Modern people like high-calorie, high-fat foods, and eat greasy and spicy foods, which will stimulate the secretion of sebaceous glands. Staying up late, playing computer games for long periods of time, living a fast-paced life, and high-intensity work pressure will all affect the body's endocrine system and aggravate oily scalp.

After washing your hair frequently to wash away the oil on your scalp, the sebum will receive the message of "lack of oil" and then further secrete oil, which will lead to more and more secretion and oilier hair.

What to do if your scalp is oily

1. Rinse with clean water every other time to control oil

If you are used to washing your hair every day, or if too much oil is secreted if you don't wash your hair, you don't need to use shampoo and conditioner every time you wash your hair even if you wash it every day. You can rinse it with clean water every other day depending on the situation. This can also remove stains on the hair and scalp, but will not increase the secretion of oil. For people whose hair is not too oily, washing their hair two or three times a week is enough.

2. Don’t dry-shampoo your hair and avoid massage to stimulate your scalp

Many people like to go to the barber shop to dry shampoo their hair, which means pouring shampoo directly on dry hair and rubbing it for more than 10 minutes. In fact, massaging and rubbing the scalp for oily hair will only promote more oil secretion, and the shampoo in the barber shop is not very reliable. It is recommended to do a quick wet wash, which is healthier.

3. Do less hair combing for health reasons

Although massaging the scalp with the fingertips in the morning and evening has certain health benefits, for an oily scalp, this will passively disperse the oil into the hair shaft, stimulating oil secretion and increasing oil production.

4. Change shampoo

People with oily hair are best to use a shampoo containing zinc pyrithione or salicylic acid, which are often found in anti-dandruff shampoos and can help control oily scalp.

5. Cut your hair frequently

The longer the hair is, the more it will sag under the action of gravity, and the greater the tension on the hair roots, making it more likely to become oily and appear flat. It is recommended that people trim their hair at least once a month, which can not only help control oil but also have a certain protective effect on the hair roots.