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Greasy hair can appear stringy and fail to keep its lightness and volume within a few hours of shampooing. Greasy hair can seem lifeless, dull oily and lank. It can also appear heavy and flat, refusing to stay clean and fresh. Is this describing your hair? Ever ask yourself "why is my hair greasy?" Others may judge people with greasy hair as having poor hygiene and that they do not wash their hair very often, even if the sufferer washes it every day.

The grease in hair grease is oil and is called Sebum. Sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands which lie immediately under the skin in you scalp and each hair has a sebaceous gland. Greasy hair is in fact healthy hair, and the oil protects each hair strand from dryness and split ends. Sebum lubricates hair skin and provides a protective barrier to prevent drying. This oil is your own built-in moisturizer.

Hormones called androgens can cause greasy hair by stimulating sebaceous glands, causing them to become over active and begin over producing sebum leading to an excess of sebum in the hair. Androgens are male hormones, and although they are present in both men and women, they are higher in men. Androgens make two things happen: First, they enlarge sebaceous glands. Second, they cause the increase of oil production from the sebaceous glands.

As hormones have a role in sebum production, fluctuating hormone levels can be one of the causes of greasy hair. Greasy hair can most commonly be found in older women experiencing the menopause, teenagers in puberty, and women in general because of their monthly cycle or pregnancy. Stress can also be a cause of greasy hair as it can affect hormone levels. People who have fine hair can sometimes suffer form greasy hair because they have more hair follicles and more hair follicles means more sebum producing glands on the scalp.

There are a number of external factors in that cause greasy hair. Washing your hair too often can increase the production of sebum as the sebaceous glands produce more sebum to combat the stripping of oils from the scalp and hair which can happen as a result of frequent washing. Vigorous hair and scalp scrubbing can stimulate hair grease. Touching hair can also over-stimulate glands, as can brushing vigorously which carry oil through your hair. Pollutants in the everyday environment can cause hair to look greasy, along with product build-up at the roots from over-use of hair styling products.

There are also several internal causes to greasy hair as well. Along with changing hormone levels, a major cause of greasy hair is the food you put inside of you, i.e. you diet. Western diets are usually much greasier, containing more fat. They are usually processed, containing many additives, and typically are higher in fat and sugar. The high fat content of the diet increases oil in the skin which can lead to greasy hair. The meat in a Western diet often contains some hormones, and these hormones can add to the levels of unbalanced hormones. Greasy hair can also be a sign of a diet that is low in vitamin B.

The best way of avoiding, preventing, treating and getting rid of greasy hair is to treat it from the outside and the inside. On the outside: steer clear of brushing your hair too frequently, and too vigorously. Avoid using a moisturizing shampoo as this can leave some oil in the hair. An extra cleansing or clarifying shampoo that has a mild-ph is the best shampoo to use for greasy hair. When shampooing, massage you hair and scalp lightly and do not scrub your hair and scalp.

For a more thorough cleanse, leave the shampoo in for about 5 minutes. You can always rinse your hair and shampoo a second time. How often you need to wash your hair is down to you. Ideally you should wash your hair 1-2 times per week. To find what is right for you, begin washing daily and then reduce the frequency to find your ideal balance of oil production and washing. If you plan to use a conditioner on your hair, apply the conditioner to the mid and ends of you hair only, and be sure to use a conditioner made for greasy hair. If you are using a hairdryer for hair styling don't let the dryer get too hot, heat can cause the production of more oil.

With the inside: do all that you can to reduce and eliminate any and all stress. In your diet, consider using a vitamin B supplement. Make sure you eat plenty of whole grains, seeds, nuts, leafy green vegetables, salads and fresh fish. Reduce the amount of fatty foods that you eat, avoiding greasy, fried and fatty foods as much as possible. Reduce the number of white flour based foods in your diet, foods like pastries, pasta and bread. Lastly, avoid sugar and sugary foods like biscuits, cakes and soft drinks.