This blog post is all about hair and what to do when it gets greasy.
I remember being young and full of strange new chemicals. Some make you loud, some make you shy and some leak out of your skin. If you’re not great at grooming, some of those chemicals leak from the scalp and stay in your hair.
I’ve written a lot about sebum, the skin oil that keeps you clean in small amounts but can end up as acne or hair grease. Acne and grease are all about sebum.
Well, the greasy hair look came to fashion runways a couple years ago and is still here. We need to talk about what looks good and what looks unwashed. I did both when I was a teenager.
I grew my hair long after 15 years of short, simple hair that I washed once a week. But it was naturally frizzy … so I kept going a week without washing it. Sometimes more. That kept the ends in place. I could style it, put it all to one side, make it straight or curly. I thought I was so cool. In reality, I was a greasy person with flat hair.
The moment you realise that your hair looks dirty is amazing and frightening. Long hair is cool, right? And mine can stand like a mohawk. That’s two kinds of cool on one head. Look, the strands stick together and every time I touch it I have to wash my hands. That’s normal, right? No, okay, that’s not normal. I look I never shower. I look like I’ve been swimming in a tar pit. I look like I’m using a wet cat as a beanie.
So what’s the solution?
First, let’s talk about why the soft, ungreasy look is so great. But if I can’t talk you out of it, greasy hair is in and I can help you grease safely.
1) Shampooing is an art.
There’s a whole sexy art to shampooing, and just knowing the difference makes you more attractive. If your hair is thick or long, you might have to wash and rinse twice. Make sure to really thoroughly wash it out, or it will stay there and become grease. Ironic, huh?
The secret to conditioner is that you don’t need as much of it. The bottle is meant to last longer than shampoo. A little is better – don’t just use a single drop, it’s not quite homeopathy, but don’t go nuts either. If your hair is greasy, rub it into your hair and avoid the scalp. It’s all about knowing your hair.
If it still looks too greasy, using a lighter gel or cream can help.
2) You look fresh because you are fresh.
Now , emember, keeping all that sebum on your head will lead to acne. Everything you can do to prevent acne will make you less greasy. A full topical acne treatment range will clear away your homemade hair gel, and at the same time make you look like someone who really cares for their appearance. Even our five minute purifying skin mask will take away the next lot of oil. The supplements in our Acne Control Extra Strength Tablets are especially good if you’re young and produce a lot of sebum.
Still want the greasy look?
Alright, we’ve talked about the risks and alternatives, but you’re convinced. You’re determined. Let’s talk grease.
The whole look is about being a little greasy. This is a wet hair look. You’ll only need three things:
1) Water.
Wet your hair lightly before you brush it, maybe with a spray bottle.
2) A comb.
The shape you make in your hair now will stay with you, so a fine toothed comb is best.
3) Hair gel.
Something with plenty of shine. But wait, I hear you ask, don’t I naturally make hair gel?
Nope. Here’s the twist: This has to look deliberate. Our human instincts know when someone is covered in human oil, and when they’ve just styled their hair. You’ll have to wash your hair every few days (not much more, or your skin will overcompensate and create too much oil). To pull this off, you have to follow all the advice above when I was trying to talk you out of it.
Either way, you have to take care of yourself. This is why I can talk about the greasy hair look on a skincare blog. This only works if you have clear skin. You can do it, I believe in you!
Now stroke the gel through. Don’t brush it more or you’ll get flat hair. Keep those comb-marks in place.
And now you can mess around and move it in the shape you want. Your hair is really cooperative when it’s a little damp and just gelled enough.
The greasy look is dangerous, but it’s also a big blob of opportunity. It gives you the best of both worlds, glowing skin and shining hair that follows your orders. Be good to yourself and enjoy that work of art on your head.
Peter Matthews is a long haired long-haireden though he lives in Melbourne where coffee is winning. His favourite B vitamin is B6, the one that can give you vivid dreams.
Sources:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/hair/a39499/greasy-hair-causes/
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/hair/a40754/things-making-your-hair-greasy/
https://www.thecut.com/2015/03/how-to-have-greasy-hair-and-not-look-crazy.html
Leave A Comment