Oily Scalp Dry Hair: Causes, Prevention And Remedies

RutuHow To Prevent Oily Scalp And Dry Hair?

Puberty and early adulthood are usually challenging for people on both physical and emotional levels, especially when it comes to taking care of one’s appearance. It is in these years that we start experiencing hormonal changes in our bodies.
The same hormones that are responsible for acne also cause our skin and scalp to produce excess oil, making our hair look and feel greasy. And we usually try to remove all that excess oil by washing our hair frequently. 
Slowly, it turns into a habit and we start washing our hair every other day without even thinking about its long-term effects on our hair. This leads to an oily scalp and dry hair, or what some people call ‘combination hair’. Let's learn more about the reasons behind this condition and how to prevent it.

Causes Of Oily Scalp And Dry Hair

Hormonal changes
Research indicates that hormonal changes during puberty can be linked to overactive sebaceous glands on our skin and scalp. This leads to increased oiliness, seborrhoeic dermatitis of the scalp, and dandruff. 
All these concerns create a further imbalance in the distribution of sebum on your scalp and hair.
Frequent hair washing
Excess oiliness on the scalp urges us to develop the habit of frequent hair washing which dehydrates our hair and forces our scalp to produce even more oil to compensate for it.
Unsuitable hair products
Using hair products and following routines that do not match the needs of our scalp and hair creates an oil imbalance leading to combination hair.
For example, using a clarifying shampoo will balance your oily scalp, but it may also dehydrate hair strands if you skip the conditioner.
Weather conditions
Weather conditions may sometimes cause our sebaceous glands to produce more oil. For example, increased humidity in summers and during monsoons can aggravate oily scalp.
Sometimes weather conditions can also dehydrate hair strands further. Increased dryness and frizz is seen during winters and may cause your hair to feel rough, brittle, and more prone to breakage.
Overactive sweat glands
This condition is either seen during puberty or in people suffering from hyperhidrosis( excessive sweating). Overactive sweat glands on our scalp attract more dirt causing congestion which again forces us to resort to frequent hair washing that creates an oil imbalance in our scalp and hair.
Improper hair washing
We often use rich hair oils and masks for nourishment, but most of us do not wash them out of our scalp entirely. This causes the scalp to look oilier compared to the hair strands and makes us feel like we have combination hair.
Excessive hair treatments
Frequent colouring, hair treatments and blow drying are common causes of hair damage. They make the texture of your hair look brittle and frizzy over time and create an oil imbalance leading to oily scalp and dry hair.
Environmental stressors
Environmental pollutants also aggravate oily scalp and lead to product build-up and itching. At the same time, frequent sun exposure causes the hair strands to weaken, making them dry. This leads to oily scalp and dry hair in the long run.
Lifestyle stressors
Improper eating habits, sleep deprivation, smoking, mental stress, etc. affect our skin and hair quality and eventually start showing up on our skin and scalp. They also cause oily scalp, dry hair and hair fall.
Genetics
Sometimes concerns like hormonal imbalance, overactive sebaceous or sweat glands, etc. are hereditary but manifest only when we are in the prepubescent or pubescent stages leading to a sudden change in hair type.

4 Ways To Prevent Oily Scalp And Dry Hair