by Shandra Lorne

Created on: February 21, 2007   Last Updated: April 17, 2007

I have suffered from oily hair for years, and when one has a long-lasting problem like that, one learns a few tricks to cope with it.

Preventing that oil build-up starts in the shower. The first advice I can give any woman with oily hair is this: conditioner is your enemy! If you must condition, stay away from the leave-in type, and only condition at the bottom. It is best not to condition at all, because the reason conditioners leave hair so manageable is that they add moisture to make the hair follicle smoother. An oily-haired person has quite enough moisture, thanks.

The type of shampoo one uses also has a great impact on how many hours hair will stay oil-free. Many companies make shampoos catered especially to oily hair. These are wonderful, but one must do some shelf-digging to find them. Shampoo for normal hair is almost as good, but I would definitely not borrow shampoo from anyone with dry, frizzy hair. Shampoo for this type of hair contains too many moisturizers, and once again, moisturizer is evil for people like us. Choosing a shampoo that will lather well is also a must. Oily hair needs to have the dickens scrubbed out of it, and if the lather goes out of the shampoo quickly, it won't become clean. Starting with very clean roots is important in the war against oil. My favorite brand is Finesse. It lathers more easily than any other shampoo I've seen on the market. Garnier Fructis is also a good product, as is anything in the Herbal Essences line.

My favorite weapon in this war, however, can be found in most people's refrigerator. About every other week, I like to make a "hair salad." Yes, people, you should wash your hair in vinegar. It will strip your hair of any remaining oil and shampoo build-up, and will leave your hair shiny and squeaky-clean. Literally, it should squeak quite a bit if done properly. After you've shampooed that mop to the best of your ability, apply a vinegar rinse. White vinegar is best, simply because flavored vinegars have artificial ingredients your hair doesn't need. Some people like to dilute their vinegar about half-and-half in a glass of water and rinse with the whole glass, but I like to use it straight from the bottle, in little increments. Massage it into your scalp for a few minutes, then make sure you rinse extra thoroughly to dispell the vinegar scent.

I find that my hair gets most oily in the winter, when the air is extra dry, and my similar-haired friends agree with me. I'm afraid I don't know of much you can do about the weather, but I would recommend wearing a hat or toboggan in the cold months whenever you step outside. It won't stop the oiling effects, but it will keep some of that dry air from hitting the roots of your hair. I will wash mine more frequently in the winter, but I caution you to beware washing too often. Washing every day can dry the hair out so much that it actually begins producing MORE oil.

All in all, oily hair is something we must eventually outgrow. We can't cure it, but we can cope with it, if we only know how.

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