How to Deal With Greasy Hair

For when you just don’t have the time (or willpower) to shower…

We’re told not to wash our hair every day. That doing so will dry it out and lead to unhealthy, parched hair. That too-clean hair is a bad thing. That it’ll mess with our natural texture and strip necessary, natural oils from our strangs and scalps. All of which I am happy to avoid, but not if it means walking around looking like I just dunked my head in a vat of oil.

I know, I know…it’s a bit vain. But listen — when my hair and scalp starts to feel greasy, the rest of my body does, too. Even if I just stepped out of the shower or washed my face, I can’t help but imagine everything looks like my unwashed hair — dirty and oily. If you feel the same way, rest assured that you’ve got some options other than throwing your hair into a ponytail and calling it a day. What’s more? You can even prevent greasy hair with a few sneaky tricks.

So when you just don’t have the time (or willpower) to shower…

Dry shampoo.

This stuff is the best if used wisely and should have a place in your medicine cabinet even if you’re not afflicted with greasy hair. (It works great as a quick volumizer and adds killer texture to hair.) How does it work? The starch or powder in the dry shampoo soaks up excess oil and grease, making your hair look cleaner. While it’s not a one-to-one substitute for real shampoo, it’s basically in-between-days magic.

When your roots are feeling slick, grab that dry shampoo , shake it up (so you don’t release too much product), and spray onto roots from about eight inches away. Be sure to work in layers, lifting your hair from the crown to your neck so you hit your whole scalp and don’t just dust if over the top. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then brush it through with a boar bristle brush to evenly distribute the oil. You can also work the dry shampoo into your roots for more volume by pushing it around with your fingertips.

Oil-absorbing sheets.

You know those nifty little sheets you swipe across your face to remove oil and shine without smudging makeup? They work for your hair too. If you’re already carrying them around for skin purposes, grab a couple to blot oil from your scalp in the same way. Press the sheets into your scalp between chunks of hair, blotting at the roots. It’ll feel a little weird to blot your hair, but these babies work wonders on visibly greasy roots.

Grease-hiding hairstyles.

If you can’t beat it, join it. Embrace those oily roots by styling your hair so it looks intentional. Pull it back into a sleek low bun or ponytail. Pile it up into a high bun to hide the oil at the front of your head. Or mist with salt spray, braid and blast with hot air from a blow dryer for ropey, beachy, textured waves.

Not into simply masking greasy hair? Here are a few things you can do to prevent it…

Reconsider your shampoo.

It might sound counterintuitive, but stop washing your hair so much. When you shampoo, you strip the scalp of natural oils that it then needs to replace. Often, this means that your scalp goes into overdrive (much like your face when it’s dry), and the result is greasy hair. If you’re washing every day, try going down to every other day. If you’re already doing that, try every three or four days.

In terms of the actual shampoo, look for a sulfate-free formula. Sulfates are the detergents found in conventional shampoos and soaps that cause foaming, something that can dry out and strip natural oils from the scalp. A lightweight, sulfate-free shampoo will cleanse and restore the hair and scalp without being too drying.

Use conditioner sparingly.

Conditioner is an important part of your haircare routine, but only if used correctly. Instead of glopping it on from root to end, only apply a pea-sized amount to the bottom half of your hair. So, mid-shaft to the ends. This will prevent the product from weighing down hair and causing oily roots.

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