All about Oily Scalp

In this article, we will talk about oily scalp, what are the causes, and how we can detox our scalp and hair. Let’s get into it now!

As you can see, this diagram shows our Hair Follicle.

Each hair follicle will have 1 or 2 sebaceous glands. Your sebaceous glands begin to produce sebum after you’re born. For the first three to six months of life, your glands produce as much sebum as an adult’s. From there, sebum production slows until you hit puberty.

When you hit puberty, sebum production may increase up to 500 percent. Male adolescents tend to produce more sebum than their female counterparts. This often results in oily, acne-prone skin. Some may have as many as 900 sebaceous glands per square centimetre of skin.

 

Its main function is to produce and secrete sebum which lubricates our skin and hair. Sebum makes our hair supple and shiny. Healthy hair produces a certain amount of sebum and is acceptable. The amount of sebum you produce varies depending on your hair type, your hygiene habits, and other lifestyle factors.

Using the Scalp Analysis machine, you can distinguish between an Oily Scalp and a Sweaty Scalp. If you are sweaty, your scalp looks wet at the skin area.

If you have oily scalp, you see the oil at the pores because that is where the sebum originates. Sweat glands are separated from the sebaceous gland.

If you have too little sebum, your scalp becomes dry and tight and sensitive. On the contrary,  too much of it will be a problem too. An oily scalp is caused by overactive sebaceous glands on the scalp. The sebum attracts dirt more easily, produces dandruff, and makes your hair stick together.

In the worst cases, the sebum glands clog the hair roots, clog up your pores and may cause excessive hair loss and dandruff, as well as  hardened  sebum which looks like this:

The body regularly sheds dead skin cells as new cells are formed, which is a gradual and natural process. If this process speeds up, it produces excessive amounts of dead skin cells causing dandruff.

In poor hygiene and neglected cases, Seborrheic Dermatitis or Scalp Eczema is formed.

Continued neglect can slowly lead it to become infected, causing the rough patches to become red, itchy and painful. Severe cases of patching on the scalp can result in a certain degree of peeling and hair loss. Sometimes, it can also result in fungal infection (Ringworm) and Folliculitis condition. 

In these severe cases, hair can only regrow when the infected and inflamed scalp areas are treated properly. 

Here are some of the causes of excess sebum secretion: 

  • Hormonal Imbalances during pregnancy, menopause, or puberty

  • Genes. Men have a higher tendency to have more sebaceous glands than women due to the excess of a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This metabolite of testosterone, DHT is responsible for triggering sebaceous glands to produce a lot of sebum.

  • Over-washing: The irony is if we wash our hair too much, we wipe out the sebum constantly, causing our scalp to feel dry and hence our body will start to produce even more sebum to lubricate itself.

  • Harsh Detergent Shampoo: Washes too much of our sebum away. We need a right balance of sebum to have a healthy ecosystem. Harsh shampoos clean out everything. As such, body will start to create more sebum, your sebum will go into production overdrive.

  • Too much Head Massages: Stimulates the scalp and sebaceous glands to produce more sebum. When we go for a facial and if we have acne or very oily skin, the beautician will not massage the face because by doing so it will make the sebaceous glands more active and have more breakouts.

  • Shampooing with Very Hot Water: Hot showers can inflame the skin, causing redness, itching, and even peeling; which can disrupt the skin’s natural balance of moisture.

  • Insufficient Rest. Most adults require 7 – 8 hours of restful sleep. When we have less than 6 hours over a period of time, our body will not have time to recuperate and we end up having a lot of problems which are all linked.

  • Stress affects  us in so many ways: Sleep, our mental, emotional and physical well-being.

 

IS THERE A CURE TO HAVING OILY SCALP?

Sadly,  that there is no cure for oily scalp. We have to live with it and we just need to find the best way to manage it so that it does not disrupt our lives. As we age, then the oily scalp will be less as our skin genetically changes to dry.

We have 2 types of shampoo which can help to manage your oily scalp problem!

Phytocedrat Purifying Treatment Shampoo for Oily Hair

This antiseptic shampoo harnesses the natural powers of lemon oil, pine bark, geranium, rosemary and sage to purify and regulate the scalp. It also provides deep cleansing and anti-fungal benefits, controls excessive sebum productio; and prevents sebum migration on the hair to reduce shampoo frequency. In effect, hair is not limp and flat.

Recommended for oily scalp and oily hair, it prevents the spread of excess sebum while providing ultra-oil absorbing benefits. It stops the rebound effect.

Hair is left bouncy, soft, shiny, clean, fresh & full. It is suitable for those who want to control oily scalp and hair so that it does not become oily again so quickly.

Phytopanama Balancing Treatment Shampoo for Oily & Sensitive Scalp

 For those of you who love to shampoo daily or more than once a day, this shampoo is perfect for you.

Formulated with the patented ingredient Progénium® which gives the scalp pre-biotic protection and balance, it also has essential oil of juniper berries  that purifies the scalp.

Phytopanama regulates excessive sebum production without causing reaction. The hair is gently cleansed which makes it ideal for those who wash their hair frequently.