How to oil train your hair

Say goodbye to greasy, oily hair!  

How many days can you go between shampooing your hair?  For years and years I have been washing my hair every other day. I even went through a phase where I had to do it every day.  Most of my clients say they wash their hair everyday, or every other day. I do have a select few (and I mean very few) clients who can go a whole week between washing. I’m going to tell you how you can actually train your hair so that you can be among the few who only washes once a week. 

Let’s talk oil- 

What is this oil on my roots? 

Our skin has special glands called sebaceous glands, which are connected to the hair follicle. These glands secrete an oily substance called “sebum”, that helps to lubricate the hair and skin. Excessive oiliness is caused by overactive sebaceous (oil) glands. You can tell that your hair is oily if it appears to be “wet” or greasy at the roots. Everyone gets oily hair at some point, and it is perfectly natural. Each person’s hair and skin is different, which is why some people’s hair tends to get oily faster than others. 

Why does my hair get so oily? 

Your skin on your scalp secrets oil based on what it thinks it needs. So, if your hair is getting washed every day, your scalp gets used to that and sends the signals to your glands that it can produce more oil.  The more you run your hands and fingers through your hair, the more oils it will produce. And, the more dirt and oil will transfer to your hair from your hands and fingers. When you rub your scalp, you stimulate the circulation of your hair follicles, which signals the sebaceous glands to let out more oil. I used to be one to constantly run my fingers through my scalp and hair, and I’m positive that contributed to the oiliness of my hair. 

How can I slow the oil production?

Stop touching your scalp so much. I know that’s easier said than done. If you break your habit of running your fingers through your hair, it will help slow the oil production. The other thing to do is to just start going longer between washing your hair. Start slowly. Start going an extra day between washing, then after a month or two, add another day, and so on…   I wouldn’t go longer than a week between washing though. When your hair gets a new “normal cycle” or washing routine, it will start to level out the amount of oils it produces. When you finally reach 4-7 days between washings, your scalp should acclimate to the new normal and produce less oils than it did. You can also use an anti-dandruff shampoo occasionally to help control the oils and dandruff caused by oil. 

How long does it take to train my hair? 

Training your hair to be less oily can take time and patience. When you first start your hair training, you may experience an even more amount of oils.  This is because when you change your washing routine, you are confusing your skin’s “normal” process of oil production and secretion so it can make your scalp overproduce oils until it gets to a “new normal” essentially. I would say it can take 6-12 months to train your hair completely. This is dependent on your many days you are trying to go between washings for your “new normal”. I personally am comfortable going 4 days in between. This has taken me 6 months to get to my new normal. 

So what are the steps to actually apply to my hair? 

Step 1: Don’t wash so often

As we talked about above, the first step to oil training your hair is to not wash/shampoo your hair so often. Start with going one day longer. So if you wash your hair every day, start going every other. After a month of that, your hair should get used to it, and you can add another day, and so on. 

Step 2: Use Dry Shampoo

Dry Shampoo is the secret to success! You definitely NEED it! Dry shampoo absorbs the oils on your hair/scalp and comes in powder form, spray form, or mousse form. I personally don’t like the mousse, but to each their own! Apply the dry shampoo to the roots when you just can’t go any longer. It should buy you at least another day, if not more. For me, I like to go 2 days with normal hair, then apply the dry shampoo on the third day, and go one more day after that, which gets me to 4 days! 

Step 3: Brush it through

Even though brushing your hair will stimulate the follicles and potentially create more oil, it is necessary for when you are oil training your hair. Brushing not only removes the tangles, but also distributes the oils so that it’s healthier on your scalp. It is very important to brush your hair from roots to ends after you have applied the dry shampoo. I like to use a paddle brush for this. 

Step 4: Style as usual

After you have applied the dry shampoo, and brushed it through your hair, you can style your hair as usual!  I like to have my hair straight on the first two days, and curly on the last two days. When I apply the dry shampoo on the third day, I find the curls helps to give me a more fresh look and feel, even though it’s been a few days since I have washed my hair. And, my curls usually last a couple days, which makes it easy to do on the 4th day, and if I want to go 5 days, I can just pull it up into a messy bun or something and it would still be fine. 

Isn’t it unhealthy for my hair? 

Some people say that you must wash your hair every day to have good hygiene, and to keep hair healthy. This is not true. It is actually more damaging to wash your hair every day because of the amount of products and styling tools you use on it to wash, dry, and style it every day. Just think about all the time you save by not blow-drying your hair every day, or every other day. Just make sure you are brushing your hair thoroughly before and after you apply your dry shampoo. 

Hair secrets to help excessive oiliness and skin conditions 

If you are just starting your oil training, and your oil seems out of control, try using a quarter size amount of baking soda and mix it with your regular shampoo. This will help clarify your hair and scalp and strip it of all the oils and buildup. If you go through all this oil training and you still can’t control your oiliness, you may have a skin condition. As a professional hairstylist, I recommend using “head and shoulders” as a shampoo. I know that some doctors also recommend using “head and shoulders”, but some may require a medical grade product to cure their condition. See your doctor if none of these things are working for you. 

Now, start oil training! 

Having oily hair is completely normal. If you want to start going longer between washing, start slowly with one day, and each month add another day. Use dry shampoo and brush it when you would normally wet wash your hair, and that will extend the number of days you go in-between wet washings. Your hair will eventually adjust and acclimate to its “new normal” after it gets into a solid new routine of not washing for x amount of days. Don’t go longer than a week between wet washing. Going longer between washing is actually more healthy for your hair and scalp.  Now you can start oil training your hair today! 

If you have any other suggestions on oil training, or if you have done it, please comment! I’d love to know!