Advice on oily skin and scalp

Oily scalp is a common problem faced by a large number of people. It is good to have oil glands functioning normally on your scalp because it helps protects your hair shafts, strengthens the hair roots, provides nourishment, and gives your hair a healthy sheen. However, once these oil glands become overactive they start to attract dirt and grease, and give your hair a dirty and dull look. Moreover, an oily scalp may also give rise to itchiness and result in a dandruff problem.

There can be several reasons for an oily scalp:

• The most prominent reason of oily hair is heredity - so, if the problem is in the family, you are most likely to inherit it.
• Hormonal fluctuations in the body may also often result in an oily scalp - teenagers, women on birth control pills or facing menstrual irregularity can experience oily scalp.
• Side effect of certain drugs may also make your scalp oily - one particular example is the use of androgenic hormones to gain body mass.

Here are some home-remedies that you can try out to take care of an oily scalp:

• Massage your hair with lemon juice to reduce oiliness of your scalp. You can also prepare a mixture of lemon juice with water and use it to rinse your hair and scalp. A mixture of lemon juice and aloe vera gel can also be used as an effective shampoo to cleanse oily scalp.
• Applying apple cider vinegar on your hair is another effective way to control the oiliness of your scalp. You can also mix apple cider vinegar with warm water to wash your hair and scalp.
• You can also use diluted tea to rinse your hair. Tea, being an astringent, can reduce oiliness of your scalp.
• Use alcoholic beverages to wash your scalp and hair - alcoholic beverages have a drying effect and it will help reduce the oiliness.
• Choose a good shampoo that suits your hair type - you may have to try several before you find the right kind, but do ensure that the shampoo you use is really suitable for your hair and scalp. Usually, oily hair will require a solvent type shampoo that is slightly more alkaline. Such shampoos will be more effective in removing the oil from the scalp. Wash your hair as frequently as you can, but do not use conditioners, especially near the scalp - conditioners tend to coat your hair and it's not recommended for oily hair.

answered by G M

In order to take care of oily scalp and skin, your husband would have to rework his general lifestyle a bit. This will require some effort on his part. The first way to tackle smelly oily hair and scalp is to wash it everyday. You can use a mild natural shampoo for this purpose, as these will work best. Do not go by the age old myth that washing hair on a daily basis will "spoil" it. There is no such thing, if you use a mild, and more importantly, natural and organic shampoo, then your hair will become healthier for all the cleaning you are providing it. If you start with this, you will notice the difference at once. Make sure that he goes for a haircut every month. This is also very important to maintain proper health of hair.

About once a week, make it a point to massage the scalp with a mixture of oil and lime juice. This will cleanse and sanitize the scalp, prevent the appearance of dandruff as well as keep the moisture within. Do remember that no matter how oily the scalp is, it needs its essential moisture to survive in good health. About every alternate week, you can also massage a mix of a cup of yogurt and a tablespoon of lime juice and leave this in your hair for a good hour before you wash it off as usual. This will also serve the same purpose. If your husband feels he must oil his hair, then it must be done not more than once a week. Also, he should apply warm olive oil just before having a bath. Hair oil can work whatever magic it has to in a span of 20 minutes, beyond which it need not be left in the hair.

answered by G M