Girls with combination hair have to fight on two fronts. On the one hand, with an oily root zone and, on the other hand, with over-dried ends. To alleviate blemishes, you need to know what’s causing them. You’ll know then how to properly care for your locks and how to prevent greasy, dry ends.
Table of Contents
Why is hair greasy at the roots and dry at the ends?
Mixed hair type is caused by improper sebum functioning: increased production of sebum (sebaceous gland secretion). Related to this, more frequent washing triggers protective reactions in the body to prevent skin dryness. The result is that the ends of the strands become thin and dry and the roots even more oily.
Possible causes of oily roots and dry ends:
- exposure to harsh chemicals or heat (ie. colouring, perming);
- use of poor quality products to seal in the hair;
- poor water, with high chlorine and salt content;
- unbalanced diet (overeating, dieting, hunger strikes), presence in the diet of harmful products that cause formation of toxins;
- frequent consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking;
- prolonged exposure to ultraviolet rays, hot or very cold air;
- immune system or metabolic disorders;
- skin diseases or hormonal imbalance;
- thyroid gland malfunction;
- exhaustion (physical or mental) due to overexertion, sleep disorders, etc.
IMPORTANT: Only by consulting a trichologist can you know the exact cause of your sebaceous glands. The specialist will correctly identify your hair type and develop a hair care regimen.
How do I take care of oily hair at the roots and dry ends?
The basics of proper hair care for mixed hair types:
- Washing frequently often causes sebum to work too hard and can make the ends even drier.
- Don’t wash your hair twice in one go. That way, you can wash away the protective film from the dermis and the strands, thus stimulating the active production of grease, causing damage to the ends.
- Wash your hair with warm water and rinse with cool water at the end of the treatment.
- Shampoo the root zone thoroughly. Shampoo the ends lightly and lastly.
- Systematically trim razor-shredded ends.
- Avoid colouring your hair with aggressive dyes, protect it from perms and frequent blow-drying.
- Use natural hair masks on a regular basis.
HELP. Combination hair needs special care products. Products designed for dry or oily hair are not suitable. These products will worsen the situation: hair at the roots will become even greasier, and the ends will be dry and thinning.
Pharmaceutical products
The advantage of such funds is that they not only perfectly cleanse the scalp, but also have a curative effect: lead to normal sebum function, that is, eliminate the cause. Most drugstore products have an antiseborrheic effect and also get rid of dandruff.
Shampoos from the drugstore for combination hair often contains the substance ketoconazole – antifungal component that helps cure sebum malfunction. Such products eliminate scaling, reduce greasiness of strands, while sparing the ends of hair. Lotions, ointments and other topical preparations are used for the same purpose.
WARNING: For the complex fight against greasiness of strands, additional medicines aimed at eliminating the root cause are selected.
If the sebaceous glands work intensely because of stress, you can take a tincture of valerian, motherwort. In the case of nutritional deficiencies, taking multivitamins etc. is useful.
Masks for dry hair on the tips and oily hair at the roots
Such hair should be pampered with a nourishing mask 1-2 times a week. You can buy for this purpose quality products in shops or make your own mask, following folk recipes. The effectiveness of the latter is not inferior to professional products.
IMPORTANT: It is correct to apply a nourishing mask only on the ends from the middle of the strands.
4 simple masks specifically for oily hair at the roots and dry hair at the ends:
- Tomato.
Take a fresh, natural tomato, peel it, finely chop and squeeze it. Apply the tomato juice all over your hair. Wash off with slightly warm water without shampoo.
WARNING: Girls with blonde strands should choose another recipe, as tomato can stain the strands with a reddish tint.
- Carrot hair mask.
Take two carrots, grate and squeeze. With the resulting juice treat your hair, paying particular attention to the root area. After 30-40 minutes, rinse with cool water.
- Herbal.
To create such a mask, you will need herbs: calendula, plantain or chamomile. Pour 4-5 tbsp. herbs in boiling water, cover the container with a lid, let the decoction infuse for 60 minutes. Pour the resulting concentrate in one litre of water. Wash your hair with shampoo, then rinse with the herbal infusion.
- Lemon-honey mask with aloe juice.
Normalise sebum production as well as nourishing the ends. To prepare a mask, mix the juice of half a lemon with 2 tbsp. aloe, 1 tbsp. natural honey. The product is applied in stages: first on the skin of the head, then over the entire surface of the strands. Wash off after 30 minutes.
Scalp can be helped by using a salt scrub as often as twice a month. It cleanses the scalp of keratinised particles and renews the dermis so that it can breathe better. It is very simple to prepare: add a few drops of essential oil to finely ground salt. Apply as an ordinary scrub, gently massaging the scalp while avoiding contact with the ends. When the procedure is finished, rinse off with lukewarm water.
Treatments
To fight excessive grease and dry hair, a number of cosmetic treatments can be effective:
- ozone therapy – saturation of tissues with oxygen, thus normalizing metabolic processes;
- mesotherapy – injection of a vitamin cocktail selected individually for each problem;
- cryotherapy – a cosmetology procedure with the use of liquid nitrogen.
The salon can also offer a number of other treatments (laser, plasmolifting, etc.). A competent specialist will prescribe a course of treatment consisting of the required number of sessions.
Prevention
It is possible to prevent greasy hair at the roots and dry ends by following a rational diet (if possible to remove from the menu fast carbohydrates, high-calorie food, coffee, carbonated drinks, alcohol). It is important to take good care of your hair and to treat any diseases that can cause sebaceous glands to malfunction.
To cope with the problem of oily hair at the roots, dry ends, you need to choose a comprehensive approach. This includes changing your diet, avoiding bad habits, taking multivitamins, choosing the right hair care products. In any case, it is better to ask for help from a trichologist at the beginning of treatment.
