Why Does Hair Become Oily?
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Oily hair is a problem that many people would prefer not to have to deal with. For those that it affects, it does, it can be a source of embarrassment. It is important to understand why their hair is oily in the first place. It is also important to know how to properly care for it through hygiene and hair care products best suited for oily hair.
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A person has more than 100,000 hair follicles on her head. These follicles produce hair shafts, which are the individual hairs on a head. Each hair shaft is made of three layers. The outside layer of the shaft is called the cuticle. Each hair follicle has sebaceous glands, which produce sebum. Sebum is the oil that keeps hair from drying out. An overproduction of sebum leads to hair that is more oily than usual.
Teenagers are especially prone to oily hair due to hormonal changes, which cause overactive sebaceous glands producing an excess of sebum. Most likely, this is only a temporary stage that will cease after adolescence. It is also important to consider physical activity, since those who are more physically active may produce more sebum as they sweat, causing the hair to become oilier. People with fine hair may be more prone to oily hair than people with curlier hair. The amount of hairs a person with fine hair has on their head is usually larger than that of a person with curly hair. This increased volume results in more follicles and thus more sebaceous glands. The more sebaceous glands a person has, the more sebum they produce, resulting in the likelihood that their hair will be oilier. Other causes of oily hair can be directly linked to genetics, improper hair care products and lack of proper hygiene.
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Whatever the cause of oily hair may be, it is important to practice proper hygiene and hair care. This means using proper hair care products for their hair type and washing hair regularly. Usually, washing hair once a day with a product designed for oily hair eliminates the appearance of oily hair. However, those that wash their hair more than once a day or have very fine hair may want to consider using a gentler shampoo since shampoos made for oily hair can be too harsh on the hair follicles. It's important to note that washing hair too often may actually make the problem worse by stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. It may take experimentation with different shampoo types and washing frequencies in order for a person with oily hair to determine the correct method for alleviating their oily hair problem.
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