I’m one of those people who have struggled with their hair their entire lives. When I was 17, my hair was falling out in clumps at an uncontrollable rate. The thick hair I once knew was gone and turned into something I didn’t recognize anymore.
Along with an overwhelming hair loss, I also noticed an increase in oil production on my scalp. It was bad. Last year, I decided to take myself on a hair health journey and jumped on the grease training bandwagon.
Initially, I was overwhelmed with the number of choices that grease training offers. I wasn’t sure how it works, and I didn’t want to spend too much money (I’m cheap and prefer to use affordable alternatives rather than breaking the bank on products that might work). But lo and behold, I was successful in my journey!
Here is how I did it, and how you can do it too:
1. Stop washing your hair too much.
This step was the first and most challenging of all. Normally, I would wash my hair every other day. To start, I limited washing it to only twice a week. On the days I didn’t wash it, I used dry shampoo. Much to my surprise, after just four weeks, I noticed that I no longer needed to use dry shampoo that much. And after that, I only needed to use it on day three or four.
Once I got down to two days a week, I worked my way down to one. Yes, it was hard and disgusting at times, but it got better as the weeks went on. I also give credit to a few other changes I’ve made along the way, which I mention later on.
2. Change up your shampoo.
It’s important to use shampoos/hair sprays with no sulfates and other ingredients that dry your scalp. The key is to use moisturizing products to help give it that extra TLC it needs. I frequently alternate between Whole Blends Olive Oil shampoo and OGX Thick & Full + Biotin & Collagen shampoo. Both are game-changers.
3. Use a leave-in conditioner.
This was never something I did regularly since I wasn’t able to find one I liked — until recently. These days, I swear by Unite’s leave-in conditioner after it was introduced to me this past summer. Spray it on your wet strands (maybe five squirts) and brush it out. It made my hair feel so healthy, nourished, and extremely soft. It feels wonderful to use something nice after going days without doing anything.
4. Invest in satin pillowcases.
Satin pillowcases are great for many things like reducing wrinkles and preventing frizziness. . However, they’re also excellent for controlling scalp oil production because they don’t absorb the moisture from your hair like traditional pillowcases do. Instead, they leave the moisture where it belongs to rejuvenate your scalp. It’s also important to note you should be washing pillowcases weekly for optimal results!
5. Opt for hair scrunchies.
Thank goodness scrunchies are on-trend because this made a huge difference for my hair health. Not only do they add an extra layer of padding between your strands and the elastic, but they also aren’t as tight and don’t cause damage. Their gentle and practical design helps keep your hair in place without ruining the look you want to achieve.
6. Minimize the use of hot tools.
Normally, I would only use a straightener or curling iron on the day I washed my hair. So I was already in the habit of not using them daily. After all, the less you use them the less you’re damaging your locks. And less damage means more health!
7. Take hair growth pills.
Taking hair pills has made an enormous difference in making my hair healthier and improving its thickness. I religiously use Nature’s Bounty’s capsules and have had fantastic results. For more on that journey, check out this article.
8. Get a trim.
Trims are life-changing in more ways than one. By cutting off dead and split ends, you’re allowing your hair to grow. Typically, longer hair weighs your scalp down and damages your roots. Without that weight, your scalp has time to regenerate and produce healthy locks. Even if you don’t want to, I would still recommend doing it.
Tricking your hair into producing less oil is easier than you think, and I am living proof of it. I’ve always been quite lazy when it comes to my hair, so if I managed to apply these changes into my hair routine, so can you. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Featured image via StockSnap on Pixabay
