Greasy hair? Blame it on the hormones!
It is not a first world problem for sure, but few things are as annoying as having greasy hair. Especially, if you feel like you have to wash your hair more often - for example right before or during your period.
It’s completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of. Yet it can be annoying when your hair is constantly greasy. You often feel a bit better when your hair looks and feels fresh and clean. It is recommended to wash your hair once or twice a week, but the shoe does not fit everyone unfortunately. Where one can easily go 3 days without washing, the other reaches for their shampoo bottle everyday.
Why hair training doesn't work
During the lockdown many women grabbed their chance. Nowhere to go? The perfect time to ‘train your hair’! The idea behind it: wash your hair less frequently and endure the greasy locks for now and get healthier and more beautiful hair that’s less greasy. In theory this plan isn’t all that crazy, because frequently washing your hair can increase oil production and that’s what you want to avoid!
Hello hormones!
Yet training your hair doesn’t work for everybody. Whether your hair has the tendency to get greasy quickly or not has more to do with your hormones than how often you wash your hair in one week. For example, many women find that their hair is greasier than usual during puberty, pregnancy or menopause. Hormonal fluctuations can cause your sebaceous glands to go into overdrive, resulting in greasier hair. This is also why hair can be oilier when you're on your period or about to have your period. Progesterone levels increase in the two weeks before your period and as a result there’s a somewhat higher sebum production. The increased production of sebum not only creates a greasy layer on your scalp, but can also be the reason why your face becomes more shiny. Women going through menopause also experience these hormonal fluctuations which can also cause greasier hair (and hormonal acne). How annoying! It’s not exactly fun so let’s be grateful to the inventors of dry shampoo. A few pumps near the roots of your hair and voila, your hair looks fresh and clean. When is the best time to visit your hairdresser? The final day of your period, the spring of your cycle.
Want to know what more you can get out of the spring of your cycle (and whatnot of course)? Read our article on the four seasons of your cycle. It contains tips about the do’s and don’ts regarding food during the various seasons of your cycle
