4 Tell-tale signs that you have an oily scalp and treatment

What is an oily scalp?

Oily scalp is the condition where there is an excessive build-up of the natural grease secretion from the sebaceous glands in the scalp. When there is an excess of oily and grease in the scalp, the person suffering from oily scalp may feel itchy, have wet-greasy looking hair. The excess oil could even clog up the hair follicles, if left untreated, it could also lead to other hair issues such as dandruff or even hair loss.

Photo of man with oily scalp. Hair scan of his scalp shows that he has damaged his hair follicles by scratching due to the itchiness.

If you have oily scalp, you might not know off it, you could even think that it is normal, but your friends will probably notice it but they were too polite to tell you about it. Oily scalp is not normal and you can fix it. Your scalp will feel so much more comfortable once you solve your oily scalp problem. But first, what are the causes of oily scalp?

Causes of oily scalp

1. Hot humid weather – Oily scalp is a common hair problem here in Southeast Asia because of the weather. The hot and humid weather can cause the sebaceous glands to go into overproduction, producing more oil than what your scalp requires, resulting in oily scalp.

2. Genetics – Well, this is unlucky for some. You’re just born with hyperactive sebaceous glands. Not your fault. Just like why some people have sweaty palms. But you still can overcome this by using the right shampoo with the correct pH values and getting treatment for your scalp regularly.

3. Seborrheic dermatitis – This is an inflammatory skin disease which can affect your scalp. This causes scaly red patches to appear. This may lead to sebaceous glands over-producing oil as well. Leading to itchy oily scalp.

4. Wrong use of shampoo – The natural pH value of your scalp is 5.5. If your scalp is too acidic, i.e. your pH value of your scalp is below 5.5, then chances are, you have an oily scalp. If you continue using the wrong shampoos (pH below 5.5), it will led to your scalp’s pH being low (oily).

Therefore, to combat this issue, we recommend that you use a shampoo with a pH above 5.5 to balance your scalp natural pH level.

How do you know if you have an oily scalp?

Here are the four main tell-tale signs of oily scalp:

  1. You consistently scratch your scalp and feel itchiness every now and then
  2. You leave oil stains on the glass / windows after resting your head on it
  3. Your fingers feel oily after running them through your hair
  4. Your hair is overly shiny and flattish due to layer of oil on your scalp and hair

If you still aren’t sure if you have oily scalp or not. You can just visit salons like Bee Choo Ladies where scalp analysis can be done to determine the health of your scalp.

Example of Scalp Scan:

Image by Bee Choo Ladies, 2019

How can you prevent oily scalp?

This is actually pretty simple. Firstly, those with oily scalp, we really encourage you to shampoo your hair more frequently, once to twice per day. Some people might be afraid that if they shampoo too often, it could cause their hair ends to dry up. Luckily, if you wash with the right shampoo technique, it will not cause your hair ends to dry up.

The trick is pretty simple, use a shampoo whose pH is about 5.7 (mild oily scalp) or even up to 6.1 (super oily scalp). Concentrate on washing your hair roots and scalp, not your hair ends. Make such there is enough foam by rubbing your hands against one another to cause the shampoo to foam up. Lastly, try not to sleep immediately after showers. Ensure that your scalp is fully dried before turning in.

Any shortcut? Yes there is! A quick and simple way to get rid of your oily scalp is to get a herbal hair treatment with Bee Choo and use a tonic made specifically for oily scalp.

Bee Choo Herbal Treatment example. Bee Choo is Asia’s largest scalp treatment specialist. Their treatment is affordable and safe. They also sell tonics catering to oily scalp or other scalp types.

Is scalp treatment necessary?

Many people neglect their scalp. They take it for granted. But like your muscles and health, it needs proper care.

People often abuse their scalp by using overly harsh shampoos, unsuitable shampoos and going for strong chemical treatment such as rebonding, colouring and perming of the hairs. When you’re young, you probably can get away with it, but once you hit your 30s and 40s, many people who had taken for granted their scalp, will soon start to experience hair issues such as premature grey hairs, hair loss, hair thinning and oily scalp. This is why we encourage you to start taking care of your scalp early.

Taking good care of your scalp will keep your hair healthy and beautiful even as you age.

Bee Choo Herbal Scalp treatment benefits:

  • Balances the pH of your scalp. Rectifying and preventing oily scalp and oily hair.
  • Provides essential nutrients and vitamins to your scalp. Once your scalp is healthy, it acts as a safeguard against common hair and scalp issues such as hair loss, dandruff, oily scalp and also slows down growth of new white hairs.

If you have time and care for your scalp, find us for herbal hair treatment – affordable and effective (see our clients testimonials) https://www.beechooladies.com.sg/effective-hair-loss-treatment-in-singapore/

Be like him. He recovered fully from his oily scalp.