Let's Talk Greasy Hair: Is "Hair-Training" Really Necessary?

Hair training, the idea that you can wash your hair less often and your scalp will eventually produce less oil, is mostly a myth. Your sebaceous glands produce oil based on genetics, hormones, and how much you strip your scalp, not how often you wash. Washing less can help if you are over washing and stripping your scalp, but if your scalp naturally produces a lot of oil, it always will. The solution is not training your hair, it is finding the right washing frequency and products for your specific scalp type. I am going to show you why hair training does not work for most people and what actually helps with greasy hair.

Everyone has been talking about training your hair to be less greasy. The idea is that if you wash less often, your scalp will eventually adjust and produce less oil. So people force themselves to go longer between washes, dealing with greasy, uncomfortable hair for weeks, waiting for their scalp to magically adjust.

I'm Bri, a stylist at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield. I have seen so many clients try to train their hair based on what they read online, and most of them end up miserable with no results. Let me tell you about a client who wasted months trying to train her hair that was never going to cooperate.

When Hair Training Became a Nightmare

My client Jessica came to me frustrated and embarrassed. She is a 30 year old accountant in Montclair with naturally oily hair. She had been trying to train her hair for four months. She went from washing every day to washing once a week, using dry shampoo constantly in between. Her scalp was itchy, her hair looked greasy and lifeless, and she felt gross all the time.

"Bri, everyone online says my scalp will adjust if I just stick with it," she said. "But it has been four months and my hair is disgusting. When does it get better?"

I looked at her scalp. Buildup, irritation, clogged follicles. Her hair was flat and greasy. She was miserable. And her scalp had not adjusted at all. It was producing just as much oil as it always had, maybe more because she was so stressed about it.

"Your scalp is not going to adjust," I told her. "Some people naturally produce more oil. That is genetics. You cannot train that away. All you are doing is making yourself uncomfortable and damaging your scalp health. We need to stop this right now."

Why Hair Training Does Not Work for Most People

Here is the truth about oil production. Your sebaceous glands produce sebum based on genetics, hormones, and environmental factors. Some people naturally produce more oil. Some produce less. Washing frequency does not change your genetics.

What can happen is this: if you are over washing with harsh shampoo, you strip your scalp of all its natural oil. Your scalp panics and produces more oil to compensate. In that specific case, washing less often with a gentler shampoo can help your scalp calm down and produce less oil.

But if you already have a balanced washing routine and your scalp just naturally produces a lot of oil, washing less will not train it to produce less. It will just make you greasy and uncomfortable.

Jessica naturally has an oily scalp. She was washing daily, which was fine for her. Then she read about hair training and forced herself to wash once a week. Her scalp did not adjust. It just stayed oily, and she added buildup and irritation on top of it.

Scalp Health Matters More Than Trends

If your scalp is itchy, uncomfortable, has buildup, or feels gross, you need to wash it. Period. Do not force yourself to go longer between washes because the internet says so.

Scalp health is non negotiable. An unhealthy scalp leads to dandruff, irritation, clogged follicles, and even hair loss. No trend is worth damaging your scalp health.

Jessica's scalp was irritated and clogged from four months of not washing enough. She had buildup from dry shampoo and her own oil sitting on her scalp for days. Her follicles were suffocating. We had to do a clarifying treatment to deep clean her scalp and start over.

What Actually Helps With Greasy Hair

Wash When Your Scalp Needs It

If your scalp feels oily, wash it. Some people need to wash every day. Some can go three or four days. Some can go a week. It depends on your scalp, your hair type, your lifestyle, and your genetics.

Jessica needs to wash every other day. That is what works for her scalp. She tried to force herself to wash once a week and it was a disaster. Once she went back to washing every other day, her scalp felt better immediately.

Stop comparing yourself to other people. Your hair is not their hair. Your scalp is not their scalp. Wash when you need to wash.

Use the Right Shampoo

If you have oily hair, use a balancing or normalizing shampoo. These shampoos cleanse without being too harsh or too gentle. Milk Shake Normalizing Shampoo and Keune Care Derma Regulate Shampoo are both great for oily scalps.

If you have a dry scalp but oily hair, which happens sometimes, you need a different approach. Use a gentle shampoo and focus it on your scalp only, not your lengths. Add a scalp treatment for dryness.

Jessica was using a clarifying shampoo every time she washed, which was too harsh. I switched her to a balancing shampoo that cleanses her oily scalp without stripping it raw. Her scalp is much happier now.

Condition Your Ends Only

Conditioner is not the enemy of oily hair. You just need to use it correctly. Apply conditioner from mid lengths to ends. Never on your scalp or roots. This hydrates your ends without making your scalp greasier.

Jessica was skipping conditioner completely because she thought it would make her hair oily. Her ends were dry and breaking. Once she started conditioning her ends only, her hair looked and felt so much better.

Use Dry Shampoo Smartly

Dry shampoo is a tool to extend time between washes, not a replacement for washing. Use it on your roots when your hair starts looking oily. But do not rely on it for days and days without actually washing your scalp.

Dry shampoo absorbs oil on the surface. It does not cleanse your scalp or remove buildup. If you use too much dry shampoo without washing, you create more buildup and clog your follicles.

Jessica was using dry shampoo every single day for a week between washes. The buildup was terrible. Now she uses dry shampoo once in between washes to get an extra day, then she actually washes her hair. Check out my blog on dry shampoo dos and don'ts for more tips.

Detox Your Scalp If You Have Buildup

If you have been using a lot of dry shampoo, heavy products, or not washing enough, you might have buildup on your scalp. This makes your hair look greasy even right after washing. You need a scalp detox to remove the buildup.

Use a clarifying shampoo or a scalp scrub once a week or once every two weeks to deep clean. This removes product buildup, excess oil, and dead skin. Your scalp will feel cleaner and your hair will look less greasy.

Jessica needed a deep scalp detox after four months of not washing enough. Once we cleared the buildup, her hair looked so much better. Try these detox tips if you have buildup.

What Happened With Jessica

Once Jessica stopped trying to train her hair and went back to washing every other day, everything improved. Her scalp is not itchy anymore. Her hair looks clean and healthy. She uses a balancing shampoo, conditions her ends only, and uses dry shampoo once between washes. She is comfortable again.

"I wasted four months being miserable because I thought I was doing the right thing," she said. "I should have just listened to my scalp from the beginning."

She learned that trends are not always right. Your scalp tells you what it needs. If it feels gross, wash it. Do not force yourself to be uncomfortable because the internet says you should train your hair.

Your Greasy Hair Questions

Is it bad to wash my hair every day?

Not if your scalp needs it. Some people need to wash daily. As long as you are using a gentle shampoo and not stripping your scalp raw with harsh clarifying shampoo every day, you are fine. Listen to your scalp. If it feels oily and uncomfortable, wash it.

Why does my hair get greasy so fast?

Genetics. Some people just have more active sebaceous glands. Hormones, stress, diet, and product buildup can also affect oil production. But mostly it is genetics. You cannot change that. You can only manage it with the right products and washing frequency.

Will my scalp ever produce less oil?

Maybe, but probably not significantly. If you are over washing with harsh shampoo and your scalp is compensating by producing more oil, then washing less with a gentler shampoo might help. But if your scalp naturally produces a lot of oil, that is just how it is. Hormonal changes like pregnancy or menopause can affect oil production, but you cannot train it away by washing less.

Stop Trying to Train Your Hair

Jessica wasted four months trying to train hair that was never going to cooperate. She made herself miserable, damaged her scalp health, and got zero results. Once she stopped listening to trends and started listening to her scalp, everything improved.

Hair training works for a small subset of people who are over washing with harsh shampoo. For everyone else, it is a waste of time. Find the washing frequency that works for your scalp. Use the right products. Condition your ends only. Use dry shampoo as a tool, not a crutch. That is what actually helps with greasy hair.

If you are struggling with greasy hair or you have been trying to train your hair with no results, book a consultation. I can look at your scalp, figure out what is actually going on, and recommend a routine that works for your hair. Follow me on Instagram @themanebri for more honest hair advice.

Book at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield at 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 1, Unit 3 by calling 973-500-4536.

Listen to your scalp, not trends.