11 yr old DD and oily hair...HELP!

[dizagain]

Hi! Well, my 11-almost 12-yr-old DD is suddenly having the most awful problem! I know she's hormonal, etc., but her beautiful hair now looks like she rubbed Crisco all over it! She gets out of the shower and dries her hair...it still looks wet and all she can do is put it in a pony tail. We've tried some different shampoos...since she has thick tangly hair she must use conditioner but she only uses it on the bottom half - nothing is helping. Any suggestions? This particular pre-teen problem didn't happen to me, so I have no idea! She's getting upset and I'm afraid I'm not helping because I talk about it...of course she then feels "she" is bad, not her hair. I feel terrible!! Thanks for any tips!

 

[disneynutt1225]

I would stop using the conditioner and start using a spray in detangler (Pantene has a good one). Also, does she use shampoo for very oily hair? It won't have as much of the moisturizer in it as the regular shampoos do. Does she put any other products in her hair? If so, tell her to hold off on them for a while until you can figure out what's making the problem as bad as it is. But, the first thing I would definitely do is stop using the conditioner.

 

[ducklite]

What shampoos have you tried? Nexxus Exoil might be a good solution. My DH has very oily hair and it works well for him. DS uses a shampoo for oily hair from Tresemme that also works well.

And one other question--are you sure she's actually lathering up really well? Maybe you might want to try washing it yourself over the ktichen sink to see how it comes out... At that age kids often take shortcuts...

Anne

 

[clarabelle]

Try something with tea tree oil.
Get her to wash, rinse and wash again.
Make sure she is really working it in there. Occasionally I help my DD -even though she doesn't like it.
Good luck!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am going to have to tell you this as I went through it with dd...but it is possible she may not be washing her hair? Do you know if she is washing every time?

How I solved it was to have dd put on her swim suit and show me how she washes her hair. Once she did wash in front of me and her hair dried it looked suspiciously clean. Hmmmmmm.....She admitted to not washing her hair all the time in the shower.

Also, if she uses conditioner she may be using too much.

 

[Pooh_Friend#1]

Let me tell you that it is something that you don't grow out of. My hair has always been oily. I have long, thick, tangly brown hair and to this day cannot find a shampoo to help me out with the oil. I use clarifying shampoo for oily hair by pantene and also their spray in conditioner. Nothing works, I still have to wash my hair every day which my hair stylist says is a big no-no. I do not use any other product to style my hair but I have never tried the products that ductlite suggested....I am off to go get those to try!!

 

[dizagain]

Thanks for the tips...I was thinking of going to the salon to buy something they suggest which I NEVER do!

I have thought of the idea that maybe she's not really washing her hair...SHE HATES DOING THIS. But, what she really hates is having to deal with getting her hair dry in the morning, so "faking" it doesn't really change anything. I french braid it a few mornings a week for her which we do while damp.

I may try putting her in her bathing suit and either watching her or doing it myself...hopefully we can find a solution! Any other product suggestions?

 

[tkd lisa]

I never knew how much hormones can affect your hair until my DD started puberty! She has very similar problems!

I ended up getting the Aussie products for her. They have a pretty good shampoo/tip mender that works well, and their conditioner/detangler is good too. I've also had pretty good luck with the Suave Humetrics ?? line? It's the one in the white bottles. Lots cheaper than the aussie stuff.

And yes, my DD often doesn't really get it worked down to the roots. It's more that she doesn't get it rinsed out well. So when the shampoo and the conditioner are still caught in there, the hair looks dirty/oily. And with the curls, it tangles really badly, and she doesn't want to work through it. I end up doing the battle about once a week so I know there's nothing growing in there!

One other thing that does help is to have your DD take a wide tooth comb in the shower, and comb through the hair as she's rinsing. My DD said "Mom, that makes it so much easier!" Of course, she doesn't do it except when I remind her! Got to love these early teen years!

 

[Steffi]

My 11 year old DD had oily hair, also. Thick, long, oily hair. Yes, she's hormonal and all, but it was really bad for a while, and it smelled oily, too! I did what another poster suggested, had DD show me how she was washing her hair. She was just gently smoothing the shampoo over her head, missing entire areas of hair, and not really scrubbing any part of her scalp at all. That may have worked fine before puberty, but not anymore! I had to show her how to shampoo effectively. She still gets a little oily, but it's much more under control now and looks and smells a million times better.

 

[SC Minnie]

DD also had a problem with her hair oily after she washed it. She was pulling her hair all on the top of her head and somewhat lathering up. The ends got clean but not a lot of shampoo got to the roots.

Make sure she is getting to roots good and lathered. This may solve everything.

 

[clarabelle]

I saw a scalp scrubber at Walgreens. Maybe she would like that? It was a soft rubber brush type thing

 

[BernardandMissBianca]

I have always had oily hair. One of my favorite products is Dove Beautifully Clean shampoo. It does a really good job, we also have hard water which is bad for your hair and this shampoo really helps. I also use a very small amount of conditioner on the ends. I don't wash my hair every day but this shampoo keeps it looking good.
Does your DD have long or short hair? I ask because my Best Friend has short hair and she has to wash it more frequently because the oil doesn't have as far to go. She gets that Crisco look faster than I would.

 

[dg39]

My dd 11 yrs. old has the same problem. Long ,oily hair. BUT, I noticed that when she takes a shower she doesn't rinse like she should. It got to the point that after she showers and dries her hair with the blower,its still oily, I re-rinse it myself and all the oil is gone. Also, being her hair has a tendency of being oily, I told her to ONLY condition her hair from her shoulders down.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Thanks for the tips...I was thinking of going to the salon to buy something they suggest which I NEVER do!
...
Any other product suggestions?

If you don't want to put out the money for the salon items (which I don't blame you for)...check out your local Sally Beauty...they have a 'generic' line which, I swear, works just as well as the "regular line".

The "generic" Paul Mitchell shampoo with tea-tree oil works really well when I find my hair is a bit greasy (most in the summer for me)

also works well to get alot of "product buildup" out of my hair.

 

[puffkin]

Skip the conditioner and use a spray in. Also make sure she combs her hair before getting in the shower. That will help with the tangles and help some of the oil work its way out of the roots.

I agree with other posters, it sounds like she isn't washing/rinsing her hair properly.

 

[powellrj]

I would also try a good vinegar rinse. I have noticed that when the kids hair starts to look oily, I will mix about a 1/4 cup vinegar in warm water and have them pour it over their hair after washing and then rinse well. IT will help get the left over yuck out.

 

[SC Minnie]

I use baking soda on my hair every other month or so. It cuts the build up of hair products and will take care of the oil. Just make a paste in your hand and rub it through the hair before shampooing.

 

[winniedapooh]

DD 8/12 is going through this. Someone mentioned watching how she washes her hair...I second that one! I do DD hair every 3rd or 4th day and let her do it every other night. Also try different conditioners. DD can only use Herbal Essence. Everything else including detanglers make her a grease pit! Good luck...

 

[RNMOM]

I still have oily hair at 51. When I was a teen Prell, the good old green kind was what worked for me. I had long thick hair. I would suggest one of the Neutrogena products. I have had to use T-Gel for a long time due to allergies and it really gets the oil out. They have a couple other shampoos that are good too.

I agree about her not washing it well. You might try getting her one of those scrubbie things that are plastic and you can use it to scrub you scalp. She needs to shampoo and rinse 2 times. I still can't get by with only one shampoo.

 

[dmslush]

If you think she is washing it really good, and it is just hormonal problems, sprinkle some baby powder in her hair and brush it out. That will help absorb some of the oil.