Best Shampoo for 13 year old's oily hair?

[linnylu]

My 13 year old DD has very fine hair. She showers at night and her hair still looks oily the next morning. Her face is also shiny, but so far isn't breaking out. Currently she uses an aussi shampoo, but it isn't working. I looked at the store, but most shampoos were for dry hair and I couldn't find any for oily hair. Does anyone have any suggestions? She usually wears a large, fabric hair band and you can't tell that he hair is oily, but today is picture day and she doesn't want the hair band.

 

[Jennasis]

I would talk to her about HOW she shampoos. It may be possible she isn't really doing a great job. Many teens/pre-teens at that age tend to rub shampoo onto the top of their head and neglect working the shampoo all the way to the ends, OR conversely they will lather up the ends and neglect the top of their head.

 

[Nature Mom]

Both my DDs have or are suffering now through this due to puberty...we use Tea Tree Oil shampoo....works great! Nice, shiny, bouncy hair again. Happy girls, happy mom.

(There are lots of different kinds of tea tree shampoos, you can find them most anywhere. My DD11 is using the Organix lately, it is in a green bottle. I think I picked it up at CVS.)

 

[Andtototoo]

I would second the notion of reviewing shampooing techniques. I found that at that age, dd wasn't rinsing long enough so there was shampoo residue, which made her hair look more oily.

She currently uses a Suave clarifying shampoo ($1.49) and that works better than anything else she tried.

 

[shortbun]

Neutragena has a great clarifying shampoo. We've tried others but theirs seems to actually do a good job. Suave would be my 2nd choice-their clarifying shampoo. I also get this special, weightless conditioner that I've instructed DS to use ONLY on his ends. His hair is shoulder length and he's an athlete so it gets dirty and greasy very quickly. I use the Neutragena shampoo once in a while for myself to remove residue. I think it's a good idea to change shampoos a day or two a week. I used to think Prell was great for oily hair. It was also pretty damaging to my fine hair so I stopped using it but IF it's still around, you might switch it in a day or two a week. Does she wash her hair everyday? At that age, it's a must if the hair is to look clean.

I agree that a lesson on washing and rinsing completely is also in order. She'll give you the eye roll most likely, lol!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

First...

1) Have her wear her swim suit and then proceed to show you how she washes her hair.

a.) If she is not washing correctly instruct her how to do it better and/or if she uses other products observe how she is applying those.

b.) If her hair is clean after this session, then you know she is skipping washing her hair. (Both my girls did this believe it or not.)

2.) Plenty of shampoos that are terrific for fine hair. I think they are even making the powdered stuff to absorb excess oil.

3.) My dd sleeps with a towel on her pillow to absorb oil at night. She is oily.

 

[mickeyboat]

DDs 11 & 12 get oily hair, too. I can tell when they wash their hair well and when they don't. DD11 ends to wash the ends of her hair and ignore her scalp and front, so that is where the oil shows. She also is growing out her bangs, and touches them a lot.

We use the tea tree shampoo too, and when they use it properly, their hair stays looking pretty good.

 

[Gigi22]

Could be your DD is simply using too much conditioner and not rinsing it out thoroughly. That stuff can easily overwhelm thin fine hair and make it look oily. I had the same kind of hair as your DD--after conditioning I used to rinse my hair with lemon juice/vinegar, followed by tepid clear water. And, if all else fails (sigh) highlights will make fine oily hair less oily, and drier.

 

[SpecialK]

Another vote for the Suave Daily Clarifying. Works great for my son.

He has a buzz cut and still has trouble, so it's not always shampooing technique. Some kids just have oily hair.

 

[clutter]

Dd14 ended up borrowing a friend's Head and Shoulders at camp one time and loved it. That's all she uses. I've worked with her about rinsing the scalp well and only applying conditioner to the ends.

 

[tlbwriter]

All of the above, but for a short-term (picture day), have her use dry shampoo in the morning. You could even try dusting a little baby powder or cornstarch into her hair, rubbing it into the roots, and then combing it out.

 

[NotUrsula]

Even cheaper than the Suave, VO5 Kiwi-Lime shampoo. DS used it when he was having this problem. I got it at the grocery store for $.85 cents a bottle, which was good, because he tended to pour too much until he really got the hang of shampooing. We tried expensive tea tree shampoos, but this worked even better, and it smelled better, too.

I second the advice on rinsing thoroughly; kids tend not to do that.

 

[beachcomber]

Another vote for the Suave Daily Clarifying. Works great for my son.

He has a buzz cut and still has trouble, so it's not always shampooing technique. Some kids just have oily hair.

I'm beginning to realize this with my daughter. (We'll just say she gets it from her dad? LOL) I wash her hair for her about once a week, she wears her bathing suit, and she does it the other nights....it may be "less" oily when I do it...but it's still not how I'd like to see it. I chalk the difference up to my salon shampoos....and not her technique anymore.

I'm going to try to find some of the tea tree shampoo tonight!

 

[morethananyonex]

It's been said already sort of, but when I was around that age (maybe a little younger) I would fake brushing my teeth and showering properly. I would literally stand there taking up the time it took but I wouldn't do what I needed to do. For example, I would run the water to brush my teeth, wet my toothbrush and put toothpaste in my mouth for the smell test. Yes, kids are gross, lazy and illogical (or atleast I was) . Just another perspective to throw out there.

 

[NotUrsula]

I'm beginning to realize this with my daughter. (We'll just say she gets it from her dad? LOL) I wash her hair for her about once a week, she wears her bathing suit, and she does it the other nights....it may be "less" oily when I do it...but it's still not how I'd like to see it. I chalk the difference up to my salon shampoos....and not her technique anymore.

I'm going to try to find some of the tea tree shampoo tonight!

DS14 had the "oil-head" phenomenon attack him when he was 12. It was horrible; his hair smelled like rancid meat. That was when we tried all those different shampoos. It turns out that the phase was temporary; in his case it lasted just under a year, and while his hair is still on the oily side when not washed often, it isn't at all like it was, and the reek is only a memory, thank God.

IME more expensive shampoo isn't the answer. In fact, I found that the cheaper it is the more likely it is to work on hormone-induced greasiness. That is because cheap shampoos are more likely to contain high amounts of alcohol and/or detergents. Those things are harsh cleansing agents and degreasers, and are not good for dry hair at all, but for an oil-head problem they are very effective; it's like washing the hair with diluted Dawn dish detergent.

 

[EMom]

DD has baby fine hair. We have found a shampoo that works well, but I'll have to check the name later. She had the same problem....looked oily even after just washing.

1. Wasn't washing/rinsing it correctly. Lots of rinsing in warm water, but finish with cool....stops the oil, it seems. But mainly, LOTS of rinsing.

2. Don't let it air dry all the way. It can air dry a little, but it needs to be blown dry. This was my impression and our hair stylist said air drying made fine hair look oily as well. When her hair is blown dry, it ALWAYS looks better.

3. Dry her air upside down. No joke. (Unless it's curly....then it might get wild.) Have her hang her head down and dry from underneath. (It needs to be free of tangles first.) The volume will almost DOUBLE and DD's hair never, ever looks oily when we do this. It's like she has someone else's hair on her head.

Good luck.

 

[kaligal]

I have very oily (and very fine) hair and must shower in the morning. No shampoo would be good enough to carry me a full 24 hours. By noon, it would be a scary situation. I never consulted a dermatologist, though. There might be some great medical one.

It's a pain to always have to shower in the morning, but that's how it is. And I do know how to wash and rinse, lol.

I second the hair dryer instead of air drying.

Drama Clean by Herbal Essences does a nice job.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Just going to second all the other posters: get a tea tree oil shampoo or get a cheap clarifying shampoo (should be clear, not milky, and not the expensive stuff - it doesn't work as well). Either one should do the trick.

 

[goofy4tink]

Dd14 ended up borrowing a friend's Head and Shoulders at camp one time and loved it. That's all she uses. I've worked with her about rinsing the scalp well and only applying conditioner to the ends.

This worked wonders for my dd as well. She still uses Head and Shoulders on occasion...maybe once a week or so. Her hair is fairly thin so it got flat really easily.
Rinsing is usually the issue. I spend more time rinsing than washing!!! That's what I'm always telling my dd...rinse, rinse again, then one more time!!!

 

[trip]

Does she shampoo twice? When I was younger and had oily hair, I had to shampoo twice to get really clean hair.