puberty & greasy hair?

somethings will work better then others but its just part of growing up
 
I would recommend doing a vinegar rinse along with new product. Your hair does not smell like vinegar and does get old product out and keep the scalp clean.

You beat me to it! Apple cider vinegar is great for getting out build up. Leaves hair shiny!
 
Check for build up.

Recently, I had my daughter's hair professionally styled. She had washed her hair and as usual it appeared greasy. Stylist actually showed me the build up on her strands of hair. His suggestion was to use a clarifying shampoo.

For now, she is just using my Wen until I can figure out what clarifying shampoos to try.


I should note her after the stylist washed her hair, it wasn't greasy. But it was a busy day and I had just gotten my cast off so jotting down what he used wasn't on my mind.

Wait a sec - isn't Wen that lotion-like non-shampoo product made for keeping coarse and curly hair smooth :confused3? It has absolutely NO detergent and is likely the worst possible thing she could be using for thin, limp hair.
 
I second the build up poster. My dd had roughly the same issue and I found using a silicone free shampoo really helped. It was put a build up on her hair.
 

Get her in a swimsuit and head into the shower with her to see what she's doing. Or YOU shampoo and rinse for her and see how it turns out. As others have said, she may not be doing it right (or at all).
 
Wait a sec - isn't Wen that lotion-like non-shampoo product made for keeping coarse and curly hair smooth :confused3? It has absolutely NO detergent and is likely the worst possible thing she could be using for thin, limp hair.

I use Wen. My hair is also fine and oily. I don't have any problems. It's basically shampoo with out the sulfate a that make regular shampoo lather. In my early teen years, I liked using baby shampoo. It may take some experimenting to find the right shampoo. I do notice if I let my hair dry without a dryer, it is more limp, so a blow dryer might help also.
 
I went through the same phase in my teens. About once a week, I would actually swap dish soap for my regular shampoo. It sounds crazy, and I'm sure it would be awful for normal hair, but it worked miracles on the greasy build-up.
 
/
to this day I have very oily skin and scalp, the benefit is I'm almost 50 without a wrinkle in sight. My Dad is the same and at 75 has fabulous looking skin with no wrinkles.

I agree with the clarifying shampoos as well as vinegar rinses. Also remind her to keep conditioner away from the crown of her head and only apply to the length of hair.

Another thing that works very well is chemical treatments. We use temporary color on DD every couple of months and that also helps. I get my hair processed with bleach and color professionally to keep the gray at bay but also because it helps with the oil issues.
 
As others have suggested, try a more clarifying shampoo. Also, my teens use the conditioner only on the ends. They flip their hair over, condition on the ends without getting on top, and rinse. That way the conditioner is also not running down their body. One dd had a terrible time with breakouts on her back if she used conditioner and let the hair sit on her back.

Back in the good ole days I remember a hair dresser telling me to use Dawn dish liquid to clear up buildup. I actually still do from time to time over the years.

As for the skin, we used cetaphil for everything. It wasn't heavy and my teens did not get heavy acne breakouts, so a mild face wash/rinse did the trick for us.

Kelly
 
Be sure she has a good, flattering haircut. Kids this age often just wear straight, long hair. Looks great on certain hair types but not all. Dd12 has thick, blonde, beach waves and got sick of the same look a everyone else so she got an adorable pixie cut. Best thing she ever did.
 
OP, for skin, try Dr. Bronner's bar soap, the Eucalyptus version. I have very oily skin and use this every day. It helps tremendously and has reduced breakouts. I rarely wear foundation any more. I wish I had this 25 years ago. They also have a baby mild version which you could try if the Eucalyptus is too strong. I tried the tea tree Bronner's bar and it was too much for my skin.

Tea tree oil shampoo works well for my boy's oily hair.
 
My DD had oily hair and I thought I needed something strong for cutting the grease. It helped a little, but the real turn around came when she started using sulfate-free shampoo. She uses the Loreal sulfate free line. It is counterintuitive as the sulfate free is gentler, but in her case anyway, it worked. Sometimes the strong stuff strips the hair and makes the scalp think it needs to produce more oil.
 
Shampoo the scalp, beginning at the temples and then the forehead and then all over. The time you spend shampooing the scalp is much more important than the time you spend on the hair itself.
I'm 40ish, but I was still struggling with very oily hair until recently when I heard the tip about focusing on the scalp. For the first time since I was 11, my hair isn't oily by the end of the day anymore.
 
I had the same problem and I remember that I stopped using conditioner and that helped me.

As for skin, I STILL have really oily skin and cannot use any regular face soap or cleansing items for oily skin. I live close to Mexico and we got there regularly for shopping and what not. Well we found this soap that is like a clay bar and it is the ONLY soap that clears up my face! When it is dry it is hard and heavy just like clay, but it is AMAZING! I hate going to Sephora and they always want to give me samples of face moisturizer and when I explain my situation they say, "Oh but the cure to oily skin is a good moisturizer!"---what?? not for this girl!!!
 
I have thin, fine, hair and always have. Get rid of her current products unless they are medicated for a reason. Get a small bottle of regular Prell and have her use that twice a week. Then, for the rest of the week, she should use Neutrogena Clean Volume Enhancing Shampoo. It's a tall, clear, greenish bottle-sleek looking. And IF, for some reason, she needs a detangler, get a "weightless" detangler. I have to order one online because I can't find it in the stores anymore. She should always moisturize her face with a light, fragrance free moisturizer after she cleanses. I use Curel but I'm old and although my face gets oily, there are now some dry spots. Sometimes, I wash my hair twice a day. I just do it in the sink. Sometimes, I just quickly wash my bangs for a touch up. Dry shampoo is not a good idea for fine, thin hair. Prell really strips the hair but it's also hard on your hair so that's why i said twice a week.
 
Wait a sec - isn't Wen that lotion-like non-shampoo product made for keeping coarse and curly hair smooth :confused3? It has absolutely NO detergent and is likely the worst possible thing she could be using for thin, limp hair.

It is what I had on hand. Temporarily fixes the problem. I am still recovering from a broken ankle and perusing the shampoo aisle isn't on my radar. But the stylist said build up was the problem, so that is our present solution.


Reading everyone's tips now so that when I go back, I know what shampoos to look for.

My daughter's hair isn't thin and limp--but the visual appearance from product build up was (greasy ). The WEN works great, but it is pricy, so I will be seeking alternatives.


YMMV.
 
I had the same problem and I remember that I stopped using conditioner and that helped me.

As for skin, I STILL have really oily skin and cannot use any regular face soap or cleansing items for oily skin. I live close to Mexico and we got there regularly for shopping and what not. Well we found this soap that is like a clay bar and it is the ONLY soap that clears up my face! When it is dry it is hard and heavy just like clay, but it is AMAZING! I hate going to Sephora and they always want to give me samples of face moisturizer and when I explain my situation they say, "Oh but the cure to oily skin is a good moisturizer!"---what?? not for this girl!!!

Actually, that's sort of true. Facial cleansers aimed at treating oily skin often leave the skin dry and if not moisturized the body produces even more sebum to retain the moisture that is present.
 
Welcome to dirty girl stage. Its a real pain in the but.

Make sure you talk to her about how much you felt like werido at this stage.

Include her in the changing of products for her smelliness, I made the mistake with my first one and natually, automatically she hated the smell of everything I bought. :rotfl2:
 
I've been in the throws of this with my dd14, for 3 years now. She has very fine hair, just like me.

The grease-ball of hair ! Her problem is not only is her hair greasy, her scalp is really dry and she has dandruff.

I KNOW for certain that she doesn't scrub her scalp like she should be. I have talked to her a zillion times about it, and really she just doesn't seem to care. We had found a shampoo made by Herbal Essence that was working great on her hair. It was a white shampoo with little blue scrubby balls, it worked great ! We can't find it anywhere now.

She has blonde hair, but many days is looks dull and dark blonde. She takes her showers at night and goes to bed with wet hair.

I don't know what it is, but the power of the blow dryer works wonders on her hair. One the rare occasion I can get her to sit down and let me blow dry her hair, it looks SSSOOOOO much better. And it doesn't seem to grease up so quick.

It looks 10 shades blonder, cleaner and overall just nicer.
 
Things are much better on the hair front! I bought a clarifying shampoo that she's used everyday, condition only once a week, and we put a few highlights in her hair. It looks 100x better. When we have somewhere nice to be, I blow dry it, and it looks beautiful. I'm wondering if she'll be motivated enough in the fall to shower in the mornings, and blow dry before she goes to school. She's pretty vain...middle school may provide enough motivation. ;)
 














Save Up to 30% on Rooms at Walt Disney World!

Save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels when you stay 5 consecutive nights or longer in late summer and early fall. Plus, enjoy other savings for shorter stays.This offer is valid for stays most nights from August 1 to October 11, 2025.
CLICK HERE













DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top