Oily Hair During the Winter?
Posted on November 4, 2009 with No Comments
Interestingly, we have begun receiving many calls related to oily hair problems during the winter, cold weather. On the surface, this seems like a bit of a contradiction. Most folks think of oily hair relating to hotter temps when folks are out exercising, getting hot, doing yard work, or sweating during sports.
Candidly, for many years so did I…but, something interesting happens at night – yep, I’m keeping it clean. I was just refering to the symptom of sweating while you sleep. In fact, I answered a question on Yahoo a few days ago regarding a young person who was waking up with their head sweaty and oily. After a little bit of back and forth, we figured out that they were keeping the temperature too warm in their room/house.
They would hop in bead right after turning up the thermostat and by the time they were sound asleep and under layers of blankets, the room would be warm and toasty…the result?? Sweaty, oily head when they woke up.
With that said, if you seem to be having this problem, consider doing a couple of things:
- If doable, keep the temp on your thermostat no higher than 67-68 degrees. Studies have shown the ideal “sleep temperature” to be aound 65 degrees.
- Try using a firmer pillow. Very soft, down pillows (especially if the are large) can wrap around your head and the heat from your head can make you sweat.
- Make sure your not going to bed with any styling products in your hair – gels, mousse, hairspray, etc. While this may not always be possible, chemicals in these products can mix with dirt and oils on your scalp to lead to an increase in oil production.
- Try using a clarifying shampoo with Zinc such as Follicleanse to regulate oils on the scalp and hair. Heat and humidity tend to increase the amount of oil your scalp produces; Zinc can help control oil and lessen the possibility you will wake up with oily hair.