Hair shedding is a normal part of hair growth. Sometimes, you may experience an excessive amount of hair loss, though. It’s normal to lose about 100 strands a day, but that happens slowly over the course of the day. If you are losing more than this or you are losing a lot at one time, that may indicate something else is wrong. It is always wise to be alert to these types of concerns to ensure you find the source. For some people, it could be due to having an excessive amount of oil on your scalp.

Why Do You Have Oily Scalp?

Oil is normal when it comes to hair production and care. In fact, you do not want your hair to be stripped of all of your hair’s oils, as that can lead to even more damage and concerns. Finding the right balance to ensure the best amount of oil is present is important.

The scalp is just like the rest of the skin on your body. It produces and maintains oils in the skin to help protect it from drying out. This oil is produced in the sebaceous glands. These glands produce an oil called sebum. It is an important part of moisturizing your skin to avoid dryness and pain. For the hair, it helps to ensure proper hydration. If you did not have enough oil in your hair, it would be dry and brittle.

There are times when the glands will produce too much oil. When this happens, you may feel the oils in your hair – it no longer feels soft, but oily or greasy. Having too much oil in your hair can be harmless to many people. However, in some people, it can cause a clogging of your scalp’s pores. When this happens, it can get in the way of hair production – and that may mean that you have increased hair loss.

How Does Hair Loss from Excessive Oil Happen?

When your skin overproduces oils, or they are not washed out frequently enough, the oil can enter into the pores or follicles. This prevents the hair from growing in those hair follicles. This goes back to the hair growth cycle.

Your hair grows in a pattern. This pattern follows a hair growth cycle. Within that growth cycle, most of your hair will have replaced itself – sometimes, it can take longer than this. When your hair falls out naturally during that timeframe, and you have clogged pores from too much oil present, that limits the growth of new hair. That is why you may feel like your hair is thinning out or that you are losing a significant amount of it.

But Why Do You Have So Much Oil?

Oil is natural, as noted. It is continuously produced. If you do not wash your hair enough, that can lead to the high amount of oil present. However, there are times when the sebaceous glands can over produce oil. That comes from changes in hormone balance in most cases. For example, stress is one of the most common reasons you may have hair loss – and overproduction of oil could be behind it.

You may also be using products that have a high amount of oil in them. Some products like conditioners and styling products have these oils in them. This, added to what your scalp naturally produces, can lead to an increased amount of oil blocking those hair follicles.

What Can You Do About Oily Scalp and Hair?

The good news is you can generally see hair regrowth if it stops growing as a result of oily scalp by simply removing that blockage and giving it time. Keep in mind that this is important to overall hair health, too. If your pores are clogged with oils, that can lead to the buildup of debris in them. This can also lead to the development of inflammation and infection. That further puts your hair at risk.

The best way to deal with this is to talk to your doctor about your hormone balance. You may also want to use a higher quality shampoo that can gently clean your hair and remove the buildup of oils present. You don’t want to overdo it, either. Let a hair professional be your guide. To find out if you have an oily scalp and to learn more about simple treatments that will balance oil production of the scalp, contact the team at Unique Hair Concepts for a complimentary hair and scalp analysis.