I don’t consider myself a hair expert, but there is one thing I have down: dealing with greasy hair. Especially during the summer, one of my favorite things to do is work out, and showering immediately afterwards is not always practical, or good for your hair. In college the problem just got even more difficult. Class times and schedules vary, so my workout and showering regimen is off as well, resulting in my need to cope with second day-and sometimes even third day- hair. I’ve picked up some strategies along the way that can help someone of all hair types and lengths deal with this crucial hair dilemma.
My Dad’s side of the family has very curly thick hair and my Mom’s side has finer, lighter hair. Somehow I have a mixture of the two: wavy lighter hair. Through trial and error and accounts from friends I have learned about the effects of grease on different types of hair.
Here is a list of the effect of grease (or is it oil?) on certain colors and textures:
Darker hair: Great news-due to your darker color you hide the appearance of dirty hair! Unfortunately, dandruff shows up pretty well, which also results from dirty hair.
Lighter hair: Its harder to get away with oily spots, so brush through occasionally. Luckily dandruff is harder to spot on you.
Straight hair: Your hair is naturally straight so if your hair gets limp no one really notices. Also sleek hairstyles work well with second day hair, so these will be easier to accomplish for you!
Wavy or curly hair: Your volume may falter, but your natural volume hides the appearance of grease.
When I found myself in this sort of predicament, I used to just pull my hair into a messy bun. Recently, I decided to dye my hair, so I don’t see the point in getting a new color if all I am going to do is hide it. Here are some alternate styles I have used instead.
The hairstyles:
A sleek out of your face up-do:
Your hair will stay in place better with a bit of grease, so you don’t have to use as much product to look sleek and together.
Half up:
The top of your hair will get flatter when weighed down with oil, so add some volume! Pull the top half of your hair up, and if you want, you can also braid the mini ponytail. Anything on the top half of your head will look good right now and stay in place.
Accent braids or twists:
Sometimes certain strands of hair, usually those closest to your face, get oily. Pull them out of your face for a more productive day.
French braid:
Your hair will stay in place better with some oil, so now is a good opportunity to try a French braid. For a different look, tuck the end of your braid under the upper part for a faux-pixie type thing.
For pixie cuts:
Since you are probably going to wash your hair soon, now is the time to use product. In an interview with Orange Is the New Black actress Ruby Rose, Rose says that she uses glitter gel in her hair for a cool look (watch here). This may be a bit overwhelming or time consuming for people with longer hair, so make sure to take advantage of this great look if your hair is on the shorter side!
And if you do have long hair don’t fear- you can put this on your roots to keep the look from becoming too overwhelming.
Products:
For when you are ready to wash your hair my personal favorite product right now is Herbal Essences Color Me Happy Shampoo and Conditioner. It’s cheap, it maintains my color and smells amazing, which is really important to me. Here is a link.
Good luck!
Header image: Selena Gomez / Instagram