Oily hair is caused by oil glands in the scalp producing excess oil which is then transferred to the hair, producing shine but also resulting in heavy-looking, limp hair without volume. A good hair care regimen for your hair involves washing it daily with a mild shampoo, and also after exercising if it results in sweating. Harsher shampoos or ones designed specifically to strip oils are not helpful: use of such shampoos simply results in the scalp producing more oils to compensate, exacerbating the problem.

For proper hair care when washing oily hair, it is important also to wash the scalp gently and to rinse well. If the oily hair still results in tangles and difficulty brushing, then conditioner may be used, but it is best avoided if possible. If used, conditioner is best applied to the very ends of the hair, because these are the only parts of the hair that are likely to be dry and therefore require conditioning.

Brushing should be limited for oily hair, as excessive brushing will help spread the oil from the roots further along the hair. Styling products may also exacerbate things, so such products should be selected carefully and used sparingly, if at all. If styling products are absolutely necessary, drier ones such as hair spray should be used preferentially over very oily products such as mousse.

There is some anecdotal evidence that dietary and lifestyle factors may play a role in oily hair, and frequently suggested remedies are to decrease stress and drink plenty of water. Whether this truly helps decrease oil production is not clear, but such behaviors are expected to be generally beneficial to the body, so they may be worth trying.

With gentle hair care and limited brushing and styling, your hair may be successfully managed.