Why is my scalp (at the crown) suddenly very oily?

[wardgirl4]

I read other responses to a similar question.  I'm in my 40's and have always had normal hair.  About three days ago, this oily thing started.  First day, I washed my hair, conditioned it and dried it only to discover that the hair at the crown of my head was grossly oily.  I figured I over-conditioned it, so the next day I used conditioner only at the bottom of my hair.  Same problem.  Today, same problem.  Thinking back, the only thing I've done differently is to use Nice 'n Easy hair color instead of L'Oreal but this was about 10 days ago.  Although, I must admit, my hair was too dark and I used Dawn dw liquid and then Pantene Clarifying Shampoo to try and fade the color faster - both pretty stressful to hair.  Any ideas from folks with the same problem?  Does this go away??


This discussion is related to suddenly oily hair that won't correct.

[taylorlc210]

Here is how I used all household things to solve this problem WITHOUT SPENDING ANY MONEY. I'm a 23 year old American living in China with no access to specialty shampoos or soaps. I can't even read the labels on things. My excess oil spot was building up and getting severe a week after noticing it, so I tried all the remedies I could manage all at once with great and quick success.

5 things you'll need (or probably already have): white or apple cider vinegar, dish soap, mint mouth wash, shampoo, blow-dryer

1) I started with apple cider vinegar. No special kind, just whatever I had in my pantry. I applied it to all the greasy parts of my scalp and hair and let it sit for about 12 minutes.
2) Then, adding to the vinegar, I generously applied some sort of lemon scented dish soap (not any special brand, it was cheap). I used a lot of this. Thoroughly caked the affected part of my head, but not the lengthy bottom part of my hair. Left this on for about 10 minutes
3) Next, I got in the shower and rinsed out the vinegar and soap.
4) Then, I poured about 5 cap fulls of cool mint Listerine over the area. This was when the roots really started feeling soft again. I let it sit in the shower while I shaved my legs, so 3-4 minutes.
5) I washed my hair gently with regular shampoo (mine was pantene pro v, not sure that it matters) without scrubbing at the roots too much so as to not stimulate my oil glands. * I did not condition, but the Listerine seemed to soften my hair in a similar way.
6) I blow-dried the roots of my hair on cool. Heat and dampness promote fungal infections, so definitely blow-dry, and definitely use the cool setting

Most of it was removed the first night, all of it when I did it again the next day. Hope this works for everyone, it is pretty easy and cost efficient. No fancy shampoos or pills required.

[Kia8501]

I have just come across this post, I am 3 months post pregnancy and this problem started for me when I was around 25 weeks. I was lazy doing my hair in the beginning and started wearing it up a lot, it was after a few weeks of wearing my hair up that I noticed when I did wash, blow-dry and straighten my hair, it was really oily and sticky at the crown, even after 3 months since having baby it is still hanging around and has spread down the back of my head,  :-(

I have tried the Paul Mitchell clarifying shampoo which i bought online, I have used a few times and it got a little better after the first time but now back to normal, also tried baby shampoo and no luck. I bought some Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner so will try that and hopefully it works. I am so over it, i can't wear my hair out or make it look nice, can only put it up. I currently have some apple cider vinegar in, just diluted with a bit water and put on with fingers, about to wash it off, hopefully a change…will keep checking this post for updates. Good luck everyone.

[TruthSeeking]

Hi Everyone, I see this thread has been ongoing since 2008, a lot of common stories and treatment suggestions but I really want to find out why this is happening. A number of posts have suggested that this is fungal, seborrheic dermatitis, or hormonal, and perhaps all 3 can lead to this condition but it would be great if we could find the truth. A number of people have spoken to their doctors and hair stylists about it and many seem to have received the same response that I did, as if I had two heads and why would I ask them about this??? I too have the same story as everyone here, an oily/waxy crown just after washing my hair. I tried the baking soda treatment and it mostly worked, I can still feel my hair is a bit waxy but I doubt anyone else would notice, but I have to use baking soda each time I wash or it comes back. In order to help find commonalities between us here's a bit about me, maybe this will help to find a common denominator and get to the root of the problem (no pun intended!):

I am 44 years old and peri-menopausal, I have used Infusium shampoo and conditioner for more than 20 years (but do not condition the crown of my head), I wash every 1 - 2 days consistently, I have not colored or used product in my hair for years, I have not been diagnosed with any chronic conditions and do not take any prescriptions medications, but have been fighting a plantar wart for a long time now, I recently suffered a severe case of contact dermatitis in response to 'fragrance' that is found in many cosmetics, for which I took prednisone and benedryl, and lastly I take a number of daily supplements: Lysine, vitamin D, folic acid, saw palmetto, and probiotics, I hope this helps!

[ShayRay80]

Someone mentioned a remedy and I tried it and it WORKED.. I mixed some original (green) Palmolive with apple cider vinegar and lemon juice (no real measurements).. Applied to my dry hair and let sit about 15 minutes, then rinsed in shower and used a head and shoulders 2in1.. And my oily spot is FINALLY gone!!!
Thank you to whomever posted this suggestion!

[slefsu]

Nioxin worked for me!
I tried a few of the remedies listed here, and the only thing that worked for me was Nioxin (actually the generic Target version of it). Lathered and washed, repeated again. Did this for two days, by the second day the gross oily/waxy patch was completely gone! It's now been two weeks and it hasn't come back. Will definitely keep a bottle on hand in case this happens again, since this is the second time it's happened in the last year.
I'm 32 years old, haven't dyed my hair in a few months, and wash it every day. I've tried numerous clarifying shampoos, tea tree shampoo & conditioner, baby shampoo, dandruff shampoo, etc. Even my hairdresser had no more suggestions. The generic Nioxin doesn't smell too pleasant, but didn't dry my hair out as bad as I expected it to. I just won't use it any longer than I have to, and made sure to use conditioner on the ends.
Best of luck to everyone else dealing with this, it was terrible. Thanks for all the posts and suggestions, I'm so relieved something finally worked.

[jkelsey]

So glad to see that I'm not the only one who has experienced this. I'm 29 years old, no hair issues. So today is Thursday. I normally don't put any product in my hair, but Monday was Grease day at work so we had to dress 50's style. I put some moose in my hair before I blow dried it to make it heavier and easier to style. Tuesday morning I washed my hair in the shower with my normal Head and Shoulders shampoo I've been using for a very long time, dried it and noticed a greasy spot on the top middle of my head. I assumed I must not have washed/rinsed my hair well enough. Wednesday morning, same thing. I washed my hair, making sure to do a thorough job, got out, dried it, still there. Only it seemed to have spread. This morning I washed and rinsed three times with Head and Shoulders in the shower and even with my hair wet I could feel it. It was worse and seemed to be getting worse still with every attempted wash. I got out and dried my hair and it was so bad, it covered the whole top of my head. Not just oily but sticky feeling too. My mom lives with us so I went and grabbed her shampoo and washed and rinsed three more times. Still no good. Now, I'll admit, I'm a little vain and I take pride in my beautiful, straight, shiny, healthy hair. I called my doctor and scheduled an immediate appointment. She looked at my scalp and said she couldn't find anything that signified an infection or worrisome issue at all. She recommended Neutrogena T/Gel Shampoo. So I went and got some, went home and washed and rinsed twice and it seemed to be about 50% better. After coming on here and reading others having success with this same product, I went and washed again making sure to lather for a few minutes and let it sit for a minute or so before I rinsed. It's about 90% gone now. I would definitely recommend this product. I still don't know what caused this issue. Others on here have attributed it to stress and hormones. I will say, I did start my period on Tuesday morning, same time the symptoms started. I'm also a high stress individual to begin with and I am beginning to make decision on changes in my life that have me a little worried about finances. So perhaps the hormone/stress idea is not too far fetched.