suddenly oily hair that won't correct

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


Question to the Dr.  

Could this be overactive sebaceous glands?  I have had sebaceous cysts in the past.  Could excessive sweating cause this to happen.  Sweating dries out the skin, therefore causing the glands to produce more oil to compensate for the loss?  When your stressed, you sweat.  During menopause, you sweat.  In the summer, you sweat.  If your febrile, you sweat.

I am a 38 year old female and also started experiencing a heavy oily area around the crown of my head about 3 1/2 weeks ago.  I asked my Dr. and  he acted as if I was crazy.  He suggested I use Neutrogena shampoo once a week, which I started yesterday.  To add to the other comments....I am extremely stressed (thought that was it).  I am going through peri-menopause.  I have not changed shampoos in 15 years (I alternate head and shoulders and Pantene).  I have never had any problems with oily skin or oily hair ever.  I wash my hair daily and condition.  I have not changed my daily regimen in 2 years

One thing I have tried was applied Shower to Shower powder to my hair before going to bed and washed out in the morning (not the sexiest looking thing at night but it helps).  It drastically reduced the oil, but came back 2 days later.  The only thing I worry about is clogging the glands that are producing the oil, so I don't do it daily...maybe once a week.  I will try the Irish Spring soap, that will not clog the glands...just dry out the hair.  Another suggestion I haven't tried was go to a good hair dresser who has shampoos that change the PH balance of your hair (If this goes on another month I will try this.  It's kinda drastic.)

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Excess oil may lead to other problems like fungal infections and  seborrheic dermatitis . There are good products in the market  that may be able to help. Hypoallergenic and organic shampoos, that are mild may be used daily. I suggest that you refrain from trying out products without consulting a dermatologist. This may cause other problems like extreme dryness and allergic reactions.

A good diet , daily exercise, adequate sleep and taking adeqaute amount of water everyday will be able to help. Hormonal imbalance may indeed alter the body's normal physiologic responses. You may ask your gynecologist regarding this.

[lacrosselinz22]

I have all the sudden gotten an oily/waxy scalp at the crown of my head. It is oily even right after I wash it.  This has been going on for about 2 weeks and I know it is not because I am washing my hair wrong or not rinsing enough.  Does anyone else have this problem and how long does it last?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

An oily waxy scalp may need further evaluation as this may be a case of seborrheic dermatitis.

Is there any scaling on the scalp?

Any scaling behind the ears,the chest or on the face?

I suggest that you seek consult with a dermatologist. Oily scalp needs repeated shampooing.If you have any known allergies, always ask your physician before using any OTC products as this may aggravate the condition.A fungal infection may also be considered as a differential but may easily be differentiated from seborrheic dermatitis.

Seborrheic dermatitis may be recurrent.

[amy50]

Has anyone discovered an answer yet?  I have all the same symptoms as everyone else and haven't discovered anything to make the oil go away!  

[Nancy8848]

Last Wednesday, after a particularly stressful few days and a 48 hour stomach virus I awoke with extremely oily hair.  I, too, wash and condition my normally dry hair everyday.  I, too, went to my Dr. who put me on Zoloft.  It's been a week tomorrow and it is no better.  In fact, it is worse - it started in the top and then went to the left side, etc.  No one I have talked to has ever heard of this.  I have a call in to my GYN but after reading the postings above, I believe I will contact a dermatologist.

Unbelievable!

[megand]

I have the same symptoms. Suddenly waxy feeling hair at the crown of my head and within days now it is going more toward the top andright of my head. I to shower daily and have taken extra time to make sure I am rinsing thoroughly and I have used head and shoulders to see if it helped but it seemed worse that day.
Did anyone find an answer?
Its crazy!

[treeable51]

    Around Setember my hair became very oily at the crown of my head. The second week in October I had my gallbladder out. about 10 to 14 days later my hair cleared up. I was thrilled. One week before Christmas my hair became oily again, and continue's to get worse. I am still experencing some pain in my stomach, could this mean that I'm still sick? I'm really scared. Does this mean I need to have something else removed to have beautiful hair again, ha ha.? I defenitly believe my hair is oily because something is wrong with me. Someone please try to give me an answer!

[JerseyGirlNB]

I have the same thing as everyone else....and i literally tried more products than i can even count (zinc shampoo, coal tar shampoo, salycilic acid, glycolic acid, lysterine, lemon juice, olive oil, soap, clarifying shampoo's.... and nothing has worked.....i'm not sure what the underlying cause is but i'm sure it has something to do with sebum glands since lately my face has been breaking out too... I finally found a way to get the sticky oil out of my hair temporarily, but i haven't been able to find a "cure"..... what i do is i shampoo with palmolive (the original, in the green bottle... has to be palmolive, dawn didn't work)... don't use it on  your whole head - only the crown, rub it around with warm water and let it sit for about 3 minutes.... then after you wash it out use a clarifying shampoo on the whole scalp (i use panteen clarifying)... if you still feel oil repeat the palmolive..... then afterwards use a deep conditioner to restore the moisture in the hair.... this has been the only thing that gets the stickyness out - i'm also waiting to start accutane to permanently take care of the problem....i just wish i knew the cause.  I've been researching and they say that it may have to do with eating refined sugar, which then produces insulin, which then produces androgen, and it's the androgen that makes the oil production crazy..... so i've also started cutting back on chocolate to see if that helps too. anyone else have advise please respond.

[DBA7471]

My best friend came to my house with this EXACT condition. Literally out of no where, her beautiful hair had a very oily and waxy build-up in the crown of her hair. It was gross!! We found this site and saw how many people have this condition and yet, no real answers. We believe we found one!

A little history: She did have a recent surgery (about 2 months ago) where she was placed under anesthia for a female condition. Plus she switched birth control pills which may have caused a hormonal imbalance. I wanted to note all this because there are similarities to the other postings. Still, we did not know if this was hormonal, a buildup or bacterial.

Ok... here you go:
1. First shampoo with Suave Clarifying Shampoo, and repeat. Focus on the crown and give it a  good scrub. Rinse.
2. Then - she used original Listerine (use the brown, not the mint or others). She poured 3 capfuls directly into crown. Lightly scrub and rinse.

After the first application, we noticed a HUGE difference. I would say about 90% better. As a bonus, her hair was incredibly soft and shiny (not oily).

The next night, she repeated the process again. Her hair is completely 100% back to normal. Of course, we need to wait and see if this is a permanent solution, but we will keep you all posted on her progress.

Our best to all....

DBA & TLF

[bellarine]

I had the same problem - a sticky, greasy secretion on my hair around the crown that wouldn't wash out with normal shampoo.  I tried all sorts of things - lemon juice, olive oil, not washing for a few days and then attacking with bicarb, but nothing worked.  

I started using Redwin Tea Tree Shampoo and that appears to have removed the problem so that now the hair at the top of my head is nice and shiny, but the rest of my hair looks and feels like straw.  I would rather dry hair though!

[smiller26]

I tried the exact instructions re: SUAVE Clarifying Shampoo, followed by Listerine Mouthwash and the first go round rid me of about 90% of the oily scalp issue.  I repeated it the following day and that's all I needed.  I thought I might need to repeat it again, eventually, but it has been 2 months now and my hair is still fine.  I do continue to use the SUAVE Clarifying Shampoo about once a week, but otherwise am able to use my regular shampoos and conditioners I always have used and have not needed to go back to using the Listerine again.

Thank you for posting up your solution!  What a lifesaver, as my hair was DISGUSTING by mid-day every single day, out of the blue, back in April.  Have never had any problem like this before, am 39 years old, no change in medications, no history of oily hair.

[phattyann]

I've had this problem for almost 2 months now...just showed up out of the blue. It was a nightmare! I couldn't stand looking at or touching my hair! I, like everyone else, tried everything. Nothing worked. I went to the dr. crying my eyes out begging for some kind of solution, only to find out she had never even heard of such a thing happening! She gave me an antibiotic prescription with the hopes that whatever the problem was they would clear it up. They didn't. Just when all else had failed, I stumbled onto this forum. Last night I read the post about the Listerine solution. Thinking this was my absolute last desperate chance of having nice hair again I ran to the store and bought some. I came home, washed my hair with clarifying shampoo and then dumped the Listerine on. IT WORKED. I could not believe it!! It still wasn't back to normal, but the difference it made me a believer in the Listerine. I just got done doing another round of it and its now 100% back to normal! I can't stop running my fingers through my hair - the way I used to be able to do!!!

I can't thank the person that wrote that post enough!! I LOVE YOU! You saved me!! I was so depressed over the greasy hair problem, especially since even the doctor didn't have an answer.

If you have this issue - USE THE LISTERINE!!! I've been trying for months to fix it and nothing else worked. Listerine corrected the problem in 2 days - you couldn't ask for a faster or cheaper solution!

Again, THANK YOU!!!!!!! I honestly can't say it enough!!!

[lliinnddaa]

Re: listerine

what a fantastic idea! thank you so much for suggesting it. i had the same inexplicable problem for 2 weeks, and tonight i did what was suggested with listerine, only substituting suave clarifying shampoo with neutrogena anti-residue shampoo. felt a strong tingling sensation as the listerine was settling in - it must have been the strength of the alcohol that dissolved most of the greasy gunk. i couldn't stand feeling the clumps of grossness even after washing my hair. unbelievable.

fingers crossed this won't strike again!

[sarahrhodstar]

I too have this sudden onset of oily/waxy hair only on the crown of my head.

I am 30 years old and have washed my hair the same way for the last 15 years.

I will give the listerine a try tonight but...

HAS ANYONE FIGURED OUT WHAT CASUED THIS CONDITION?

strange that it happens overnight and with no real other symptoms.

[kathrynh612]

I have had this same issue off and on since I was 19.  There seems to be no research out there on this topic, and I think a doctor really needs to study this phenomenon because it seems to happen to women across all walks of life.

In every post I've read across multiple message boards, everyone says that there was no change in hair care or diet - so I have to think this is a chemical imbalance of some sort.  There's just no other explanation for so many people having this exact same persistent problem without a real definite cause.  Everyone's symptoms are the same, and like the wax on my head, the mystery only continues to build.

The waxy greasy spot (centralized only around the crown of the head) will not wash out, despite washing, rinsing, and repeating multiple times.  The waxy/greasiness is still there when you step out of the shower, no matter how hard you scrub.  I'm tired of living in pony tails, I want my long pretty hair back!  The only thing I've found that works is spraying some "goo gone" adhesive remover onto my scalp and then rinsing out well - although this only provided mild relief and I don't think it's entirely safe... I'm definitely going to try the Listerine method tonight.  

If anyone has been to a doctor who has been able to provide any relevant information on the topic I'd really like to know!  I'm considering making an appointment myself, but due to the economy my company recently changed insurance to a very terrible HMO... so I'm basically without medical care unless it's an absolute emergency.  Hopefully someone stumbles across a reason for this condition instead of just another home remedy.

[katriona99]

you guys are my HEROES!!  all my life i have had thick curly hair, never had a problem, have dyed it off and on for years, and if anything its been on the dry side from time to time, just at the ends... until 3 days ago.

for 3 days i've been freaking out because all of a sudden at the crown of my head has been an incredibly oily patch, just like all of you.  it was disgusting, it looked horrible, felt horrible, and made me feel terrible.  so i did a search and came across your posting and thought, what do i have to loose.

it totally worked.  i used the Neutrogena Triple Renewal Weekly Cleanser and the regular Listerine and it totally worked.  i am beyond happy.  the only thing i would suggest is that i did get some Listerine in my eyes so i would recommend a buddy to help or to tilt your head backwards.  however, the tingling feeling on the scalp was actually really nice.

i'll post back again if for some reason the problem comes back after a couple of days, but so far so good.  if you dont hear back from me then it really is a great one time fix!

thanks again everyone!
--kat

[classyhairlady]

First of all Listerine is an anticeptic and anything in that line like Sea Breeze as long as there is no sulfa or peroxide involved.  I have forty five years of hairstyling experience and we have used Listerine for many decades.  It can be used on your face and for vaginal itching.  You may want to dilute it with water before applying anywhere, half and half or 3 part Listerine and 1 part water.  The correct way to shampoo your hair is not scrubbing harshly with your finger tips like most people do when they feel they have a scalp problem but use both hands and massage your scalp by opening and closing your fingers while moving over the scalp.  This will release the good oil for your scalp thus giving beautiful hair.  I may add harsh shampoos and hard water build-up are not helping matters.  A good sulfate free shampoo is an excellent choice and if your hair dresser is serious about your hair they will discount or even try the trial sizes until you are happy with a product.  If they are not interested in the health of your hair, you may want to ask others to recommend someone to you that does.  The price you pay for experimenting with various remedies without success can cost more than an experienced hairstylist.  I cannot use products with cocconut oil or sulfates because these cause open lesions on my scalp, yes we have allergies too.  I also see an allergist and dermotologist.  I wish the best for you all because your hair is your crown and glory and the first thing others notice about you.

[help645]

what would happen if i used crest pro health..im visiting a friend and its all they have in their bathroom

[nichole7]

I have had the exact same thing everyone is describing for about a week now, my hair was progressively getting nastier and nastier. I decided yesterday to scrub my hair really good with 2 different shampoos and rinse really, really, really good. When I got out of the shower my hair was 10 times worse than before. I figured that if my scalp was producing excess oil for some reason I was going to give it a reason to stop! I re-wet my hair and loaded a TON of conditioner into my hair, making sure I really got it on the gross spots and then I combed it through my hair in a whole bunch of directions to make sure it got everywhere. I put saran wrap on my head and let it sit for about 10 minutes and then I rinsed really good, no shamoo or anything else though. I swear to God my hair is totally back to normal!!! That was yesterday, this morning I washed my hair with baby shampoo and conditioned it again, putting in a regular amount but making sure to get the crown of my head which is an area I normally avoid because my hair is so fine. It is over 12 hours later and my hair does not have a bit of waxy or greasy feeling to it! I know this sounds totally counter intuitive, but at least give it a try, you've got nothing to lose except icky hair!!!! Let me know if this works!!!!!!!!

[youlandah]

Thank you so much to the lady who advise of using the Sauve shampoo and the Listerine  it worked . I am very thankful I forund this web site I only had the problem for 2 days when I found this . I was wondering how she came up with this soulition? Did she just hit on it or did someone tell her about. I came home that night and wash my hair with the Sauve Clairfying Shampoo  twice and rinsed really good . I took 4 cap fulls of the Listerine and poured it all over the crown area of my head and let it set for 3 full minutes and rinsed really good. I could tell as soon as I towled dried my hair it was 90% better and the next day I repeated the same process.It has worked !!!!  I have waited 2 days without shampooing and it is still ok.
youlandah

[Jelly_Baby]

This happened to me starting the day before Thanksgiving. Nothing I did was solving the problem, then I found this board.

I tried the Suave/Listerine treatment and while it cut the waxiness somewhat, it did not solve the problem.

I then switched to Palmolive, which really helped cut the existing wax but wasn't curing the problem. Finally I got an anti-fungal shampoo called Nixoral. I shampoo each day with Palmolive followed by another washing with the Nixoral. Each day the waxiness goes away a little more and (so far) it feels like my scalp is not producing the waxy sebum anymore either.

I'm going to keep the treatment up for another week or two and I'll post back with the results, but the Palmolive/Nixoral combination has been the most successful treatment for me so far. It also means the cause was likely a fungal infection or yeast infection of the scalp.

[Jelly_Baby]

After a couple of weeks of using the Suave/Nizoral shampoo combo, I was able to swtich back to my normal products (Pantene) and my hair is back to normal. I've been using Pantene shampoo and conditioner for about 3 weeks now with no recurrance of the waxy residue.

[Foxy17]

I am so glad I googled this! I've had this for about a week now and I've been trying to wash my hair with different amounts of shampoo and conditioner but nothing has happened. I am going out today to buy the Suave shampoo and listerine! I will post back how it goes in a couple of days. I think this must be a result of hormonal imbalance...I just went onto the pill after a long break so that must be it! I thought it might be because I tried putting some talc in my hair but as other people seem to have had other hormonal changes when getting this condition, it's more likely to be that!

[Foxy17]

Okay, I couldn't get hold of the Suave Clarifying Shampoo as it's American and I'm from the UK but I got the Neutrogena shampoo for greasy hair and it's worked! When I couldn't find the Suave shampoo I tried the Listerine with my normal shampoo and that didn't work so make sure you get the Suave or Neutrogena!

Thanks so much for telling us Suave & Listerine girls! I'm so glad it worked!!

[mardie9999]

Hello,
I had the same exact problem that happened to you all. Out of the blue and overnight my hair was very oily and greasy at the crown.  I have NEVER had oily hair.  I have always had dry skin and dry hair.  I am 39 years old and cannot think of anything different that I have changed in my lifestyle.  I have used Pantene shampoo for years.  
I washed my hair like usual, dried it like usual and saw that my hair at the top was all greasy. So, I jumped back in the shower thinking maybe I didn't wash out all of the shampoo.  I again dried my hair and it was still disgusting and greasy!  
I immediately jumped on the internet and googled this information.
I am so very glad that I found this forum!
ATTENTION TO ALL WHO HAVE THIS SUDDEN ONSET OF OILY HAIR:
THE LISTERINE AND SUAVE CLARIFYING SHAMPOO TRULY DOES WORK!!!
After whining to my husband about my nasty hair, he went to the store that same night and purchased the Suave Clarifying Shampoo and original Listerine (brown bottle).
After using it one time my hair was 90% back to normal.  I repeated the process (mentioned above) the next night and it is about 95% back to normal!!!
I hope it does not come back.  I am going to repeat this treatment tomorrow night to see if it gets back to 100%.  
I really would love to know why this happened and is happening to others. It is the strangest thing!

[tan6677]

Thank you for putting your comments ups, 2yrs from when the first lady with this issue did.

I too woke up one morning 3 weeks ago with a random waxy oily patch on the crown of my head. My hair is normally fine and soft and the patch on my crown soon crept to my fringe. I was devastated because no  matter what shampoo or conditioner i used nothing worked. And after a shower my hair still looked like it had not been washed in months.

I live in NEW ZEALAND and i couldn't find the brown listerine and also am a young mum so couldn't afford Clarifying shampoo. I

I found THE CURE that worked for me and I hope will work for you. On a Saturday when at home for the day (today) I had some pure coconut oil in my bathroom so i figured my hair NEEDED SOFTENING. I put the coconut oil in my hair and left it for 2 hours, then I shampooed it out with Dove Shampoo for dry hair x2 (this is my normal supermarket hair product). Then I took my normal Dove Conditioner for dry hair and combed a large ammount of it through my hair and left it for 2-3 hours.

When i rinsed my hair the waxy,stiff oily patch of hair was gone and i had my beautiful soft hair back. Now I have a cure in case this happens again.

Hope it works for you too.

Tanz :)

[amandajoy]

I too have this problem. I have tried all kinds of shampoo and nothing works. A week and a half ago I used Dawn and it worked. But today its oily again. I'm going to try the listerine thing tonight. I HOPE its  a perm. fix. I just had to pull my hair back in a ponytail to hide the grease!! So embarrasing! What causes this??????

[gee2693]

Okay, the same thing has happening to me two days ago
i literally woke up in morning and went to do my hair for school and it looked like it hadnt dried overnight or something (i got to my bed with my hair wet everynight) and so i went to blowdry it but nothing changed it just looked greasy and wet and it felt sticky, like someone had put glue on the top of my head or something and my hands/fingers feel sticky after touching it. So the following night i washed my hair with a different shampoo and nothing worked. Its gross! im embarrased to go out in public, it looks like i havent washed my hair in a month! What actually does work? I cant stand my hair like this, my hair has never been greasy! help!

[Mistified1019]

I too woke up one morning with this weird patch on my head.  I am 39 and have not had any appreciable changes in my life.  I just chatted with my mom and she suggested I look it up on the net, so here I am.  About three months ago I had used an old V05 hot oil treatment as a treat one night while my husband was out and I had extra time to induldge. Greasy hair was the result.   I called my girlfriend who also cuts my hair and after telling me to NEVER use V05 again (warm olive oil is her recommendation) she said to try dish soap, I used it two or three times and it worked beautifuly.  

I woke up about two weeks ago and I have been battling it again and dish soap is not helping one bit.  I have tried various remedies but will go out first thing in the morning and get some suave and listerin and try it ASAP.  I hope everyone that has this happen to them discovers this site.  Take care and happy hair.

[bella91]

This problem recently started for me as well. My hairdresser had never seen/heard of it either. I haven't had any changes in medication or anything like that. I've noticed a few people mentioning they use Pantene. I wonder if this had anything to do with it as I use it too. I'm going to try the listerene. I bought an expensive clarifying shampoo which helps cut down the amount of grease definitely hasn't cured it.  

[roxy65]

THIS IS A NIGHTMARE!!! I have always had relatively greasy hair as it is really fine, but its usually always been great after washing it with a good shampoo... i recently changed to Pantene... when I noticed this started... an OILY patch on the left side of my head... which then spread. I have noticed many others say they too used Pantene... and I only just started using it a few week ago... so who knows my advice is not to use it..
ALSO I went to see a acupuncture person and he gave me some hormonal pills which are ment to balance ur hormones as was having problems with periods and since taking them this has came on... so that leads me to think it is Hormonal and these pills have affected the balance of my hormones causing this to happen.

I am from australia so cant find the suave shampoo anywhere... but i tried tea tree shampoo and bought a $35.00 clarifying shampoo, and tried the listerine...this seems to have helped a bit but havent followed it up yet.

I also tried washing my hair this morning then rinsing it with APPLE CIDER VINEGAR which is ment to be great for hair and removing grease etc... it made my hair feel really clean, and seems to have helped a fair bit too.

I hope this goes away soon, I am a uni student and cant afford to see dermatoligists etc and this is so embarresing and awful

I seriously thought I was the only one and makes me feel good to know this is a common condition and many other sufferers out there

[hairscared]

I am soooo thankful for the internet.  I am a 34yr old woman and I woke up a couple of days ago with the same problem.  I don't use product in my hair and I have never had oily hair in the past, yet one side of my head (at the crown) has been increasingly oily for the last two days, which has forced me to try and hide the area as much as possible.  I have washed my hair countless times with multiple shampoos and you can still feel the dense oiley area after conditioning and rinsing.  Nothing in my routine has changed and for the life of me I can't explain why the sudden change.
After reading about multiple remedies on this forum I went to the drug store today to do a little research and shopping.  I tried to find the Suave Clarifying shampoo, but they didn't carry it.  I was then directed to try 'Vichy laboratories Oil control Treatment Shampoo, (with anti-sebum complex)'.  It's a little pricey, but I was pretty fed up.  So..I just tried it (basically just dumped my head into the tub of water and gently massaged the suds onto the scalp - I did not condition).  I did this twice and then let my head rinse in the tub water for a couple of minutes.  My hair is now dry and with little or no oily patch at all and it feels great!!!
If this helps even one more person suffering from the same problem then great!  Hopefully this will solve the issue, but I will keep at it for the next week or two and monitor the condition.
Thanks to all out there for taking the time to talk about this condition...it's nice to know we're not alone.  

[nicoleann09]

I've had the same problem--I live in Las Vegas and go to school in Southern California so my hair goes through changes due to the climate, but I noticed a strange oily/sticky spot in my hair that felt like residue was left over. After tons of scrubbing and making sure I don't use too much shampoo/conditioner, it only went away when I went home to Vegas for the week because of the dry weather. When I came back to California, however, it was worse than before and started spreading further out in my hair. I ran to the store today to get the suave clarifying shampoo and the listerine and I am excited to say it worked for me too!! I'm so happy I looked this up, does anyone know what the cause could have been? The problem is about 90% gone like the person with this cure mentioned above, but I'm going to try again tomorrow night and hope that this helps for good! Thank you SO much for the idea!

[domge]

I have always had beautiful soft hair its my favorite thing about me and I have never been able to stand if it felt greasy or unkempt, but a couple weeks ago I pulled my hair up into a half ponytail to go out somewhere and I noticed that my hair looked really grease on the left side of my head. I figured that I probably had gotten distracted in the shower but it didn't go away. I know its not hormonal, I thought it might be stress but I've actually been less stressed so I'm not sure that makes sense. Its not Pantene Pro-V cause I used that for years until I switched to Tresseme...the only conclusion I've come to is that it must be a sort of "detox" for my hair. I just switched to sulfate-free shampoo and I read that a lot of people who forgo shampoo or switch to sulfate-free shampoo are fine for a few weeks but then their hair is gross for another month or so until it gets used to it. More than likely this same problem has different causes. There's problem not one single cause. Anyways, I just tried the Listerine and Suave and I'm  really hoping it works cause I cannot stand the way my hair feels anymore. Even if it does not work thank you for the solution because it seems like it really benefited a lot of other people and I'm glad for each person who's conquered this ridiculous hair situation.

[mygxb06]

Hi all, I too have come across this problem twice, once when i was on holiday and presumed I had damaged my hair in the sun, and now again this week in a not very hot UK. After ready all of these post's I too have used Pantene for years. However over the last few months have been using the brown bottle Pantene shampoo and conditioner for brunette's with no problems at all. This week I switched to the white bottle with the red label for colour treated hair ( this was the same one I used on holiday) and it appears the same problem has returned after a week of using it. I can only now presume it is this shampoo and the orginal case of my hair problem was not due to the sun on holiday. After reading the magic potion of Listerine I am now of to purchase a bottle and will keep you posted with the results - watch this space. P.S I have noticed a few people mention that they have used pantene for years like I have done - however did anyone switch to a different range of pantene and they discovered the problem. Cheers GBB

[kohtzy]

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  I have had an oily/waxy feeling patch on the crown of my head since undergoing injectible infertility treatments a couple months ago (i'm guessing all of those extra hormones caused it). The Suave Clarifying and brown listerine worked like a charm.  The first day I didn't have it, so I used my regular shampoo and blue listerine.  It worked a little, but not completely.  I purchased the Suave Clarifying and brown listerine and the waxiness on the crown of my head is completely gone.  The person who suggested this knows more than my hairdresser, as even she didn't know what to do to fix it!  Thank you so much!!!

[jajajajab]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for posting the listerine/clarifying cure! It worked! This has been happening for 3 weeks to me after 25 years of normal to dry hair, getting progressively worse and worse until my hair was literally sticky with oil by the time it dried, making me despondent, and I've tried everything - gentler shampoos, harsher shampoos, dish soap, dr. bronner's soap, less conditioner, more conditioner, baking soda, vinegar....NOTHING worked...until this. i used neutrogena residue removing shampoo instead of suave because it has less ingredients but with the same deep cleansers. i could kiss you for posting that cure. It's only been one day, but so far so good!

[MandyLou02]

This is the craziest thing I've ever experienced! My husband thinks I've just gotten something in my hair that won't wash out (I do work on my truck and have gotten engine oil in my hair before). However, I'm going to try the Listerine trick tonight. So tired of pony tails!
I washed my hair with Garnie Fructice (spelling?) two weeks ago. Then went back to my normal Panteen. This started directly after buying the wrong bottle and using the Panteen Shampoo and Conditioner two in one.....so strange. I wonder what caused this.

[pmp723]

i too have recently had this problem.  it was horrible.  my hair looked so dirty no matter how much i washed it.  it started at the crown of my head and eventually spread day by day. the only thing that worked for me was apple cider vinegar (let soak for about 15-20 mins, longer if you are a freak like me) and then on top of that i used GREEN palmolive dish soap.  NOTHING ELSE WORKED.

I even went to my dermatologist, (after i used the dish soap and apple cider) to see if there was anything in my hair, and explained my symptoms...they looked at me like i had three eyes.  they never heard of anything like it and asked that i came back if it ever happened again.

well, it did happen again when i was on vacation!  so what did i do?  Went right to the store for my dish soap and vinegar!  i will never go on vacation without it again!

I would love to know what is wrong with me though, it really isn't fun to deal with.

[heartsongpoppy]

Listerine Works! I was very very skeptical but I used a clarifying shampoo then about a cup of listerine, massaged it in and rinsed and my hair is totally back to normal! Thank you SO much who ever posted it - try the listerine. My hair is totally back to normal and smelled nice and minty to lol.

[jem0988]

Oh my gosh it makes me feel SO much better that it's NOT just me!!
Ahh this has happened to me a few times now, and I'm only 21 (although my GYN did suggest I might have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which has a heap to do with hormones). AND, I've been using Pantene all year, I used to only use it on/off due to price (but you know what a girl does when she finds it on special). SO. I reckon it might be a combination of hormone fluctuations and Pantene use? Thoughts?
I am going straight to the store to find me some clarifying shampoo and listerine! So glad to hear it worked for so many! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

[Joey51]

Same same for me... 3 days ago, discovered the dreaded greasy crown, which now seems to have grown, to encroach down the the back and side of my head..... Pantene for me also for years... the hydrating curls variety.. but i did recently have a change of pantene conditioners... briefly.  Also, i have been on hormone replacement therapy for about 18months for hot flushes, and about 3 weeks ago, ran out of pills, and have not gone back on them.. there seems to be a slight similarity in many stories about hormones... and seems that it could possibly be related.... Im off to the chemist to get some listerine..im a bit scared to buy Pantene Clarifying Shampoo tho!!!... i think im sworn off Pantene for good!

[pomanda]

Hi all - do you think the Listerine treatment would help me? I am 45 and had to have an early hysterectomy 3 years ago. Although I kept my ovaries they are probably failing by now so my hormones must be all over the place. To add to the horrendous greasy hair problem, I also have 'teenage' acne again - it is soooooo depressing, i really don't want to step out of the house these days!
Does anyone know if the Listerine thing works for greasy hair caused by hormone inbalance? I do hope so, otherwise I am going to have to wear a bag over my head from now on. Please help.

[kat1978174]

I had the same issue, one morning woke up with very greasy hair, washed it with my normal shampoo, blow dried and it was thick with grease.  
I never use prodcut, never dye.... my hair is 100% natural.
I did everything to try and fix the situation on my head... but nothing worked. (it started happening 2 weeks ago)

Stumbled across this forum while searching for cures.
I rushed out to purchase a bottle of Listerine but ended up finding a better cure that only cost AUS $4.02.

It's called:
Redwin - Sensitive Skin Tea Tree Shampoo, Hair revitaliser

The grease literally disappeared straight away (wash twice if necessary - I did) and it's extrememly affordable.

Listerine is alcohol based and will therefore dry out your hair.. but I can't imagine it's a very 'hair friendly' cure.

For those of you in the south pacific, pick up a bottle of Redwin. - not sure where else it is distributed.

Hope someone finds the root cause for this issue....it's not pleasant. I'm just glad my hair is now back to normal 100%.

[crazyhair77]

Can anyone tell me what happens if your hair is coloured and this happens. I've getting my coloured for 5 years now and I've never encountered this horrible greasy feeling at the crown before. I've tried changing brands etc and I know clarifying shampoo works but feel it's stripping the colour from my hair. I don't know what's worse grey or greasy!!!!

[aleigh601]

I had the same experience that lasted almost a month. I tried washing my hair in Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and that did nothing for me.  I would like ot think I had a pretty severe case of whatever this was because it started spreading down my hair in the back. I finally went to Sally's Beauty Supply and purchased GVC Tea Tree Oil shampoo and conditioner and that finally did the trick. It was instantly gone. I let the shampoo sit in for a while and i really scrubbed the waxy spots. I put the conditioner in and ran a comb through my hair as well. Tea Tree Oil shampoo and conditioner saved my hair. I was so relieved. I hope this will help someone else with the same problem because I know how frustrating it really is.

[sticcijapan]

I have been experiencing this same problem for  the past 5 days and none of the remedies posted above seem to work. In terms of what brought it on- well it really could be anything, or a combination of everything. I moved to Japan about a month ago, to be faced with high humidity, and now the rainy season. What it also means is that my diet has completely changed, the atmosphere in which I am living has changed, the water that I'm washing my hair in is different and I can't find any of the products listed in other posts, nor understand the ingredients list in any of the things that I do find!! Oh, and I'm pre-menstrual too to add the hormonal aspect.. DILEMMA!!!

On the first day that this happened I also thought that I hadn't washed the conditioner out completely, and so re-washed my hair. This made it a little bit worse.
The next day after finding this forum I tried to find some sort of clarifying shampoo. As I said, I couldn't find any of the brands mentioned here, but I did find Sea Breeze pre-shampoo cleanser, which is supposed to strip the toughest dirt from your hair. I washed my hair with this, and rinsed with some listerine that I had brought with me. It wasn't the brown one, but surely most of the ingredients are the same?
This made things a little better, but still nowhere near normal.
The next day I repeated the sea breeze/listerine and the grease became so thick that all of my hair was sticking to the side of my head, and was now not only at the roots, but all the way down the length of my hair! In desperation I did a vinegar rinse- rice vinegar as that is the standard here. It seemed to work a little bit, and I noticed that one poster had done it a second time to improve it, so this is what I did. Again, disaster- thick grease down all of my hair that the water would hardly even penetrate to rinse. Feeling pretty sick by this point  I put a ton of conditioner on it, left it for 15mins and then rinsed off. My hair is now soft and not sticky, but just looks as if it hasn't dried- meaning that the grease is still there....

I'm at my wits end, and quite depressed at the thought of going to class tmw again looking like I haven't showered for a month... I think I'm going to have to leave it completely alone tomorrow as I fear that washing it again will upset the sebum balance even more.

What should my next step be after this though? Any suggestions?

[Audienceofone4me]

Please listen!  I had this sudden awful greasy crown on my head too.  I am 51 years old and became so frustrated.  I fell upon this site and let me tell you!  Try the Suave Daily Clarifying shampoo twice.....leaving it on for 5 minutes each time.....then rinse with Listerine original mouthwash......leaving that in for 3 minutes.  IT'S AMAZING AND IT WORKS!  I did that remedy 2 days in a row, tho the 1st time did the trick.  My hair has never been more beautiful.  JUST DO IT!  You will be amazed!  :))

[octobergirl16]

I had this problem for the past year. At the same time I was getting a RASH on my face periodically around my eyes and on my cheeks. I have always had "sensitive" skin so this was not out of the ordinary for me... but then it got worse and I was also getting swollen eyes and the rashes were painful - burning. The Dermatologist had no cure. My husband finally suggested I see an Allergist. I found out that at 33 yrs old I am newly allergic to NUTS. I do not get the usual symptoms (throat closes up, difficulty breathing), instead, the day after I have eaten something with nuts, I get a face rash which lasts for a few days and then my face peels, much like having a sunburn would. It's disgusting. But, I also noticed that when I have the rash, I get the oily scalp at the crown of my head.
If anyone else is having a rash on their face with the oily scalp, please see an Allergist and get tested. I know that they are related because I ate something last week that must have had traces of nuts in it (even though I try to be very careful) and the next day I had swollen eyes, face rash, and oily scalp.
By the way, I did do the Suave and Listerine which did work for a day or two, but the oil came back with the face rash so it was not a cure for me.

[octobergirl16]

I had this problem for the past year. At the same time I was getting a RASH on my face periodically around my eyes and on my cheeks. I have always had "sensitive" skin so this was not out of the ordinary for me... but then it got worse and I was also getting swollen eyes and the rashes were painful - burning. The Dermatologist had no cure. My husband finally suggested I see an Allergist. I found out that at 33 yrs old I am newly allergic to NUTS. I do not get the usual symptoms (throat closes up, difficulty breathing), instead, the day after I have eaten something with nuts, I get a face rash which lasts for a few days and then my face peels, much like having a sunburn would. It's disgusting. But, I also noticed that when I have the rash, I get the oily scalp at the crown of my head.
If anyone else is having a rash on their face with the oily scalp, please see an Allergist and get tested. I know that they are related because I ate something last week that must have had traces of nuts in it (even though I try to be very careful) and the next day I had swollen eyes, face rash, and oily scalp.
By the way, I did do the Suave and Listerine which did work for a day or two, but the oil came back with the face rash so it was not a cure for me.

[emilyyyyyy]

I am 15 and I was also having serious problems with the crown of my head being oily. I told my mom about it and my grandma. my grandma suggested i take a sample of tresemme naturals. hoping that it would work i took it home and used it. IT WORKED!!! i don't know why. before i was using herbal essences so maybe the switch to a better shampoo and conditioner helped. I didn't wash my hair any differently so i can say that it was the switch that made the difference. hope this helps anyone who wants to correct this hair problem!!! i know i was so relieved after it was gone! good luck to everyone else!

[LoriLyn589]

Same problem, no idea of the cause, but after reading this I was excited to try something new to rid myself of the nasty.  I didn't have Listerine, but I was feeling impatient, so I took a chance and tried the SCOPE that I had on hand.  SUCCESSFUL as well!!  Take THAT gross, inexplicable grease!  Thanks for the tips, everyone!

[cici608]

I'm glad it's not just me...my hairdresser looked at me like I was crazy when I told him about this...I have had this problem for a few years now, the only thing that ever helped me was to dye my hair...problem was instantly gone, but that might be extreme for some! I'm def. going to try the Suave/Listerine combo and then maybe stop using Pantene and only use all natural shampoo. I just can't believe that no doctor can give us an answer!

[Ebony134321]

It's gone! After months it's finally gone! (Please stay like this.) My problem was my scalp was producing a lot of oil from fish because when I became a pescatarian I started eating loads. It was also making my skin worse. I tried the vinegar solution and it worked very well. I thought  nothing would. Now I'm so happy I can have nice hair for Christmas!
Just think, if this is happening to you look at your diet. What do they put in the foods you eat? If your diet hasn't changed it could be a build-up of product. I think there's no definate cause because every person's cause is different.
I wish you the best!

[dee696]

Just a few observations- I see a pattern of Pantene users getting this condition, plus  hormone changing events associated as well.  I know female hormones can cause hair loss, and increased inflammation in in tissue including gums and scalp. So, maybe these changes cause some bacterial increase or inflammation in the scalp that Listerine clears up. Clarifying shampoo removes oils and buildup, so probably clears these to allow Listerine to soak in do its thing.

Cici208  I used to have a grease/dandruff problem my whole life. I dyeing my hair and it cleared up immediately. The longer I went between dyes, the more it started to return. My hair situation has changed drastically (another forum entirely), but thats how it was for a very long time.  I have always believed that the sort of caustic nature of hair dye would shock the follicles and stop them producing oils for a while.

For those of you who are buying expensive clarifying shampoos- Suave is the cheapest shampoo you can buy in the U.S.,- about $1-so apparently expensive stuff is not necessary for the formula to work.

Finally, I hope some doctors are reading this.  It's not proven science, but this many testimonies should lend some credibility.  Nice to see some folks find answers.  Best wishes- D

[roahthanks]

I am so grateful to learn that others have experienced this, but so sorry that it is happening without explanation.  I had the EXACT same thing and 2 doctors had no explanation.  I do believe it is hormonal.  A random oily patch at the top of my head that came out of no where and would NOT wash out!  The worst!

Anyway -- I tried the Suave Clarifying shampoo and Listerine suggested above by DBA7471 and it works!  It REALLY works!!!  

THANK YOU!

[bammbby]

My mother and I have this condition too ! I thought I was crazy, and I called her yesterday and told her and she said her crown was staying oily too. I'll have to tell her about the suave shampoo and listerine, we need to try SOMETHING. It really bothers me, I have NEVER had oily hair. I wash my hair everyday (it's so thin if I didn't it would get oily-but wash out-and be fine.) I have been so stressed for the past few months and I was thinking maybe that is what was causing it.

[mcflick]

I am incredibly relieved to have found this thread, it is such a bizarre condition!!! what previous contributors have said rings exactly true for me- including the use of pantene hair products.
What I find so strange is that it is localised to one particular part of the scalp, the crown. My hair is actually quite naturally dry as it is very curly, and i have never had any problems with grease, in fact i can usually get 3-4 days without having to wash my hair.
I thought it may have been hormonal as I changed contraception, or stress from strating a new job.
I will go out to buy the listerine and shampoo at lunch and really hope it works for me!

[Crazyabouthair]

I know this may sound strange. I had surgery 2 months ago, after one week my hair was greasy looking but not oily but sticky. I have very long stright hair. I tried everything and when I say everything I mean everything. I even tried all the items everyone else tried that worked for them. Well what worked for me Goo Gone yes Goo Gone. I cant say its safe but it worked. DO NOT use on scalp. Just put a little Goo Gone Spray Gel comb through and wash like normal. It will take a few times to get the greasy from the goo gone out but it will come out. I went extream not saying u need to but it worked for me.

[mommy3335]

My daughter is 11 yrs old and had this same problem that started 1 1/2 weeks ago. I too thought she was just not rinsing thoroughly. I washed her hair myself and found that it made it worse. I believe this all has to do with a sudden change in hormone levels. The people on this site and others that are complaining of this problem are mostly if not all female. My daughter is preteen and I have seen as old as early 40's, with a lot in their 20's. These are all ages of significant hormonal changes. My daughter is the youngest I have read about. She is obviously not on any birth control or any other meds. She has no gall bladder or any other medical condition. She is rapidly hitting puberty though. She is also a vegetarian but has been for over a year. She has used the same shampoo and conditioner (pantene, which I have noticed a lot saying).  I did use the apple cider vinegar and palmolive (green, original) this morning and it took away about 75% of oilyness and most of the stickiness. Hopefully with a few more tries this will go away. I think that with the hormonal changes you just have to control the oil as much as possible until the scalp corrects itself, which sounds like it is taking a month or two for a lot of poeple. FUN, FUN!!

[denece]

Soooooooooooooooooooo glad to have found this thread!  Same problem.  Oily patch suddenly on the crown of my head that won't wash out.  Usually have very dry hair.  Thought it was my shampoo (ran out of Paul Mitchell and bought Aussie Shampoo/Conditioner in a pinch, so I figured it was wax build up).  Tried a clarifying shampoo (Paul Mitchell) and then Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and conditioner.  Still there!  I am absolutely going to try the suave/listerine combo.  THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE!!!  (oh, and I'm 44 and definitely think hormones are the culprit.)

[lag092809]

DBA7471 YOU ARE MY HERO.  

For about a week now I have experienced the same exact horror story described by everyone above.  It had gotten so bad that while getting ready for work this morning I was in tears over my sticky, waxy hair.  I couldn't even style it. So I made an emergency hair appointment and went to the salon...

They tried EVERYTHING.  First they used detoxing shampoo to strip my hair... nothing.  Then they used an amino acid hair mask that is supposed to mend broken proteins back to their original formation... nothing.  They eventually told me I should see a doctor.  I was so sure that the salon would be able to fix my hair, and I ended up leaving devastated.  I drove home crying and vented to my husband, who assured me we would go to the doctor first thing.  After pulling myself together I decided to do some research.

In short, I found this post and got in my car IMMEDIATELY after reading it to go purchase Suave and Listerine.  I couldn't get back home fast enough.  I was floored.  I could actually feel the Listerine working while it was still in my hair.  Like DBA7471 said, it's not 100% yet, but the difference is stark and I plan to repeat to process tomorrow.  I am SO thankful.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

[ReneeO]

I am a 27 year old female with the same problem, my solution was to wash with dish soap but we'll see if it comes back tomorrow. One thing I'd like to mention, many people are mentioning their use of Pantene and Clairol products, well I use Aussie Shampoo. I realized after a bit of research that all these products..Pantene, Aussie, herbal essence ect. are made by PROCTOR and GAMBLE. These products are probably made in the same factory with similar chemicals. My question is if it takes dish soap and listerine to get out this waxy grease build up then what the heck are we washing our hair with??? I cannot believe how many posts there is on this topic. I'm pretty sure I am going to start using a more natural shampoo that is made by someone else for now on. HAS ANYONE WHO USES A NATURAL PRODUCT HAD THIS PROBLEM?? and by natural I mean not from a proctor and gamble kind of company.

[QueenMelissa]

this problem is making me crazy I tried the listerine/anti residue shampoo and it doesnt seem to work so i called my dermatologist and have an appointment in a few weeks. hopefully he can figure this out because i am ready to shave my head. ill post after my appointment.

[Anashka]

Thanks so much! I owe it all to you.. Suave clarifying shampoo did the trick finally!

[kristen21]

I too noticed this sticky crown issue about a week ago. I am 26 and do not have any more stress in my life than usual. I am on the Depo-Provera shot for birth control and read that Depo-Ralovera (a very similar shot) can cause greasy hair. (http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/symptoms/greasy_hair/side-effects.htm) I wonder if I could have received the wrong shot when I was in about 2 weeks ago, the names are so similar.

At first I thought I didn't rinse the shampoo or conditioner out of my hair well enough.  Then I thought it was the new shampoo and conditioner I was using (Herbal Essences Hello Hydration) and switched to Aussie. When that didn't work I tried an Aussie clarifying shampoo, it only seemed to get worse! I just tried the Sauve Clarifying and Listerine trick, and I am sad to say it did not work for me. Although, I'm glad it seems to have worked for many of you!  I will be going to the store tomorrow to pick up some apple cider vinegar and palmolive and I hope that will help. However, I am happy to tell all of you dealing with this frustrating, embarassing problem that sprinkling in a little baby powder and combing it through drastically improves the appearance 100%, at least allowing us to feel comfortable with our hair while we deal with this awful mystery! Thank you all for your posts and advice, I am so relieved I'm not the only person experiencing the sudden sticky crown

[irisheyes730]

I am 45 years old.  I have very thick dark hair.  I have never had greasy hair ever.  I had a tubal litigation 10 years ago so no birth control.  I haven't changed a thing.  This happened to me after using a product called premixed adhesive and grout in a bucket for grouting my shower by accident.  After much research online johnbridgeforums.  I learned that many apt bldgs, and college dorms, and hotels use this product in shower areas.  The product re-emulsifies when wet.  I swear to god I still haven't gotten in off my kitchen sink.  I have tried acetone, oils, googoone you name it.  Well anyways, the only thing that took it out of my hair was vo5 hot oil treatment, followed by suave citrus shampoo.  It might be hormonal for me, it just seems weird that it happened a day after using that stuff.  It is used in tile tub areas by commercial builders.  Just a thought.  Maybe not everyone's situation by worth looking into.

[irisheyes730]

I also forgot to mention.  I also use Pantene.  I stopped using Pantene after correct my hair with the suave for a month, then went back to Pantene, and viola two days later, waxy - oily looking cowlicks, constant wet look are back.  I am swearing off Pantene now as well.    Good Luck to all of us.  This is an awful thing to deal with.

[irisheyes730]

I have found a scientist online who suggested we have all come into contact with Butyl, or DiButyl.  This ingredient can be found in several things including hair dye, adhesives, grouts.  The biggest concentrations are construction adhesives, again, I'd be interested to know how many people who suffer from this have tiled bathrooms.  
This is the only answer I have been able to find sadly.  
    The fact that if affects children and all age groups and some men makes me think it is something other than shampoo.  

[Bob04]

I too, had an oily wax in my hair that would not wash out, it would look like I hadn't washed my hair for a fortnight, when I religiously wash my hair every morning, this lasted for two months. I went to a Dr and he didnt know what it was, I went to the hairdressers to try to strip it out of my hair and their products didnt work, I tryed lemon juice. The only thing I found which worked was to use Selsun - Treatment for Dandruff. I would place this on my scalp and let set dry then wash it out and it would strip the oil/wax out but within two days it would be back again so I would repeat the treatment. After putting up with it for over two months it suddenly went away. About 6 months later is came back around the time I started taking taking multivitamins again. This is what I believe triggered it the 6months prior to this as I had been taking multivitamins then and when I stopped the oil/wax started to disappear within 2 weeks of stopping them. Now 6 year later I am pregnant and have started taking a multivitamin for pregnancy and the oil/wax has suddenly come back again. I have stated to taken them because I need the MultiV for Foilac acid and Iron deficiency in pregnancy. The product is Blackmores MultV for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding. I will be stopping them immediatley as this has since confirmed my assumption that taking Multivitamins has caused this to occur.

[KriszBelle]

This problem started for me about three years ago. Through an online search I found the suggestion of Tea Tree Oil Shampoo. Paul Mitchell makes one. Walgreens sells one also. Our local grocery store sells Nature's Gate Tea Tree Oil Shampoo and a separate conditioner. Using any of these products keeps the oil away, but anytime I wash with my regular shampoo, the oil comes back. I've just gotten to the point where the Tea Tree Oil Shampoo IS my regular shampoo.

[imbetyrbl]

Hi everyone.  I just found this website, and it gives me hope that I can fix this problem!!!  I have had this going on for approx 7 years.  I have used pantene, garnier fructis, dove, suave, and herbal essences during the last 7 years, and have had the infamous greasy spot appear with all of them.  I have, as many of you have, tried dish soap, but I tried palmolive antibacterial with no results.  I will definately be heading to the store in the morning to pick up listerine and sauve clarifying.  I will hopefully be posting soon with good news, since I have been having to wear my hair in a bun every day for the last month, I am looking forward to wearing down soon.  Im also wondering, has anyone noticed that theirs gets worse if you put your hair up wet?

[kmp1970]

I. Love. You. I had a hysterectomy in December (kept my ovaries). About 6 weeks post-surg the oily/sticky/waxy hair thing started. I thought it would work itself but it didn't and I was feeling DISGUSTING. I finally found this post yesterday morning and had some hope. Used Suave and Listerine yesterday and today and my hair is back to  NORMAL!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

If you ever come through Colorado Springs, I'll buy you dinner!

[daisygirl74]

For a couple of years I have been suffering with hormone inbalance and also some problems with my thyroid.  A few weeks before my period I would get this greasy hair just on my crown.  Even when I was washing my hair it would feel like straw and I new it would still be gross when I got out of the shower.  Within 5 or 6 days it would go away.  This month I have had the problem for 2 weeks and it WAS so distressing.  I was so upset for anyone to see how bad I looked.  Yesterday I tried washing my hair with the Suave clarifying shampoo and then 3 caps of brown Listerine.  I could immediately tell a difference.  My hair was about 75% better.  It felt and looked even better this morning when I woke up.  I'm looking forward to repeating the treatment today and seeing how long this lasts.  My husband asked if I got this treatment "off some hippy website" and reminded me that "if your hair falls out I can't help you".  He was really impressed with how much better my hair looked last evening after I washed it with the Listerine.  I don't know why this sudden greasy hair happens but I'm just glad for today that it's better.

[LauraIRL]

Thank god for this site.
I've been having this oily hair problem randomly pop up for the past year.  Ever since I went to college (Yes it has a tiled bathroom as some of the previous posters had asked), It has been randomly going from greasy, to wildly voluminous.  

I have been using Herbal Essences for the past 5 years.  It first happened when I began taking multi-vitamins.  I stopped those but the problem did not go away.  Then I switched to John Freda VOLUME shampoo and conditioner.  This seemed to solve the problem but my stores do not carry any more of the conditioner, and so, the problem came back as I started to use Herbal Essences again.  I've switched shampoos and conditioners like I was made of money and nothing has worked to PERMANENTLY get rid of the problem.  I live in constant paranoia of my hair, and end up having to shower twice a day, each time differently, hoping that this time, the grease won't show up.

I wanted to know if after using the Listerine & Suave formula, people were able to switch back to their old shampoos?  I don't want to pour Listerine in my hair for the rest of my life and I miss the wonderful scents of Herbal Essences.

I truly hope a doctor sees all these and tries to find us a solution.  We shouldn't have to live in fear of our own hair.  

Good luck to all! <3

[daisy5544]

I developed the exact same problem everyone else is describing here (oily/waxy section of hair at the crown of my head) immediately after a 4 day cycling trip during which I was wearing a bicycle helmet and sweating for most of the day.  Perfect environment for fungus to grow - damp, dark and warm.  My situation combined with what other people have written here and on similar posts on this website make me relatively certain that the problem is caused by a fungal infection of the scalp.

I tried a combination of things in the posts here and it has WORKED:

1. rinse oily patch with malt vinegar and let soak for ~5 minutes
2. rinse with several capfulls of listerine (the original yellow one) and let soak for ~5 minutes
3. work up a lather with dish soap (I used green fairy from the UK) and let sit for ~5 minutes
4. wash with antifungal shampoo (Nizoral - ketakonazole 20 mg/g, over the counter in the UK)

I am going to keep using the antifungal shampoo for a few more days and will repeat the rinses again if the oil comes back, but for now my hair is soft and not greasy again.

good luck

[me148]

I too had the waxy, oily hair buildup problem. I have never had a problem with oily hair until about a week ago. I tried the brown Listerine and Suave clarifying shampoo...it really does work!!! My hair is back to normal!!! I was very hesitant but what did I have to lose! I washed my scalp twice with the shampoo and let it set for about 3 or 4 minutes the second time. Then, I put four caps of the listerine on my scalp and let it sit too for about 3 or 4 minutes. I washed the bottom of my hair with a keratin shampoo. Today is day 2 and I washed my scalp with the clarifying shampoo and again I washed the bottom of it with the keratin shampoo. My hair is shiner and softer than it has been in a long time!! Just give it shot...what do you have to lose! Happy washing!!

[cyyl]

well first of all let me say how glad i was to find this post and the comments following it...but, before i read  through every single suggestion posted here, i tried something this morning in a desperate attempt to fix this horrifying problem that attacked my hair like 10 days ago [had been washing it everyday since but to no avail]: 3 rounds of Johnson's No More Tears Baby Shampoo...yes the regular yellowish one, then leave to dry naturally for a bit, then blow-dry...hope it helps...worked for me! as for the reasons behind this thing...no idea!! i just hope i can get back to using adult shampoo soon!

[oilylady]

Four days ago i noticed a oily patch of hair on the crown of my head. Six years ago I had a similar condition when i was pregnant and used dish washing liquid to get rid of it. This did not work this time round and after some research on similar forums I went and bought tea tree cleansing shampoo...just from the grocery store for $4.  After two washes 90% of the oil was gone. I then mixed some bi-carb soda and a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid to make a paste and applied it to my damp hair.  I massaged the mixer into my crown and left it for 10 minutes. After washing this out I used the tea tree shampoo and guess what??.NO MORE OIL!!!! My hair does feel a little dry from the dishwashing liquid but the oil is definitely gone.  I believe this condition is somehow related to stress and hormone levels.  Please try this remedy as it worked for me!! Good Luck

[Sab87]

For me it's 100% the Pantene conditioner I use. I've used Pantene on and off for awhile, bought a new bottle last week when it was on sale after not using it for a long time. Now I have this horrible waxy feeling all over the top of my head I can't get rid of. Tomorrow I'm going to try the clarifying shampoo and Listerine to see if it will go away.

I did just rewash my hair with my Neutrogena T-Gel shampoo and used a tingly rosemary mint conditioner that seems to have helped a bit, but my scalp still feels gross.

[maria0000]

I had the exact same problem when I was camping last week. Broke down to tears because it felt so sticky and looked gross even after washing it 3 times. It was like I had a lot of hairspray on top of my scalp (I don't use styling products at all!) When I came home I searched the internet and found the vinegar solution which seemed logic to me if it indeed was a fungal infection. Tried natural vinegar with mixed with water (30/100), left it in for 15 minutes and then rinsed it. It was completely gone! The smell is gone as soon as your hair dries. It has been gone for three days now even after washing again with my normal shampoo, conditioner and blowdryer. Hope it works for you too!

[Pip_005]

I had this suddenly appear a few weeks ago and I'm still gobsmacked by it. no idea what it was. just sudden waxy hair! I've read most og these posts and I can tell you I do use Pantene! I had been away and stayed in a hotel with a bathroom with tiles and I have pcos. So could be any of those for me. For me I had thought it was hamonal or a reaction to something until I read here and now thinking about the Pantene. who knows?!
anyway I too live in the UK so tried the Neutrogena T-gel for greasy hair shampoo and the Listerine. I took me three attempts before it was fully gone but I was in a bit of a rush the first two days and probably didn't get it all covered enough with the treatment. anyway, IT WORKS!
Sooooo glad I found this site. It made my hair softer than before!
and I also had asked my doctor about it and got looked at like I'm crazy!
Would be interested to know if anyone researches into this?

[motherdoh]

wow! can't believe this discussion is still going since 2008!! just shows how widespread the problem is! yet no one I know had any idea about it! I returned from a trip to Bali & this problem started two days later exactly as described by everyone else, it has been like this for a month. I have never had a problem with oily hair & found the stickiness the most distressing. I went to my hairdresser she hs never seen anything like it! She suggested I see my doctor which I will do. Have tried lots of different things, dishwashing liquid, tea tree shampoo both gave temporary relief. I guess listerine is next!! I have also noticed my scalp is very tender in this area, anyone else have that?? I too think it is hormonal & stress related. Thanks everyone for your comments, can't tell you how happy I was to read that this wasn't just me!!

[geodougal]

I have really oily hair and it drives me insane but i use dry shampoo which is like a spray that you put onto your hair and rub it into the scalp, it dries up all the grease without having to use water/hair dryers ect. It really works and it means you can go an extra day without washing your hair. There are many different makes, smells and kinds depending on your hair type.

Heres some information about them and how to choose the right one for you:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/beauty/article-1350883/Sales-dry-shampoo-rocketing--YOU-buy.html

Hope this helps. It doesnt get rid of the problem but it certainly helps cover it up!

[hoops14]

I have also been having this random oily hair issue - It has been driving me nuts!  I have NEVER had oily hair in my life.  I am far more concerned about what has caused this.  Has anyone heard about exposure to latex paint causing it?  I read that on another blog - and I am hopefully that this is my problem (easy to fix :) ). Changes in hormones seem to be another common theme here, but harder to diagnose.  The last option on my list is stress - perhaps if I get this truly diagnosed I can take a much needed stress leave from work!? :)

Would love to hear other theories as to what is causing this!

Please post!

[roxyn]

Hi,
i am so relieved to know that i am not the only one suffereing from this unexplained problem.I am a 26 years old woman and i live in miami. I work as camp counselor so im outside in the humidity for most of the day. This morning, I noticed a greasy, oily build up at the crown of my head and i am completely baffled by it. I tried the 1/2 of vineger combined with 1/3 of water and i feel as though i made it worse and it has spread towards tthe side of my head.
tonight im going to try the neurtogena/listerine combination and im hoping that it wrk.
i am a reletively healthy, normal woman. No allergies, cancer free, minimal acne, not on any birth control and i hardly take multi vitamines. i am a social drinker and on occasion i'll have a cig. but during these last few days i did not have a drink or a cig but i did have a lot of sex...so mayb my hormones got skewed somehow?
idk.
ill repost witht th results from the listerine/antifungal shampoo

[Becca2476]

I too have battled this same issue. On another thread of another site, "short-hair-style.com" we have all used Clairol Perfect10 haircolor or Pantene conditioner. This spot only shows up after using the conditioner with Per10 or Pantene. Blow drying only makes it stickier. My husband has come to the conclusion that he thinks Clairol is now getting their supplies from China or something like that, and I am beginning to think he's right. With the economy being crappy right now, think about it, Clairol hasn't really skimped on the size or the price, which is both pretty much the same. So how are they breaking even? Probably using cheaper ingredients. But let me make something clear, I have used Pantene for years and noticed the other night after using the conditioner, that my hair had some tackiness, like was left from the Perfect10. Both are made by Proctor and Gamble....go figure.  
The spot will wear away after about 5 shampoos, using NO conditioner. I know this for a fact, because I knew of no treatment at first and had to just let it disappear.

[penguin161]

Check this out!  I woke up one morning with oily hair at the crown of my head too. It kept getting worse.  I tried the suave clarifying shampoo and listerine.  It worked for a couple of days, then came right back.  My hairdresser suggested I use a better shampoo and conditioner ( I used Pantene) and said to scrub my head with the pads of my fingers for at least 30 seconds every time I washed. I wash my hair every day and thought that it had to be something more complicated.   When she washed and colored it, it would go away, but come right back in 2-3 days.
I bought Rusk shampoo, and did as she said, and it worked!  It hasn't returned!  What a relief to have your hair back to normal again.  I truly thought I'd have to live with this.  It has been a week so far.....so good.

[Jecca238]

Hi there, This problem has been baffling me for the past year or so and like other posters on here at first I thought I just hadn't rinsed my conditioner out properly. I'm 29 and in good health and fitness and do normally suffer from generally oily hair and skin although this is certainly different, and as people describe it, it's a definate sticky, oily, waxy patch right at the crown even after washing.
I wondered if it was build up from a Tresemme volume shampoo i've used but also find that these waxy crown episodes coincide with some wopping skin breakouts too, so I do think this may be more hormonal/stress induced etc than caused by an external source.
Someone also interestingly mentioned in an earlier post - i think it was this forum, i've been on some others too - that they had had their gallbladder removed and had heard from a few others that this was the case with them too. This may be coincidence I guess as it does seem there's loads of people affected by this and I guess a few would have happened to have their gallbladders removed, but interesting to find out how many this actually is. As I had my gallbladder removed 1yr 9 months ago and this could tie in with how long I've been suffering from the random oily crown.
It wouldn't be so bad if the waxiness could be removed from the hair but washing with normal shampoo doesn't help. I tried the Listerine as a lot of people have suggested but this didn't help and if anything I found the waxiness spread slightly to the sides, I did leave it soak  in a few minutes too, made me head feel freezing so wouldn't suggest going out in the wind after trying this as you might get brain freeze! :o)
I have been hunting the shelves though for something to solve this though and was looking for the neutrogena shampoo some have suggested. I didn't find that, but I did find a shampoo and spray treatment for oily hair.

I live in the UK so went into Boots the Chemist and this is one of their own brand products, it was on the same shelf as the more 'specialist' medicated and dandruff shampoos and is from their 'Expert' range - although was in different style packaging from the rest of the range for some reason. It's a 2 part treatment, step 1 is the 'Boots Expert oily scalp shampoo' which it says "....Boots Expert oily scalp shampoo is specially formulated to break down excess oil and remove build up of excess sebum.." It also says it contains an odour neutralising fragrance called Aromaguard, which is good because i dont know about you but sometime oily hair can get that 'unwashed' smell more quickly, especially with these waxy crown episodes I find. I thought the shampoo was really good and after putting it in my hair gave it that 'squeeky' feeling when rinsed out like it was really clean. It also felt smooth when rinsing, like the hair was separated rather than staying in lank strands like it had done when washed normally. And the smell is really nice. The test was when I was drying my hair though and I could really tell how it would turn out nad THANK GOD! it's worked, my hair feels great. I'll find out throughout the day how it bears up and whether it stays clean all day, but so far so good. I normally use conditioner but because there is only shampoo in this type and no conditioner to go with it, i put a tiny amount of my normal conditioner right on the very ends of my hair to help when brushing and actually, the rest of my hair feels like it's been conditioned anyway as the shampoo's left it really soft, and wasn't a nightmare to brush through either.
The second part of the treatment which I will try properly tonight is the step 2 - "Boots Expert oily scalp treatment" which it says "..Boots Expert oily scalp treatment has been formualted to reduce the amount of oil produced by the scalp" it is a liquid spray with a long nozzle so you can target the spray to the scalp. It says it's got an oil reducing agent in it and you can use it as an overnight treatment or to refresh in between washes. I used this yesterday as it said you can use between washes, although this was on top of the usual shampoo and I wore my hair up yesterday so didn't really see effects, i'll try it tonight as I've used the step one shampoo today so using them together might give better results. So the shampoo to clean the hair and the spray to reduce oil production in the first place - so fingers crossed. I'm happy to have just found a way to clean the stuff out so if this stops it it'll be a bonus.
Not sure how well known boots is in US but they do have a US website - http://www.us.boots.com/ although couldn't find this on there. The link to the product on the british site is - http://www.boots.com/en/Boots-Expert-oily-scalp-treatment-100ml_1162488/ so maybe able to order there. Hope this helps someone!

[brinova]

I woke up one morning and as I was putting up my hair, it felt more oily than usual. I had just washed it 12 hours before, but it seemed like I hadn't washed it in two days.  I washed my hair and knew something wasn't right because when wet, it had a waxy feel to it.  It was still waxy after I dried it.  Like other folks who have posted, I was quite baffled, so I decided to do a bit a research and found this forum..  To this day, I don't know what caused it, but I was determined to remedy it.  

So here is a list of products that I tried that didn't turn out as well as I had prayed they would - most are recommendations from this forum and I experimented in a number of different combinations: Listerine (original), white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, tea tree shampoo, Dawn dish detergent, Suave clarifying shampoo, and Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo.

After 2 days of experimentation, what worked for me?  This is going to sound really odd, but keep in mind I was desperate and willing to try just about anything =P  

SOLUTION:

Step 1: Hydrocortisone cream - smear onto hair/affected area and let dry for 15 min.

Step 2: Bath & Body Works anti-bacterial foaming hand soap (mine was White Tea & Ginger) - shampoo, rinse (2x)

Step 3: Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo - shampoo, rinse (1x)

You may have to repeat entire process the next day.  This worked well for me and I hope it does for you too! :o)  GOOD LUCK!

[SG97529]

I am SO GLAD I found this page! I suddenly got greasy/waxy hair at the top of my head 2 days ago, it is so gross and i've never had anything like it before.  I live in the UK so can't get most of the products recommended, but did go to Boots and bought T Gel shampoo for greasy hair which seemed to make it a bit better but it wasn't 100% back to normal.

I will follow Jecca238's advice and get the Boots Expert oily scalp shampoo today and also maybe some Listerine as back up.  I really wish they would figure out what causes it though!

[MinnesotaCarol]

I am older than most that have posted. I am 57 1/2 years old and been having this greasy/waxy buildup on my hair that will not go away for the past 8 months. After reading all the above posts, I wish to address a few things mentioned as possible causes:
1. I had my gall bladder removed 30 years ago, so that is ruled out.
2. I has allergy testing in 1985 and immunization therapy plus take allergy meds daily. Recently rechecked, and no new new allergies. No allergy to nuts. So that is ruled out.
3. Shower is molded fiberglass -- not a tiled bathroom, which rules that out.
4. In 2005, I had an emergency total hysterectomy due to 3 very large fibroid tumors (as in one a basketball size, one larger than a grapefruit size, and one larger than an orange size) that were very fibrous and largest had to be cut in 3 pieces to removed via abdominal incision instead of usual method. Also ovaries were cyst covered. It was determined hormone replacement was not recommended. Therefore female hormone fluctuation is ruled out.
5. No new medications or supplements added in the past 2 years.
6. I do not use Pantene products or any other Proctor and Gamble products. I do use a green tea shampoo. I also stopped using any hairspray 8 months ago, when my hairdresser blamed this waxy/oily build up on that.
7. Dawn or Palmolive dish soap did not work, listerine rinse didn't work, vinegar rinse did not work. NOTHING has worked!!
Really wish that I could find an answer.

[3azza]

Hello ladies.. It was such a relieve to know that I'm not the only one with this problem. I've had it for almost a year now.. And this is the third time it reoccurs.. The doctor told me it's a kind of fungus and it's not very common. He gave me a skin and scalp antiseptic cleanser to use as a shampoo every day for a week then every other day for the second week. It works for a couple of months, but comes back again. I've had a course of antibiotics last week and I've had the same kind of antibiotic a couple of times before.. Not exactly sure about the timing but I'm starting to think that this problem might be a side effect from the antibiotic. So please if any of you had this problem after taking antibiotics share the information. It might help ...

[ambrosky]

Talk about a medical study!

Like all of you who have posted, I too have the greasy, sticky area on the crown of my head.

About Me:
I have always had fine oily hair - but nothing a shower couldn't cure.
Because of grays, I've been dying my hair regularly since I was 21.
I have used Pantene forever.
I never use product in my hair and only blow dry it on Fridays (or special occasions).
I just turned 31.
I have no kids - not on birth control (so I don't think it can be totally  attributed to hormones).
I'm due for another color touch up - maybe even a bit overdue...

Last week I noticed some flaking and decided to use some Head and Shoulders. 2 days ago I washed my hair like normal, but didn't use conditioner and when I got out of the shower I immediately felt the difference in my hair. It was sticky - and greasy on the crown.

At first I thought I must not have rinsed out all of the shampoo - but after the second day I knew there was something amiss! I went back to my regular Pantene routine, but to no avail. I've been ponytailing it since the onset. So here I am stumbling around on the internet and I come across this forum - I'm going to give the listerine/clarifying shampoo a go after work --- here's to hoping!

[ambrosky]

Talk about a medical study!

Like all of you who have posted, I too have the greasy, sticky area on the crown of my head.

About Me:
I have always had fine oily hair - but nothing a shower couldn't cure.
Because of grays, I've been dying my hair regularly since I was 21.
I have used Pantene forever.
I never use product in my hair and only blow dry it on Fridays (or special occasions).
I just turned 31.
I have no kids - not on birth control (so I don't think it can be totally  attributed to hormones).
I'm due for another color touch up - maybe even a bit overdue...

Last week I noticed some flaking and decided to use some Head and Shoulders. 2 days ago I washed my hair like normal, but didn't use conditioner and when I got out of the shower I immediately felt the difference in my hair. It was sticky - and greasy on the crown.

At first I thought I must not have rinsed out all of the shampoo - but after the second day I knew there was something amiss! I went back to my regular Pantene routine, but to no avail. I've been ponytailing it since the onset. So here I am stumbling around on the internet and I come across this forum - I'm going to give the listerine/clarifying shampoo a go after work --- here's to hoping!

[princess1289]

I have the same problem and I've tried everything to get rid of it! I shower daily , used the vinegar-water solutions, massaging my scalp, nothing worked. then I tried something else, reallyyyy easy and works instantly! just bring one of the combs with really close teeth, after applying shampoo to your hair, while it still on, comb the spots with the sticky oily stuff, comb it all the way down , and it will go away instantly! just one thing, it may come back a few months later, but you can use the same method and get rid of it the same day :) hope this helps

[beccabean]

i am a nineteen year old and this morning after i used pantene shampoo for the first time in a few years i dried my hair i realized the top of my head was very sticky and oily. i thought i just didnt get the shampoo out so i took another shower about 6 hours later still greasy. a pulled my hair up again and after i got back from church i got in the shower and nothing seemed to work.. i will be trying the listerene/daily claryfying shampoo tomorrow ill let you know how it works

[beccabean]

i tried the listerine just now. it helped tremendously! it didnt get it all out but im sure after i do it again in the morning it will be fixed (: thank you so much for letting us know about the listerine you are a lifesaver!

[tennis27]

I am 27 years old and have been dealing with this for the past month and a half.  I have always had very nice, thick hair...never had any problems.  At the beginning of Sept, I got out of the shower and after I blow dried my hair, I was floored.  It looked like I had put floor wax on it-completely frizzy and oily/waxy.  I was sure it was our water, because my husbands hair looked waxy/ oily too.  Water tested "normal" and my husbands hair went back to normal after a few washes with Neutrogena Anti-Residue.  My hair has NOT gone back to normal.  In the past month, I have tried 13 shampoos (from Bumble, Redken, Kerastase, Pureology, Body Shop, etc..) and nothing has worked.  I finally went to the owner of the salon I go to and he suggested I needed a "mineral-gel" that removes major build-up.  This seemed to help my hair but did not help my root/crown area.
I continued to try different products (baking soda, vinegar) and nothing has helped.  I went back to the salon yesterday in tears because this has taken over my freaking life.  The salon owner suggested I visit a dermatologist and I have a apt tomorrow.  I found this site today and immediately went and bought the Listerine.  I used the Neutrogena Anti-Residue instead of the Suave Clarifying Shampoo but poured 4 capfulls of it on my crown.  When I dried my hair, It almost seemed like the waxy/oily residue was worse.  
I do notice that when I'm in the shower, my hair right by roots feels very slick...and when I get out and blowdry, that area is very shiny and slick.
So, I will probably try the Listerine thing again...its really frustrating to hear it working for so many, yet I didn't see results at all.  Hope for better results soon.

[JenRummy]

I too have just started experiencing this and thought maybe it was a side effect of medications. Its driving me nuts! It started happening roughly 1 1/2 week ago......not sure whats causing it :(

[chloboh]

Omg I am so pleased I found this forum today.I wash my hair my normally,every other day to let the natural oils build up but never ever had greasy hair like this before at the crown.I'm 21 and never felt so digusting in my life.it started on wednesday when I got in the shower to wash my hair,even after towel drying it,it still didn't feel right.it felt like hair spray that had gotten went and made it sticky.I went out,came back and washed my hair again that night.I shampooed my hair twice in both showers.it came thursday and I washed my hair again after work and yet again,even with towel dryed hair...my hair has felt awfully greasy,worst this time,like I hadn't washed the crown for a week and just been washing around my crown.iv always have longish brown hair that has always been normal and never had any skin problems or problems with different types of shampoo.iv been trying to think what caused this,monday night I tied my hair up after putting aussie leave in conditioner which could have soaked into my scalp,or I have recently been using pantene sleek and shine,pro10 hair dye and the conditioner...everyones been mentioning certain products and I'm using every single one but its only really been since iv used pantene for the last week?!!
I decided,after crying so much to try listerine and so far it has worked wonders,if now feel that little more confident.going to have another go tomorrow to get the last little bit out but my crown now feels cleaner and soft like it use too.I feel sooo much more happier now,thank you so much guys for making me feel so much better and hope it all works for u!!xx

[shweta201987]

Hi....it is ok to have an oily scalp....it only means that more natural oils are being produced .....i wash my hair daily but not with a strong shampoo.The dermat suggested me ANAPHASE shampoo by DUCRAY.It has a very small quantity of SLS.It is not available in the regualr retail outlets but will be available at a good pharmacy.The dermat also told me that since i wash my hair daily i should use only a small quantity of shampoo and wash my scalp.The rest of the hair needn't be wash as shampoo would run through it while rinsing.Eat well and have a multivitamin supplement.Would also be good to take in some "omega 3" supplement.

[nyme5]

Hi ladies!
I'm a doctor (OBGYN) and also woke up a few days ago with this weird grease/wax patch! So bizarre, normally I have very normal hair, washed daily for the last twelve years, its thick and long and has no real issues! I've asked around and there isn't any medical explanation for it as yet. I think most likely there is something hormonal going on as I've aslo had some vaginal dryness, and it obviously does need some investigating!

Anyway, I don't have anything useful to add at the moment- only that I tried the Listerine and it worked! Before it I'd tried Batiste dry shampoo and it was amazing, immediately got rid of the grease. Went with the listerine also cos I'd bought everything in the shop as I was so distressed! So until we find a cause, I'd ogo with the above!!! I'm going to do my best to look into the medical side!

[Maria1225]

My 14 year old daughter has the same issue. With me being a hairdresser, I am always checking out her hair to be sure it looks good. I have been telling her she is not washing it good enough lately. It just has had a dull, greasy look to it. I finally got my hands in her hair and scrubbed it good. (used to use pantene and recently switched to Herbal Essense) Her hair much to my surprise it not any better after I washed it. Off to the store to try the listerine, and either Selsun or Suave.
Of the research I have been doing, there is a yeast fungus that can cause this. Also, if you diet has too much sugar, and I believe I also read if you have recently taken antibiotics,
http://www.livestrong.com/article/148566-skin-and-scalp-fungus/
Funny... with Halloween going by (lots of candy) and she just got over Strep, taking full course of antibiotics. Now this happens.
I am going to switch back to my salon shampoos after and hope this all goes away and stays away. Glad I found this forum. Thanks!!

[Neztra]

I am going to try the Sauve Clarifying and Listerine method tonight. I have had this problem for a week or so. Every day it gets a little bit worse. I washed my hair twice today in the shower with Biolage Shampoo and just used conditioner on the tips and then stood under the shower head for ages trying to be sure I washed everything out well but it is still bad. Yesterday I went home for lunch and actually used dry shampoo as a quick fix, but that stuff makes your hair feel icky as well. Fingers crossed that the Listerine works.

[Maria1225]

The Suave and Listerine definately helped a great deal. Going to continue with the Suave for a bit and do another Listerine if needed. What a great improvement. My daughter went to bed and her hair was still damp so it was hard to tell, but she came downstairs this morning with a big smile and grabbed my hand to put in her hair.. it felt sooo much better. Thanks to all on this forum.

[andrea_88]

I've had the same problem happen to me twice now. Both times, I checked in with this forum! I thought it was about time I updated with some successful treatments, since so many of you have unknowingly helped me!

For anyone keeping track of the commonalities between all of us, I'm 23 years old, and my most recent "episode" of this began around the same time as the start of my period, and also as the weather/season was changing from warm/humid to cold/dry. I had been using Pantene shampoo for about a week (give or take a few days). This was not my regular shampoo (I usually use Tresemme), but I'd never had issues with it before. One day there was not problem, and the next there's this large greasy/waxy spot near the middle/back/left part of my head. It's the strangest thing, eh?

Things I tried from this forum: Neutrogena clarifying/anti-residue shampoo ( and the regular/old lysterine. This did work for about one day. The problem came back when I went back to the Pantene (should have guessed). I started to suspect that I might've developed an infection/dandruff, despite never having it before.

What worked for me (so far, 2 weeks): Neutrogena anti-residue shampoo first, then Nizoral anti-dandruff shampoo. I use this 2 times/week (I chose Tuesdays and Thursdays). On the other days, I use a LiveClean shampoo (for no other reason than that's what in the shower). I'm avoiding using the Neutrogena for more than 2 times/week because I don't want to completely rid my hair of the good natural oils that are working for the rest of my head!  So far, this is working for me.

I'll never know if I really had dandruff or not, but I'm keeping up with this regimen for at least another month just to make sure! It's certainly not hurting! Good luck ladies (and any gentlemen reading!)!!

-Andrea

[ceu]

i too have been plagued by this disgustingly uncomfortable problem!  i'm 32, just started a new job, and just before i started i got this awful gross stuff on the crown of my head.  i attributed it to starting a new shampoo (pantene straight something or other).  i had used pantene all my life until the last year.  i thought, well maybe i just can't tolerate the straightening stuff in the shampoo.

i switched shampoos.  not once, not twice, but three or even four times before deciding something was really wrong.  like all of you i scrubbed in the shower, i rinsed and extra rinsed!  i only used conditioner on my ends, and i used a clarifying shampoo.  sometimes i would would wash my hair twice just to make sure i was getting all of it out... but the problem was, it wasn't coming out!!!!!

i found all of you though, instead of making a doctors appointment to see if i was going into some sort of menapause early.  yikes!  i am a newlywed, and we're looking forward to starting a family, just not yet.  this simple scalp issue had me reeling.

i've just tried the listerine and suave suggestion.  i'm literally typing this with a towel on my head.  it's also surprisingly difficult to type with your fingers crossed.  but believe you me, they're crossed!!!!  i'll let you know how it goes.

so glad i'm not alone.  xo

[iceddopio]

I read the comments and couldn't get in my car fast enough to buy the Listerine and Suave.  It works!!!  I would say that I am about 75% better and I am looking forward to the next shampoo to get the rest of the grease out.  On an aside, IMHO I think hormones are at fault here.  I suffer from PTLS and have been having strange hormonal issues.

[okno]

For about 2 months now I've been experiencing oiliness -- I previously only had to wash my hair every 3-4 days but had to drop it down to every second day. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I started experiencing extra oiliness on the right side of my head -- as soon as my hair dried after a wash, the oiliness would be back again. It was pretty gross.

I live in Australia and we don't have Suave Clarifying in our stores, so I bought the Redken Tea Tree Shampoo and a bottle of the original (brown) Listerine. Yesterday I washed my hair once with the Redken shampoo and then repeated. I didn't condition my hair. Then I used the Listerine (three capfuls, lightly scrubbed onto the scalp) and then rinsed it.

Instead of using conditioner, I applied a (very!) small amount of Moroccanoil to the ends of my hair once it had mainly dried (not the roots!) because a previous poster mentioned that the Redken dried her hair out.

Results: it worked perfectly. My hair isn't oily at all and all the buildup is gone. It isn't dry either and there aren't any flyaways (I blowdried and straightened it too). I don't know if I'll have to repeat this treatment again but I'm SO happy with my hair right now. Thank you SO much to the poster who provided the Listerine solution. My hair smells vaguely of mouthwash right now but it's completely worth it XD.

[ja917]

Another afflicted person!  :(  I noticed my head looking "waxy" around the crown immediately after using Vive Nutri Shine or whatever it's called.  Not sure if it was related or not, but right after that I noticed the grossness!  As everyone else did too, I just thought that I didn't wash my conditioner out thoroughly (although I NEVER use conditioner at the crown anyway), but being that that was 10 days ago, clearly that wasn't it... I noticed while examining my head this weekend that my scalp looked VERY shiny, pretty much immediately after washing it.  So that indicated to me that my scalp glands were clearly in overdrive.  So I tried Neutrogena Anti-residue shampoo yesterday followed by brown Listerine, as suggested, which seemed to make it a LITTLE better, but didn't cure it.  Then this morning I washed with Aussie "Clean" shampoo and followed with the Listerine again, but already my head is getting greasy :(  Maybe I should try the Palmolive?  I noticed some people that said they used Nizoral, but I don't think my issue is fungal as I don't have any other symptoms aside to the greasy scalp/hair (no dandruff or flakes, no redness, and no evidence of my skin being oily).  I'm not sure where to go from here!  Anyone have any updates??

[kate8892]

Yep, me too. I'm 43, have had huge stress issues and could be peri-menopausal; I've also used Pantene for years (not any more).

I've had a horrible waxy oily patch on my crown for about 2 months. Fantastic to find this thread, so I decided to give the Listerene trick a go. I didn't have any clarifying shampoo so I used bubblebath (Radox, lathered up nicely!) then three capfuls of Listerene Zero Alcohol Mint mouthwash (didn't have any brown stuff, but hey, same active ingredients in all of them).

I massaged the Listerene into my scalp then washed again with bubblebath. I have a feeling any mild detergent or soap would do the same clarifying job; it's the complex shampoos with added varnish (Pantene) that we need to avoid.

The result is incredible, nearly (95%) all gone. Hair feels fab and is still fairly shiny after a bit of blow drying and straightening. Delighted! Thank you to the first person who posted the idea. Would love to hear back from those that tried it over a year ago - have you kept going with the Listerene or reverted to shampoo only?

[tulla313]

Hi!   My 8 year old daughter has recently had the same problem! :(  A Sticky greasy scalp :(  She was so upset!  This had never happened before and no matter how much I washed her hair it just wouldn't come out!   Thank you so much for the Listerene idea!  It totally worked and she is fine now!  Im worried about how this could have happened to an 8 year old!!!   I was told it could be swimming and water damage but not too sure about that...?   I am taking her to a specialist this week to see if there are any answers....   will post the results!

[leah802]

Hi! I am a 23 year old female who also has recently been experiencing this oily patch on my scalp.  It started only a few days ago but has already been causing me a great deal of stress.  I felt like I couldn't go out anywhere; I looked like I haven't showered in days even though I took three showers that morning to get the sticking, waxy patch on my crown out. I have recently switched birth control pills so I believe this may be hormonal; especially as I see many of you have also been facing hormonal issues.  I did try the suggested Suave Clarifying Shampoo and listerine and wanted to let you all know it has helped me! I don't know if it is only a temporary fix or not but my scalp looks about 80% better after one treatment.  I may try again tomorrow to see if it will be 100% better! Good luck to everyone, this is a problem no one should have to deal with.  Thanks for the great suggestions!

[penny76]

Three days ago I woke with this same problem, out of the blue! Im 35, nothing has changed in my life, im not ill, not on meds, I dont use any styling products. I only color from time to time, and I always wash, condition and dry my hair.
I thought I was going crazy! I bought a new hair brush, i switched shampoos and I googled!
I tried water and vinegar-
  worked somewhat. I was stupid and tried just pouring the mixture on my head, it got in my eyes and boy does that hurt. Then I got smart, and used a spray bottle.  I did it twice and there was SOME improvement, but I was desperate for a quicker fix..
I tried baking soda.
IT WORKED!!
Mix half baking soda and half suave (i chose not to use the expensive shampoos- suave always dried out my hair so for this its perfect)
Wet hair, lather in the paste mixture and leave it.
Let it sit for 30 min and rinse.

I did not shampoo after or condition. It left my hair a little on the dry side, but way better than that waxy greasy looking mess it was. I'll do it again tonight and follow with conditioning the ends of my hair.
But really- it worked, No more oily-ness! My hair washed clean and shiny and light and flowing like it always was before.
Hope this helps.

[Rhiannon528]

today is monday, january 23 2012...last friday (just 3 days ago) i got in the shower to get ready for work and when i got out and started to do my hair as usual i noticed the greasy feeling/look... i am 27 and have never had greasy/oily hair, EVER!!! like alot of the others in here, thought i hadnt rinsed all the conditioner out...so even though i didnt have the time cuz i had to get to work, jumped back in the shower and washed and rinsed thoroughly...still there.  its been 3 days now and my scalp is literally burning right now cuz i have scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed with 5 different shampoos, dish soap, etc.  i am getting more and more depressed over this alrdy!! i dont want to go to work 2mrro!!! i am a very pretty girl with waist long, black beautiful hair and this is absolutely ruing my life!!!! WTFFFFF!!! i hope the suave and listerine helps!! after i take my kids to school in the morning i am going str8 to the store and getting it...GOD I HOPE IT WORKS!!! this is ridiculous!!

[ssssara]

Hey!
i also got this problem a few days ago! the waxy greasy feel on the crown of my head! it was so wierd, because it just showed up one day out of the blue and wont go away! im going to try the listerine trick. but its also kinda wierd. In the past 2 months i have started to get fairly severe acne on my cheeks. and only on my cheeks. I am 16 and have been really stressed lately. so i think both things may be caused by stress... does anyone else think that may apply to them too?? beacuase i have felt more stressed than ever with stuff that is going on!! and it seems the more sressed i get the more acne i get and i was at my most stressed day i have been. i was really depressed too. and then i got this. so im almost 90% sure they have something to do with my stress levels!!!!
did anyone else notice this??!!! or have acne around the same time?!?!

[shr177]

It worksss!! The listerine actually cures it! THANKYOU!

[stickyhair]

try rubbing alcohol. probably not the best thing for your hair. But would rather worry about dry hair than sticky greasy hair!! It worked for me twice now. This time after dumping rubbing alcohol on my hair then shampooing, I used some wen conditioner, blew dry and all is well!!!

[blakeygirl]

Like everyone else here, my hair is also oily and waxy which becomes hard when dry like I've put product in it.. I don't condition anymore and that seems to help somewhat but I will try the listerine thing, also although I've read a few comments here, does this only happen to women?

[slickpatch]

I have the same sudden oily patch on my head. I'm 32 I usually use a product before I blow dry my hair and straight iron it. I figured I put too much on. It has been 6 days I can't stand it. I'm on my way to walgreen's to buy the Suave and Listerine. I have a dermatologist appt on Monday. I'll keep you guys posted.

[Anjoyla]

My daughter is also 11 and has been experiencing this, as have I. I am 37. I feel like we are both going through some major hormone changes. Just thought you might like to know that there are other little girls out there with this problem. We are going to try the Listerine. Hope it works. Tired of the waxy build-up. We both had beautiful hair and it has changed overnight.

[krisstaylor]

I too have had this problem. It started 5 days ago after I got out of the shower. I just thought I didn't rinse it enough after I washed it and I tried washing it again that night but it still remains sticky and gross. I just switched to Pantene and I thought maybe it was just too much for my hair so I tried using my dad's Head and Shoulder and leave in conditioner. Didn't work. I used my son's Suave Kids with no conditioner. Didn't work. I tried repeating H&S without conditioner and that didn't help. So I went and bought Dove shampoo and conditioner. That didn't help either. I then read that they used white vinegar and it worked for a lot of people with this problem. Well it didn't help at all. THEN I FOUND this girl who used Dawn and I gave it a shot. It helped 90% I just applied it to my entire head as if it were a shampoo and didn't use any kind of conditioner. I plan on repeating this tonight to see if it goes away completely. And if it doesn't I'll try the Suave/Listerine routine. I REALLY HOPE IT WORKS! I just want my pretty hair back and be able to look up again.

[badhairweek]

I have also been having this same problem for the first time and it's very upsetting.  will try the listerine tonight.  A remedy is great but I wish I knew what was causing it.

A little about me:
I'm 24, white/filipino female.  I have long medium-thick hair that I have been dying black for the past year and a half or so.  Normally my hair is very healthy looking, but it does get oily overnight, which is why I shower in the morning.  I've been using head & shoulders (classic clean) and dove conditioner daily for over a year.  I had dandruff in high school which is when I started using the head & shoulders and have not had an issue since.  I've never used pantene.  It seems to have started for me about a week after i dyed my hair with clairol nice n easy foam (I usually use whatever hair dye is on sale but I had used the same dye twice in a row and did not have this problem after the first time).  It also started right around the same time i used the head and shoulders w/ almond oil for the first time (it was on sale and normal one wasn't).  I switched back to normal shampoo but it did not seem to make a difference.
  
Some things that could be related:  I got promoted about a month before it started and my job is significantly more stressful now plus I see my boyfriend less and sleep less because of it which is also stressful.  The water quality at our apartment is not great (old apartment, LA area) but I have been living here for about 6 months.  No tile in our bathroom.  I have to wear my hair up for work and I wear a hat (work with food).  A lot of the time my hair is damp when i put it up for work and I do sweat a little at work but this is not new as I have been doing similar work for about 2 years now.  I don't have any redness or irritation on my scalp that would indicate a scalp infection.

I have noticed some hormonal issues in the past year.  I used to have really short, light periods with relatively no PMS symptoms or cramping.  In the past year I've had much heavier periods with more cramping and I now have PMS symptoms which have gotten progressively worse and seem to start earlier each month (it starts about 2 weeks before my period now but totally stops once I start my period).  I think the hair issue started around the middle of my cycle but it's been a week and a half I think and no difference.

I don't take any medication or vitamins and have not taken birth control pills for several years now (can't take estrogen due to frequent migraines and I stopped taking the progesterone pills after i developed a fibrous cyst in one of my breasts).  I'm generally healthy.  Normal/thin weight, I walk a lot, eat healthy (have a nutrition degree so I know that's true).  I am a vegetarian, but again that's not new (going on about 8 years now) and I get plenty of protein.  I don't do any drugs or smoke (my live-in boyfriend does smoke but never in the apartment) and I don't drink very often (or very much when I do drink).  I do have some skin allergies (no food allergies).  I got tested about 3 years ago.  I'm very allergic to nickel and I'm allergic to some adhesives (i.e. the sticky part of band-aids).  My skin is also just generally sensitive and prone to drying.

I can't think of anything else that might be related.  Hopefully someone figures out what is causing this but in the mean time I'm glad there at least seems to be a remedy for the oily hair.

[kirstcoop2]

I'm a 24 year old female, I dye my hair pretty regularly, and this is one of the craziest things I've ever had happen to my hair.

Typically, my hair is kinda dry.. I wash everyday, and usually straighten.  Despite this, my hair usually feels soft and smooth, albeit looking a bit dry.

Last year, I found this forum when my hair did this exact same thing, out of the blue, horribly greasy on the crown even though I would wash.  I currently live in China, and I attributed it to that.  I also found some women had used L'Oreal hair coloring products I had also used, and the conditioner provided caused the problem.

I tried several of the remedies here, Listerine, baking soda, lemon juice... and after probably a month, I finally bit the bullet and paid a ton of money for imported Tea Tree Oil shampoo.  That finally got rid of it, and I went back to using my regular shampoos and conditioners.

Almost exactly a year later, the same thing happened to me again.  Thankfully I had the shampoo still, and used it again, and it worked, but when I went back to my regular shampoo, the problem was back.  I ran out of the expensive stuff, and sadly, the store I bought it in has closed so I can't get more.  I came back here to the forum, hoping to try one of the other remedies I hadn't tried before.

I had skipped one, the one that says she put TONS of conditioner in her hair, let it sit, and rinsed it out.  I thought, "what the hay, why not try it?"  IT WORKED.  And it's probably a TON better for your hair than the Listerine treatment.  I know it sounds really counter-intuitve, but it worked.  I figured that since no one else had posted about this remedy working, I thought I would support the original poster and say that it does work.

If you skipped it that post too, here it is again: Wet your hair, use your conditioner, and TONS of it.  The pile in my hand was about the size of a golfball. Massage a bit, and wrap your head in saran wrap, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes.  Rinse it out really well, and voila!  I actually did it twice, focusing on two different spots on my head that were greasy.  I didn't touch the shampoo at all.  I'm still a bit shocked it worked.  Give a try!  As the original poster said, you haven't got anything to lose!

[kirstcoop2]

I hate to this immediately after my own post saying it worked, but sadly, two days later, the problem is back.  I thought I could go back to normal amounts of shampoo and conditioner.. it seems not.  

I'm going to try the vinegar solution, I hope it actually works.

[shannonkp]

I am 40 years old and am happy to know there is hope! I am under a lot of stress now, so I don't know if that is the problem but right now I just want it gone!  When I tell people, they look at me like an alien & suggest baking soda or vingar rinse...neither helped. After reading the posts I tried the only products I have at home, Fructise dandruff shampoo & scope. It seems to have helped! So glad. I will get the suggested listerine and clarifying shampoo today. I still would love to know the cause. Just for the heck of it I emailed Dr. Oz.

[Hydra791]

Hi,
My name is Kiran, I suffered the same problem. But my mom came up with the best solution so far. It's 100% natural so u need not worry about bad chemicals spoiling your hair. In a bowl take
1 egg.
2 teaspoon lime juice
2 teaspoon curd
add a dash of vinegar.
Mix well.
To this mixture add a powder made of reetha, aamla and shikakai (u mite get this in an Indian store in ur country)
Mix this all up and apply on ur hair. Leave it for 30-45 mins. Then wash it off with a mild shampoo and conditioner (I used forest essentials rose shampoo and conditioner)
And thts it, ur hair will be good as new  and no harmful chemicals to spoil them.
P:S:- I am sure there is something wrong with pantene shampoo cause I used the same and had this same problem. When I was using loreal before nothing of this sort had happened.
Anyways wish u best of luck this recipe worked for me hope it works for u all too ;)

[want2buytheworldacoke]

I believe this must be a hormonal problem after reading this extensive reply chain.  My 10 year old daughter is suddenly having this problem.  She had a strong case of dandruff that we tried treating with Head and Shoulders for a long while.  No progress.  Then we tried T Gel 3 times a week and the dandruff  was gone, only to return with large white flakes instead of mostly yellowish.  So, we have mostly been attributing her dandruffy problems to puberty (yes, already) and her less than perfect rinsing and scrubbing...she is just ten though she is bathing/washing hair daily.
  But in the past 5 days she has had what is described here.  Something I've never seen or gone through in my life: the intense stickiness in the crown area.  She is so frustrated and touching it etc.  The skin is puffy and red from, perhaps, her overscrubbing or touching.  Don't know if it's an infection or cyst, buildup, bacterial or fungal infection, or just hormones.  The ladies on here, and most seem to be ladies, seem to exist in a limbo of hormonal change...which makes me fairly sure this is hormonal.  Just the changes she has gone through within the past 2 weeks bodily and moodwise are shocking.  I hope the listerine or vinegar plus clarifying shampoo approach will work.  After that it will be a call to the pediatrician's triage nurse and maybe a dermatologist.  She has also always had sensitive skin and sinus allergies...and years ago had food allergies to wheat and eggs (not seeming a problem anymore).

We'll see.  Thanks for all of the sharing here!  

[want2buytheworldacoke]

I believe this must be a hormonal problem after reading this extensive reply chain.  My 10 year old daughter is suddenly having this problem.  She had a strong case of dandruff that we tried treating with Head and Shoulders for a long while.  No progress.  Then we tried T Gel 3 times a week and the dandruff  was gone, only to return with large white flakes instead of mostly yellowish.  So, we have mostly been attributing her dandruffy problems to puberty (yes, already) and her less than perfect rinsing and scrubbing...she is just ten though she is bathing/washing hair daily.
  But in the past 5 days she has had what is described here.  Something I've never seen or gone through in my life: the intense stickiness in the crown area.  She is so frustrated and touching it etc.  The skin is puffy and red from, perhaps, her overscrubbing or touching.  Don't know if it's an infection or cyst, buildup, bacterial or fungal infection, or just hormones.  The ladies on here, and most seem to be ladies, seem to exist in a limbo of hormonal change...which makes me fairly sure this is hormonal.  Just the changes she has gone through within the past 2 weeks bodily and moodwise are shocking.  I hope the listerine or vinegar plus clarifying shampoo approach will work.  After that it will be a call to the pediatrician's triage nurse and maybe a dermatologist.  She has also always had sensitive skin and sinus allergies...and years ago had food allergies to wheat and eggs (not seeming a problem anymore).

We'll see.  Thanks for all of the sharing here!  

[want2buytheworldacoke]

I also wanted to mention that I see many many hormonal situations among the women posting here:
1) Many who are peri-menopausal (late 20s-late 40's)....HUGE hormone fluctuations, fits and starts, etc.

2)  My daughter and perhaps other pre-teens and teens...hormonal, need I say more?

3)  Those who have had extreme physical and or mental stress (holidays, post-surgeries (especially post-ovarian surgeries, etc), and other difficulties.   The body and mind are under strain....and when your mind and body feel emotional stresses, you release stress hormones.  These can have a great deal to do with women's hormones...women have been known to not ovulate (and therefore avoid pregnancies) under extreme stress, for example.  Women under stress are poisoned with the hormones and we all now that even mild stress (and not even PMS stresses) can cause acne.  That's as hormonal as it comes.  Sebum and acne increases are also often in tandem with increases in sebum on the scalp and body...and dandruff thrives on that oil.  Oily pores blocked could be causing these waxy secretions and blockages...I'm not a professional but just trying to sort out these situations that even doctors don't seem to recognize.  If all else fails, I completely recommend an open-minded gynecologist or gynecological nurse practitioner...somebody willing to do something besides just prescribe Accutane (which is a huge contributor to birth defects).  There are other hormonal solutions.

[ja917]

Hi there.  Your description of your daughter's condition immediately brought me to this as a guess for what she might have:
  

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seborrheic-dermatitis/DS00984/DSECTION=symptoms

While the symptoms don't fit for me, they do seem to fit for her.  I would bring her to a dermatologist ASAP to diagnose since you mentioned that she has dandruff and her skin is inflamed... Good luck!

[lizzie8825]

I am 23 year old female and i have noticed all of a sudden after showering at night and waking up the next morning my hair has been greasy as if i hadnt showered in days. my hair has never been like this before i have always had dry frizzy hair and have always used some sort of moisturizing shampoo and some conditioner. any help?

[kgirl24]

I've also had this issue and I'm trying listerine with the neutrogena anti-residue tonight. However, I also came across a website, which could be helpful to us. I'm thinking this could have been caused by my diet change... I was eating a lot of fish over the last 8 months, then suddenly stopped and started to eat not so great. Examples include eating hamburgers and less vegetables. I'm not positive on what caused my sudden sticky, waxy, greasy hair, but I'm hoping this stuff works and I'm getting back to eating a little better again, with less soda :)  Good luck to all of you!
Website - http://www.surviving-hairloss.com/Greasy_Hair.html

[elynrowee]

hi, i'm 14 and i have the same problem with the waxy/greasy hair on the top of my head and i have no idea what to do. of course i'm a bit stressed out because of school work and stuff but my stress is nothing compared to anyone else's... i'm really scared and worried and i just want it to go away. please help me!

[oldermomma]

I am almost 42 and have suffered with the oily scalp for several years.  I initially suspected it was due to having kids late in life.  My second child is breastfed and allergic to a lot of foods so I have eliminated a lot from my diet, no gassy veggies or beans, etc.  I eat terribly, mainly fast food and sweets and my body is showing it now as I have a fat tire around my waist.  I get no more than two hours of sleep at a time as my youngest wakes up so much all night every night so I have no energy to chase the kids and exercise too.  My stress level is very high.  I'm sure hormones are a factor as well since I am still breastfeeding.  

It seems the listerene works for a few days and then the grease is back.  My hair is really dry and almost ruined from using listerene almost every other day for a month.  Sometimes it seems to get better but during the week I ovulate it's a greasy mess no matter what.  

Once I stop breastfeeding I will go on a juice fast or do some other type of cleanse.  If I do any detoxing now all the toxins go into the breastmilk so that's out of the question.  I would love to buy a FAR Infared Sauna to detox with as well and am watching our local craigslist to get one cheaply.  I also plan on eating a mainly raw diet but I can't start that yet since it makes you detox too.

If my daughter wasn't allergic to most everything I would wean her off ASAP.  Wish there was a simple fix for this hair problem.  

[asdfjkl848]

The same thing has happened to me and it was so stressful and annoying! I'm so glad I found this site.  I thought I'd return the favor by posting a summary of what I read/learned.

MY CASE, POSSIBLE CAUSES:
I've had oily hair occasionally before (from normal dirtiness) but this was noticeably different. A sticky/waxy/greasy patch right on the top of my head that never improved, and appeared almost suddenly and in one wash. No scalp symptoms, no dandruff, no itchiness. I've used Pantene on and off and never had this problem, and started using it again for a couple weeks and then it started. I also used head and shoulders, thinking it was a fungal thing, but I think this made it worse. I also live in an old building on school campus with tiles in the shower, so not sure if that had anything to do with it.

I think Pantene may have played a large part (and others from the site below also mentioned Clairol products and some hair dyes too.) It's almost a twisted humor, but it's funny that Pantene's commercials advertise that they form a seal/protective barrier around the hair shaft (with that cartoon showing it "repairing" the hair) - and this could be the very reason it gave us all this nightmare experience! This site mentions its culprit ingredients - panthenol and panthenyl, although there seems to be some debate about this. See here: http://thebeautybrains.com/2006/07/04/is-pantene-good-or-bad-for-my-hair/

OTHER POSSIBLE DIAGNOSES, RULE THESE OUT FIRST BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING:
I'm also in the medical field so I looked up all my medical references (uptodate being the main source) and it didn't have much on this specific problem. I think posters here need to differentiate though between purely waxy/sticky hair with NO scalp symptoms, and something else. I think another key symptom is that it appears SUDDENLY and all at once, rather than gradually which would be more common in the below diagnoses. This is the differential I gathered from uptodate:
- Seborrheic dermatitis: an inflammation of the sebaceous (oil) follicles/glands that may also be fungal. The scalp may be red/itchy. This can also affect the skin behind the ears, the forehead, face, and even the chest. It can also lead to dandruff that is yellow, big and crusty. If you don't have these other symptoms, it's less likely.
- Scalp dandruff: this often comes with an itchy, red, irritated scalp, and should normally improve with anti-fungal shampoos like Head & Shoulders, Nizoral, Neutrogena T-Gel.
- Hormones and stress can also change your body's oil production but I think this can be ruled out if right when you wash your hair and dry, it is still noticeably oily/greasy.  Normal oil from your scalp should be able to be washed out, and the scalp would take a little time before producing more oil that is noticeable again.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS:
I gathered ideas on what to do from this page and this one:
http://www.short-hair-style.com/sticky-residue-on-hair-no-matter-what-i-wash-it-in.html

Here's a summary of what you can do and has worked for others:
- Suave clarifying shampoo and other clarifying shampoos such as Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo
- Dishsoap such as Dawn and Palmolive
- Original Listerine/Alcohol: I think the main reason here is the alcohol. Rubbing alcohol can also be used but make sure to water it down a bit first!
- Lemon juice/Vinegar: Similarly, I think the main reason here is the acid. Water it down first.
- Tea tree oil mixed into shampoo: tea tree oil kills fungi, so this may be better if you think you have a fungal infection (see above).

For me, I couldn't find Suave so I used Neutrogena Anti-Residue shampoo and shampooed twice - slight improvement but barely any change noticed.  Then I used what I had at home - lemon juice, mixed with rice wine vinegar, and diluted with water about 1:1:2 ratio. I first shampooed/rinsed with the Neutrogena, poured about 2 cups of the lemon/vinegar mixture over the area, and shampooed again with Neutrogena - letting it sink in at each stage. Now, my hair is about 95% better!!!  SUCH A RELIEF. I think it was the lemon/vinegar that did the trick.

Anyway, it's a shame that doctors don't know anything about this. I'm never using Pantene again and going to pay closer attention to the ingredients list on my hair products. I think I'm going to go with one of Trader Joe's shampoos since it's cheap and supposedly all-natural. I'm also going to clean my tiles and shower head with rubbing alcohol but not sure if that had anything to do with it.  Hope this all helps someone out there, and good luck to everyone here!

[BioTeacher]

I had the same problem.  Last month, so did my 8 year old daughter.  I is DEFINITELY product related (at least for 99% of us ... the other 1%, well, I have no idea).  My daughter used Pantene Pro-V for the first time ever a month ago, and I kept telling her that she wasn't rinsing her hair well enough because it always looked greasy and felt sticky.  She also complained that it made her head itch.  She stopped using it and has been using another product and the problem is gone.

I have always used H&S, but ran out a few weeks back.  We had a bunch of Pantene sitting around because the daughter wasn't using it anymore, so I figured I'd use it up.  Guess what happened to me?  Yup.  Sticky, gross looking hair mostly around the crown of my head.

I'm a person that has always had to wash my hair daily because it does tend to get oily if I don't, so I know what oily hair feels like, and this was NOT oil.  This felt sticky, and left a sticky residue on my fingers when I touched it.  I think there is something in the shampoo that attaches and coats the hair follicles.  It is mostly around the crown because that is the first place most of us put shampoo when we wash our hair.  By the time we work it to the ends, most of the "shellac" has already been deposited at the crown.  It is also why it gets worse with multiple washings.  Oily hair would NEVER do that!  Oil becomes miscible in soap, so if it was oil, it would be better after a washing, and then would get worse gradually.  No, this is some kind of product-related chemical concoction that lays down a nasty coating on the hair.  The alcohol in the mouthwash dissolves it.

As far as I'm concerned, there is NO MYSTERY, and we won't be using those products ever again.

[BioTeacher]

I did a little more research.  Pantene contains panthenol which actually does coat the hair with a wax-like substance.  

[Alz666]

Hi! I'm in Melbourne, Australia.

I had the sudden (overnight) onset of greasy hair about 10 days before my husband and I were scheduled to have professional photos done!!! I found this thread and he went out on a mission to find me some anti clarifying shampoo and brown Listerine. LOL I did NOT want the greys turning blue or green!!! When he came home I gave it a go and my hair had never looked so good and I had the kind of hair which people would want to touch it was so thick and healthy and shiny, and long.

Common things I have with some of you above .. I was a long term Pantene user (I have now switched to Tresemme) .. I'm peri-menopausal .. I was recovering from surgery to my right hand (so thought with my 'shower routine' being out of whack I had forgotten to rinse out my conditioner initially).

I continued to use the clarifying shampoo with the Listerine for about a month because it was taking me a while to decide on what action to take next. I didn't want to spend a fortune on shampoos and conditioners to have the problem come back. KWIM? The combination of the two products over that length of time did not damage my hair in anyway.

I suspect whomever suggested the Listerine in the first place might just be having a good laugh at our expense but heh I'm laughing with them if that's the case. On reading the clarifying shampoo bottle its intended use was for exactly what we've been talking about. Removing a build up of residual grease and other stuff. I suspect it would have worked on its own without the Listerine. If this happens to my hair again I will definitely be giving it a go without the Listerine just to see.

Oh and BTW Tresemme conditioner is silicone free, unlike Pantene, and now I get why so many people freak about others using Pantene. Having super healthy hair though, for me, it was never a problem. Until now.

Anyways our photo shoot went fabulously and my hair was the healthiest looking it had been in a long time. If you can't find the original Listerine (we found it hard to locate .. everywhere was selling the blue and green) give a good clarifying shampoo a go and see what you think.

Cheers .. Alz  :)

PS: I've not had any problems with the Tresemme so far, but if this becomes an ongoing problem I'll most likely switch to a shampoo and conditioner for oily hair ..

PPS: I mentioned this to a few of my friends and they have also had this problem and they are also peri-menopausal ..

[mushy713]

Hi there, I also have this problem out of nowhere. My condition had developed overnight around my crown and been lasting for 6 month already, thank god I finally get a solid solution though I haven't tried it out yet.

I had tried Selsun Gold which consists 1% selenium sulfide, originally prescribed for reducing dandruff and itchiness of your hair, it works to reduce the oil and stickiness but it failed to cure my syndrome. The oil patch comes back every time I switched back to other shampoos and the oil patch start to switch position from my left crown to the right crown.

I believe the oil patch is developed out of fungal infection through contacts with animals or plants, since Listerine is a strong antiseptic agent, it helps to retard the growth of these harmful fungus. I don't have a scientific evidence, but it is logical to think that way.

Again, thanks for sharing your solution, I will try it out tomorrow and see if it works for my case.

[mushy713]

To update my condition, after trying out Head & Shoulders and Listerine, without, my case seems worsen. The old patch at the right hand side grows into a crown and my hair become extremely dry.

My oil patch is alkaline-resistant, it can't be comb through using any kind of shampoos but conditioner will help to separate the hair stacked up. After I rinsed with water, it become sticky and oily again.

So far, Selsun Medicated Shampoo is still my way to combat the oily-sticky patch, it helps to reduce the area though not cure it permenantly.

It seems there are a number of random causes for the development of the oil patch:

1. Shampoo related - Pantene or other P&G Shampoo
- in this case, switching shampoo seems to help.

2. Hormonal Changes after surgery / pressure
- Oil patch might suddenly turns out and goes a way

3. Intake of supplements
- Stop taking the supplements will help

It seems to me all these conditions build up an imbalance of bacterial / fungal growth in our scalp, sometimes bacteria wins, then use Listerine / tea tree oil shampoo would certainly helps; sometimes fungi wins, then use Selsun Medicated Shampoo or other anti-fungal shampoo.

The core is how to restore the balance... unless we can find out the reasons behind otherwise no there will be no permanent cure for this.

[Lil_Bug1038]

About a week ago, the crown of my head suddenly developed an oily residue and the hair around there felt almost sticky. I have never had this issue before. After visiting my doc, he advised it could be due to hormones (it is that "time of the month" for me right now). He said to wait it out, but I really didn't like looking like I don't bathe!

After stumbling upon this article, I tried the clarifying shampoo / Listerine method and after two applications it appears to be gone.  

I used Garnier Fructis Anti Residue Shampoo (it has salicylic acid in it), scrubbed it in well, let it sit for a min, then rinsed well. Then I poured 4 cap fulls of the brown Listerine directly onto my crown and gently rubbed it in. Let it sit for 3 mins, then rinsed well. I did this two evenings in a row.

I found my hair to be EXTREMELY dry (yet super shiny!) after the first application, so the second night after rinsing out the Listerine I put a tiny amount of deep conditioner on my ends only and let it sit for a minute, then rinsed.

Be warned, you will smell like you bathed in Listerine so maybe plan on staying in the nights you chose to do this. :)

[ShaShaTa]

No wonder my hair is suddenly a mess! I've always had awesome hair, the kind everyone would die to have. Then, just over a month ago I got the oily patch right at the crown of my head. I have never had oily hair in my life! After reading all the posts, I think I'm the perfect candidate for oily hair and here's why:

1) I had just stopped nursing and started my period before this happened (hormones totally trying to regulate here)
2) I have used Pantene for years
3) I dyed my hair for the first time, shortly after the greasiness started, with L'oreal hair color and used the conditioner provided
4) I've been on a diet for the past 6 weeks

All of these things have been sited as possible triggers for the oily hair. I'm going to try the Listerine/Suave method tonight. I honestly thought it was all hormonal and that my body just needed to get back into balance. Now I've discovered too many other things that may be causing my problem.  I'm totally depressed about this hair situation and am hoping that I can fix it and fast.

[ShaShaTa]

I meant Clairol hair color.

[Zanz000n]

Salam!

I live in United Arab Emirates and we have no Suave in here so I ordered it online but I REALLY cannot wait until I get it so I was thinking what other clarifying shampoos should I use? Can anyone help me with this please?

I am SO unhappy these days and just feeling miserable! :'(

Please advise :'(

[ELe1966]

NizorAl shampoo works Over counter u. An buy at raleys

[Lozzie67]

I thought I was the only person that had this, thanks everyone for making feel less alienated.
I am 44 yrs old and mine started over a year ago. I went on the Tony Ferguson diet, shakes and soups, not long after I went to the hairdressers, not my usual she was on maternity leave.  About 8 weeks later went back to hairdressers, she noticed that I had some "dermatitis" on the side of my head. I thought it must have been the product they used as I have NEVER had anything wrong with my scalp, no dry scalp or dandruff ever. Well it started to get worse, like cradle cap, it got so bad that my hair started falling out. I was at my wits end. I called into hair house warehouse and a few of the stylists came to have a look. I was embarrassed but something needed to be done. They gave me some sample bottles of De Lorenzo Tricho natural scalp therapy, a shampoo, conditioner, toner and a tube of scalp treatment creme which saved my life, it softened the scales so the could be combed and washed out the next morning, but alas a few days later it was back. I must say that when this first started I also had weepy crusty stuff behind my ears a rash under one of my boobs and where my knickers rubbed around the top of my legs/crotch area so you can imagine how delighted I was feeling with myself. I went to the dr, he gave me a topical ointment but didn't think the scalp issues were related. Well I was 9 Kgs down from the shakes and soups when I decided to investigate further. My naturopathy book suggest an allergy to milk solids. I checked the ingredient list on the shakes, main ingredient - milk solids! The soup main ingredients - milk solid! I stopped straight away. It is slowly getting better but I still have - I guess - dandruff, which annoys me to no end! My hairdresser gave me some organic shampoo & cond, which I am not sure is making it any better, but it isn't getting any worse. Today I bought a bottle of brown listerine. Fingers crossed, I'll keep you posted.

[tatzzz]

I all of a sudden have an oily crown for the past 3 days now. I have neverrrr had oily hair in my life i would say more dry if anything its makin me nuts. I was recently in hosp and treated for pneomonia and was on heavy duty IV antibiotics for 3 days. I also just quick smokin 9 days ago and have been on zoloft for about 5 wks. I am askin for a cure PLEASEEEEEE

[Sophelsou]

Hey there, i live in Dubai and have the same problem. Its impossible to find neutrogena or suave shampoo here. Although, just last night i bought a shampoo from Marina Pharmacy (i also saw it in Boots) called VICHY oil control treatment shampoo with anti-sebum complex, its in a green and white box. It cost me 72 Dhs from the pharmacy; you can probably find it cheaper if u look around. Anyway, ive lterally just got out of the shower and used it without applying the listerine (forgot to buy some!). It has honestly removed around 90% of the grease, im sure if i applied listerine after it, it would have completely gone. So in my next shower ill use it again with the listerine. I hope ive been of some help.
Regards,
Sophie

[Zanz000n]

Dear All,

First of all I thank you all for sharing your experience because that helped me get over my emotional reaction when I had that same exact condition with the hair on my crown

Second I will share my experience too maybe this will help anyone who goes through this post

How did I have this problem:
I had a hot oil treatment at a cheap place, the product was a local cream that looked and smelt fine
after washing my hair i felt nothing abnormal
but the second day i woke up with an oily sticky hair on the crown of my head


What did I do and use:
I kept washing my hair every single day, 4 times every time!!
I used my regular shampoo which was the Herbal Essences
then I used Pantine shampoo for oily hair
then another medical shampoo for oily hair
but nothing worked
then I googled the whole problem and I found this forum and post
I read the advice of Suave clarifying shampoo and Listirine
so I ordered the Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo online as it is unavailable wherever I live

What worked:
I got the Suave shampoo and used it to wash my hair twice one after the other right away
I did not use the Listirine
I went out and dried my hair and the whole oily/sticky feel and look was almost gone
Two days later I repeated the same thing (washing my hair twice with the Suave shampoo)
I dried my hair and the whole mess was completely gone!
again no Listirine!
yet I noticed my hair was a bit dry so the second time i put conditioner to the end of the hair not the crown
Two days later I used my regular shampoo with conditioner to the end of the hair only (because im too scared to use anything else on the crown area)
and all is fine

So the answer is with the clarifying shampoo not the Listirine

Thanks again to the Suave advice
and hope you all with same issue find this helpful

@Sophie
Thanks for your reply dear, I ended up ordering it online!

Zee

[KT0728]

Wow. This has been really helpful in terms of advice and just knowing that I'm not crazy. I am 37 years old and have been battling this problem for a year. I've never had oily hair, could go days without washing though I usually wash daily. Then the condition you all described suddenly appeared: greasy/waxy film throughout the crown of my head. Mine began after I stopped nursing my last child. After reading the posts I think the cause (for me at least) is either homone changes or the ingredient panthonol. I've never used pantene but all three bottles of shampoo in my shower contain panthonol.

I'm going to buy some Sauve clarifying shampoo and listerine today but I was desperate this morning so I tried something else. I washed with tea tree shampoo paying particular attention to my crown, then I put 4 caps of a high end facial toner in my hair and let that sit for several minutes (Ultima II normal to dry skin). I'm happy to report that the condition improved significantly. This is saying something considering it was worse than ever yesterday.

Thank you everyone!!

[ladydi540]

Thank you so much for the solution! I tried the clarifying shampoo and listerine. It worked! It took two tries to get the oil completely out, but it was almost all gone the first time. I feel so much better. I've got my hair back!
Diane

[sharonbrown]

This is a lifesaver. I thought I was going crazy! I've been going thru this for at least 4 months now and have bought and tried everything I could find. I'm getting the suave and the Listerine tomorrow and praying for the best! My scalp is gross feeling no matter how many times I wash it and the longer hair is like straw! I really hope this works and thanks for sharing your experiences with the rest of us!

[Traczu25]

hi there!

First time I heard about this problem was few years ago, my sister, at that time living in Poland, suddenly discovered the greasy patch on the back of her hair. I didnt see it, and just made fun of her. I have no idea how she got rid of it as I wasnt there.

The first time it happened to me 3 years ago. I live in China so I was furious and blamed the Chinese ... everything basically. It was very sudden and I wanted to get rid of it asap, I went to local a hairdresser, an dof course they looked at me like I was mad.

They really know how to wash hair here, but it didnt help 100%, after drying for ages it looked much better. I cant really remember how did I get rid of it completly, but I did.

Yeasterday morning I washed my hair. I usually wait for it to dry on it's own, but the weather colled down, I thought I will blow dry it. Just after few seconds I noticed the patch. I went to the bathroom straight away and washed my hair again. Just like in the past it didnt wash, it even gone worse.

I had a friend over for few days. We slept on the same bed as I have only one ><(please no comments) She washed her hair this morning and wanted to blow dry it too. The same thing happened to her!!!

There is few explanations to how she got it:
1. She slept on the same bed and the fungus/bacteria are contagious.
2. She used my shampoo - Elvive.
3. She dried her hair with my hair dryier.

I dont think its the drying problem, but it makes it worse!
I need to add that I'm European with very thin and dry hair, and she's Korean. So it affects all types of hair.

I washed my hair again this morning with washing liquid, and a shampoo and didnt blowdry it. It got a little bit better. Also lately I been putting my hair up, sometimes still wet. I just finished taking an antibiotic for a skin infection.

I'm going to buy Listerine today, but here is China, the only one I can get is the blue or green one. I hope it helps.

Also I think somebody should do some reserch on the fact that Listerine helps in 99% of the cases! There is anti - fungus ingredient and antibacterial ingredient in it.

I pray it will work. Honestly this place is killing me.

[greasebegone]

hi there - I started having this exact same problem in May - that's when I first noticed it. it started off gradual and then got worse, to the point where nothing seems to work. I had some success with a small bit of Nizoral anti-fungal shampoo twice a week - it seemed to work - I am using a few drops and massaging it right into my scalp and behind my ears, down the sides of my face, and on the back of my neck. I let it sit there for a few minutes then wash it out and use my regular shampoo and conditioner. I really do t know what's going on with my scalp as I've always always had beautiful thick healthy hair, but I'm getting tested by my MD to look at whether I have a high dose of androgen in my body - also see if my hormone levels are normal. I'm a competitive athlete, so hoping its something I can fix without taking away from my athletic ability. I started taking a lot of vitamins for hair too. Biotin (2000 mg per day) Also Prairie Natural's Hair-Force Vitamin B supplements, Vitamin C (1000 mg) Vitamin E caps (400 di) and Lysine - all these will assist with healthy hair growth. it seems the problem lies within in the excessive sebum coming from the sebaceous glands in the scalp so hopefully my blood work tests will find out why so I can get my hair back to normal. I also had acrylic nails for the very first time in May (when this started happening) I am getting them removed now in case it is an allergic reaction to whatever is in the acrylics - (process of elimination) With so many of us having this exact same problem in various age groups it seems weird to say its hormonal, it almost seems like an infectious epidemic of some sort - all I know is that I'm getting tested - I will keep u all posted.
UPDATE:  So I had the Acrylic Nails removed and already my fingers feel ten times better - though they look horrid - there is definately fungus under 3 of the fingernails - I'm putting a very strong anti-fungal cream under all the nails twice a day - however I wonder since this fungus was inside my fingernails if it had spread to my scalp through morning hair routines - shower, combing, styling. I had my MD do some blood work to see if this weird hair thing is related to fungal infection or hormones (androgen?). In the meantime I have found a half decent cure - I do the Nizoral with Apple Cider Vinegar twice a week - First the Nizoral, leave set for 2-3 minutes and attacks the sebum glands, effectively cleaning the scalp - then the Apple Cider Vinegar which restores the PH balance to the hair, then lastly my regular conditioner for damaged hair since the Cider Vinnegar leaves my hair very dry. This works really well and hair is shiny and no grease and can be styled. The in-between days that I don't use this combo is something I found which is Excellent - Nioxin - I sue level 3 for dyed or permed hair - I just started using it and OH Wow!!! My hair has never felt or looked better - super volume and bounce - and oh yeah - No Grease!!! I'm using the Nioxin 3 Shampoo, Conditioner, leave in Spray, and also the Voluminizer (which is also a leave-in spray). My hair looks freakn' fabulous - like when I was in my twenties!!!! I will update you all once the blood work comes in

[erinsaywhat]

I just have to say - THANK YOU SO MUCH.  I have had this problem for OVER a year.  One day, I woke up and I had an extremely greasy patch on the right side of my head.  Everyone seemed to say it was on their crown, has anyone has a problem with just one side of their head?

But I finally tried the listerine and SUAVE last night, and so far so good!  The right side of my head is just like the rest of my head.  The parts I used the listerine on are ever more smoothe and hydrated.  

I have tried everything in the past. Expensive clarifying shampoos, conditioners, the whole bit. Thank God I found this post.  You saved my hair! Thank you!

[greasebegone]

try the Nizoral and apple cider vinegar combo - Nizoral is cheap and u can get it at the pharmacy with the dandruff shampoos - the Apple Cider vinegar concoction can be made by taking a plastic water bottle and dumping out about half the water then add Apple Cider vinegar (about 1 cup) then replace bottle cap and shake well - you can then punch holes in the cap and leave it in your shower with your shampoos etc - hopefully you will see a big difference - I get to see my MD this thurs so I will know the results of the bloodwork and hopefully it's something that can be corrected.

[Miche418]

Hi ladies (haven't noticed a post from any men)

I have had this same problem for about 9 months.  It struck me as odd because I have always had normal hair, never dry or oily.  I could go for 3 or 4 days without washing and I was fine.  I have always been complemented on my hair being super soft, silky, and shiny....until the dreaded WAX.  My whole life I have always blow-dried my hair immediately after showers, or let it air dry in the sun.  Recently (past year) I started letting it towel dry indoors, which I think could have led to the problem.  Think about it: Moisture breeds bacteria/fungus. In the beginning the grease was not so bad, and was only appearing on the sides of my scalp.  But after a few months, the grease spread to my crown to the point where I was becoming hopeless.  

My first instinct was to buy an over the counter dandruff shampoo (off brand head & shoulders) but it didn't seem to help.  It only kept the grease from really spreading.  

I finally went to a salon to talk to a professional and my stylist suggested I try some of the Aveda balancing shampoos to fix the problem.  I thought, well it's mostly natural so it must help...WRONG.  My hair started getting worse.  

Next, I tried Neutrogena T/Sal Clarifying Shampoo.  It has Salicylic Acid in it to help clarify the scalp for Psoriasis, etc.. I only used it once because it didn't reduce the grease at all and it only irritated my scalp, leaving it itchy and burning.  Maybe if I would have used it the next day it would have started working, but I doubt it.

I came across this forum and was tempted to try the Listerine/Suave clarifying remedy, but hesitated due to the fact that I didn't want to poor alcohol on my head.  Instead I made an appt with my dermatologist to see if some medicated shampoo could fix the problem.  I never thought I had dandruff, but she told me I had some Seborrheic Dermatitis on my scalp (a form of dandruff) and immediately prescribed me the most awesome shampoo ever!  

It's called Keralyt5 Shampoo and has completely renewed my hair to how it used to be - shiny, voluminous, and very healthy.  There are two ways you can apply the Shampoo: 1) Applying a small amount to the affected areas before you get in the shower, let it sit for a few minutes, then rinse in warm water.  or 2) Use as a medicated shampoo daily in the shower until scalp renews to desirable condition.  (This is the method I chose).

Don't expect it to completely get rid of the grease on the first day!  The key is to cure the root cause.  After my first day, I was a bit disappointed because I still had a noticeable amount of that waxy film, but I didn't give up.  The second day I did the same except this time I took a comb with me to the shower and combed out the shampoo after it had soaked into my scalp for 5 minutes or so.  I think this is crucial!  You need to comb out the wax in order to let the shampoo do its job.  Condition the tips so they don't dry out, and rinse.  Then, immediately blow-dry your hair so that you don't let the bacteria breed in the moisture.  After my 2nd day I was amazed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It had effectively removed about 90% of the grease/wax.  The 3rd day 95% gone, and at that point I could feel my scalp breathe for the first time in almost a year!  My hair was soft and silky, and I could actually run my fingers through it like I have my whole life.  I honestly feel like I got back from a spa and can't stop touching it.  It is even shinier than it has been in years.

Tomorrow will be day 4 and I'm expecting to be almost 100% cured.  Once the scalp reaches the desired condition you can reduce your usage to once a week, or whenever you notice the buildup coming back.  You can buy Keralyt 5 Shampoo online for about $20...not as cheap as some of the other solutions, but I think it's definitely worth it if you want to truly cure this condition.  There is another version called just Keralyt Shampoo from the same company, but it requires a prescription (I'm thinking it is stronger and has a higher dosage of Salicylic Acid). This is probably for people with severe plaque buildup.  Anyway, a quick fix like listerine may not be the best for your scalp and could damage it.  At least this is what my dermatologist told me.  

Anyway, I really hope this helps you all.  I know how gross and depressing this can be, but there is HOPE!  

[jennh48]

I'm 25 and I have had the same problem for a year and a half. I've had a very small (quarter-sized) waxy spot on my crown that remains through washing since childhood, but it had never changed until about a year and a half ago around the time I took the USMLE Step 1 (a LOT of stress). I have used Pantene in the past, but for several years I have used Dove and sometimes Suave Professionals. One day I woke up and showered as usual but my hair felt greasy afterwards. I thought I hadn't rinsed all of the conditioner out. Showering the following day didn't help. Dawn dish soap didn't help. I was distraught and in tears! Then I found the clarifying suave/listerine solution. IT WORKED! you DO have to use the original brown listerine, though.

However, it has come back every few months or so. I wonder if continuing to use the Dove is keeping the problem going. I recently visited the dermatologist for another problem and when I mentioned my greasy crown she laughed at me, saying that it was normal. clearly, she did not understand!

Unfortunately, I have not seen results with using multiple applications of the clarifying suave only and have continued to use the suave/listerine combo off and on. I have engagement photos in a week and my hair is now worse than ever. I will be doing listerine again tonight and tomorrow and then CHANGING shampoos to something without wax/shellac/silicone/etc. If that doesn't work, I'm going to try rubbing alcohol, tea tree oil or an anti-fungal shampoo.

to everyone else out there with this same problem: you are not crazy! Try the Suave Clarifying/Listerine original combo!!

-Jenn

p.s. suave clarifying is VERY cheap at Wal-mart, for all of us in the US =)

[greasebegone]

well I had the results of my blood work and I am happy to report that it is not a hormone problem - my estrogen levels are fine and there is no androgen levels to worry about - whew! but - what else can be causing this greasy head? I had the acrylic nails removed and the fungus underneath the nails are clearing up with an anti - fungal cream - there hasn't been enough time yet, between the acrylics coming off and whether there is a connection to the greasy hair - more on this to follow - I do not have very many flakes on my scalp, so it's not seborrhoea dermatitis, like I originally thought. My Pap test is clear so it's not PCOS (ovaries). It may be stress related, I have been going through a very stressful breakup with a 10 year relationship, and also problems at work - this might explain the increase in sebum production - I'm trying to eliminate stress in my life so hopefully that will help. The Nizoral, Apple Cider vinegar, and Nioxin combos seem to be working - I'm keeping my scalp clean. Some posters recommend not washing your hair everyday but according to both my MD and my Derm they Both said that you must wash your hair daily to minimize the sebum or your hair follicles will not be able to push out of your scalp and they will become clogged and the shaft will break and your hair will die (male pattern baldness) they recommend not using harsh shampoos though, stick with natural botanicals, and just use the Nizoral twice a week, and don't over use the Nioxin either - in short - wash the hair but be careful not to over process. I still think this is some kind of a disease or epidemic if so many of us have it. I remember just before I got mine this May - I went to a new salon (Aveda) and a new stylist washed and did a moisturizing enhancement on my hair - it looked beautiful then, but almost a week afterward is when this problem started. I wonder if the stylist had this greasy disease and unknowingly passed it onto me? so many things to consider. anyway - we will see if the removal of the acrylics and the de-stressing my life works - keep you all up to date on my progress - good luck to you all. :)

[guest1111730]

Hi guys. I, too, had this problem. I don't think it's age related as I'm only 23, and I don't believe it's stress related as I work a wonderful job with a generous income and am just starting a long vacation.

Much like everyone else who has posted, I feel like this spot came pretty suddenly. It was on the crown of my head, gradually progressing to the left side. It looked like I hadn't showered for days immediately after I got out of the shower and blowdryed my hair. The strands would stick together and actually if I ran my hands through it and tried to play with it, my hands would get sticky like there was wax in my hair. I don't use hair products ever, just basic shampoo and conditioner, so this was really foreign to me.

At first, I just ignored it and figured I wasn't washing my hair as well as I could or maybe I wasn't washing all the conditioner out as that's what it felt like. Eventually I decided my shampoo just wasn't effective, and switched from my regular basic girly shampoos to my boyfriend's Nivea for Men 3 in 1 shampoo which actually kicked the grease spot for about a week. Then, unfortunately, he ran out of that shampoo and we couldn't find it in stores and the spot came back. I tried switching shampoos several times, using various Men's shampoos as well as several women's but it kept getting worse. A couple days ago, I bought head & shoulders thinking that was my next best option, but that didn't work either. I was so frustrated, constantly tying my hair back because it just couldn't be left down. I felt dirty and disgusting. Then I turned to the internet and found this thread and a couple more.

I saw home remedies such as Listerine, dish soap, vinegar, Suave Clarifying Shampoo, Tea Tree Oil, etc...I was prepared to try anything. I went to the local drug store and picked up some Palmolive 2x Grease Fighter dish soap (blue in color) and the only Tea Tree Shampoo they had, which was some sort of mint and tea tree oil mixture. I couldn't find any sort of clarifying shampoo, but I did have Listerine at home to try as a back-up.

I jumped in the shower with everything and decided I'd start out low and slow. I used the dish soap and soaped my hair twice, really thoroughly. Then I used the Tea Tree shampoo once, then the Tea Tree conditioner once and left that in for 3 minutes. I washed everything out really well and actually noticed a cleaner feeling while my hair was still wet. I just blowdryed my hair and IT WORKED. No more grease spot! I'm not sure what caused it, perhaps overactive oil glands on the scalp for one reason or another, but it doesn't matter because now I have something to fix it. And I didn't even have to use Listerine or any clarifying shampoo. I have a very sensitive scalp, so I won't be using the dish soap every time I shower, but I'm confident that if it comes back, I will be able to kick it again using the same method.

Good luck, guys!

[FeMac]

I want to start off by saying thank you so much for posting all these great things to fix this.  I have been dealing with this same thing for about a month now.  At first I thought maybe I didn't get all the conditioner out of my hair.  Then I starting noticing it getting worse.  It was only around the crown of my head an it was so bad I could not run my fingers through my hair.  It was if all my strands were oiled together.  It was disgusting.  When i would touch it my fingers would feel waxy and almost sticky.  I have naturally thin hair so to make matters worse when it was straight all i could do was put it in a ponytail.  I discovered this post when I googled what may be causing this.  I was very skeptical but went straight to Walgreens after work today.  I bought the Suave clarifying shampoo, the original listerene and also Neutrogena residue shampoo just in case.  Now my hair is completely back to normal and probably more silky and better than ever!!  Amazing!!!  Just a few things that may have caused it since so many have this problem and don't know why...
I also have been using Pantene Pro V for around 10 years
I am 30 years old and work two jobs, one being very stressful
My fiancé just got deployed which added more stress and a complete change of pace.
I have not changed my vitamins, or health habits at all

In my opinion and after reading so many other posts on this, I'm positive it was consistently using Pantene Pro V.  I also just switched from using Pantenes deep conditioner to a normal Pantene conditioner, which seemed to make it worse.  I will never use Pantene again, for fright this may happen again.  I'm so thankful to have found this!!  Thank you so much the Suave and Listerene girls!!!  My hair is awesome!!

[greasebegone]

just an update - my acrylic nails have been off for a month now and all the fungus has cleared up - I started thinking about other things that may have contributed to the oily active sebum glands - stress - but also shock - a severe traumatic event to the system - telogen effluvium - back in April of this year I had minor plastic surgery - I was put under with a localized anesthesia that allows you to still be awake and able to talk during the surgery. After googling I came across Realself.com that have actual doctors answer questions on a multiple of things. Someone posted about thinning and oily hair and it seems there is a link between post-op surgery with general anesthesia and hair loss months afterward while the body is still responding to shock of being immobilized and sedated. The response to the trauma is for the body to create extra plus sebum due to the shock and stress - I believe this is what's happening in my case - the good news is after the stress where's off the hair and scalp will return to normal. This has been compounded even more by home-related stress (going thru CRA audit and a relationship mess) and work stress. I'm wondering how many people in this forum also had a recent surgery or huge amount of stress?

[greasebegone]

here is a excellent link for RealSelf that has some questions and answers related to hair loss after surgery as per my previous post:
http://www.realself.com/hair-loss-treatment/answers

[rapunzel532]

Thank you all for saving my sanity!

I went away to Budapest three weeks ago and the same thing happened. At first I thought I hadn't rinsed my hair properly, and then I thought perhaps it was the water there but it persisted even after I came home to the UK.

My hair around the crown felt coated in a kind of wax, it didn't look especially greasy but the hair itself felt coated and lank. I left it for a few days, tried a different brand of shampoo and not using conditioner but nothing worked.

I read through this thread and decided to try Nizoral, but it barely lifted the wax from my hair. I then decided to try the T/Gel - Brown Listerine combo (I found some Brown Listerine in Boots in Lewisham).

This morning I made a mixture of around 20ml Sweet Almond Oil and 10 drops Tea-Tree Oil (in case it is a fungal thing) and massaged it into my crown and scalp, leaving it so sit for an hour.

I then jumped in the shower and washed the mix out with the T/Gel. My hair already felt better. I poured 3 caps of Brown Listerine onto my hair and massaged it in, leaving it to sit while I did some other shower stuff. I washed it again with T/Gel before applying a Tea-Tree oil conditioner from Holland and Barratt to the ends of my hair.

At the last minute, I rubbed the conditioned hair gently over my roots, before immediately rinsing my hair with almost cold water.

I've just taken the towel off of my head and combed it through and I have my hair back! ALL of the waxy build up is gone and it feels soft to the touch and definitely not coated in strange waxy stuff!

I was so confused, I don't use products on my hair at all, and nor do I blow dry or straighten it. It is dyed black, and was last dyed a week before this started to happen. I didn't know whether it was dietary (I'm mildly wheat intolerant and try to avoid it generally, though I did it some while I was away). I've no idea what could have caused it, but I'm going to persist with the method above for another 6 days, so hopefully if it is fungal, that will see it off.

My hair is almost waist length and I was so proud of it. I now smell slightly medicinal, but it's absolutely worth it if it means I don't have to withstand the trauma of the waxy hair.

Thank you so much to everyone who detailed their methods and helped me to find my own. Fingers crossed it keeps working!

[rapunzel532]

Also, I too had been using Pantene when it happened. Prior to that, I'd been using Alberto Balsam for about a year, but switched to Pantene when it was on offer. Given what I've read here, I have no plans to use it, or anything by Proctor and Gamble on my hair again.

[themortalist]

Hello all!
I'm a 16 year old male. I'll give the pharmacy a visit tomorrow in hope of finding Suave clarifying shampoo. I live in Dubai so I doubt I can find it. I've been having this greasy/smelly scalp problem for 10 months. I used Head & Shoulders Shampoo for Greasy Hair and it worked for 2 weeks but the problem is back. I'll try the Suave and 4 cups Listerine method and I really hope it works. The smell is horrible. I haven't been told by anyone of my problem and I really dislike the smell of my hair. I am also embarrassed to tell my parents about it, don't ask why because I don't know myself.

I thank user DBA7471 for giving us all a hope!

[Miche418]

I just have a question for those who have found success in their treatments.  It seems as though most of you are posting a day or two after you found a successful method.  

Can you PLEASE check back in a couple months later reporting your results?  Have you had to continue the treatment everyday since the first time, or was it a one-time cure?

I would love to know... It seems as though some people only have this as a temporary problem while others have a more chronic condition.  I treated my waxy scalp with a medicated shampoo my dermatologist prescribed me, but after nearly one month the grease has gradually begun to creep back.  It's bothersome having to perform these extensive treatments EVERYDAY.  There has got to be an underlying problem as to why the oil overproduction won't stop.  

Any thoughts?  

Thanks a bunch!

[Jojeja]

Hi Tanz,

Thanks a million for sharing about the coconut oil.

My daughter suddenly developed overly active oil glands and oily hair from root to the ends. I tried the Listerine and that didn't work . Then I tried the coconut oil. I did it over 2 days, and her hair is back to normal!  

I would never have thought of coconut oil and your line of reasoning about the counteracting the oiliness by supplying oil to the scalp to convince it to stop overproducing oil.

Your a genius!

J ( from Singapore)

[mfpickles]

I also have this problem, it just started 3 days ago and I can normally wash my hair once every 3 or 4 days. I don't know where it came from, but I will def try the listerine thing!

[Stephasaurus]

I've had this oily/waxy hair problem for 9 months now, until I tried to DBA7471's Listerine remedy. I am totally shocked. My hair has completely restored to normalcy after only two washings with the Listerine.  It's been 2 days since I've washed my hair, and it's stayed silky, soft, and light since the I last washed it.

If you're desperate, like I was, try it. I'm still in shock.

Instructions:
1. Wash your hair with a clarifying shampoo (I used Tea Tree Oil by Kiehl's). Rinse completely.
2. Pour at least 3 cap fulls (I bought the small bottle) of the brown anti-septic Listerine onto your scalp. Turn the water off and gently massage it around your scalp. (I have freshly colored hair, and the Listerine did not rinse any extra color).
3. Consider doing other routine shower things (e.g. shaving, etc) while you let the Listerine sit on your scalp. You'll feel it tingle, but it shouldn't burn or hurt.
4. Rinse out. Avoid any conditioner or other products so you can see if there's any difference.

I found that while the Listerine was in my hair, I could run a brush through it -- which is something I could never do if I have shampoo in my hair (I have the type of hair you can't run a brush through without added leave-in conditioner). What I'm saying is that it left my hair hair silky and soft immediately after.

Other info: I found that this "seborrheic dermatitis" (which is the only thing I found that might resemble this problem) is culprit to CANDIDA! I totally believe it because my Naturopathic Doctor, who insisted on taking a stool analysis-- sorry to gross anyone out -- and found that I had some candida and yeast growth -- mostly due to the excess in sugar I was consuming.
Anyway, the probiotic called Saccharomyces boulardii is thought to kill candida

Bottom line -- the oily/waxy hair problem is a systemic problem, often beginning with poor digestive health, as many diseases spur from. Consider working with a Naturopathic doctor (an ND, not MD) because their field is more oriented to investigating root causes of problems, rather than eradicating mere symptoms of a persistent underlying problem, as MD's are specialized to do.

[Stephasaurus]

Hey, don't worry about the specific brand of shampoo. What matters is that you buy a clarifying shampoo -- one designed to remove buildup and residue. I used Kiehl's Tea Tree Oil, which is a clarifying shampoo, and that worked prior to washing with the Listerine. And it totally worked for me.

[RiddleyWalker]

Thanks, everyone, for this conversation.  I, too, have been suffering from a greasy crown of hair for over a week now.  I kept trying to ignore it and double-wash my hair (to no avail), until my husband actually said "your hair looks greasy or something"!  It was time to act!  Ran to Target today and got Listerine and a tea tree oil revitalizing shampoo (couldn't find the Suave clarifying).  Shampooed, poured on 3 capfuls of Listerine and rinsed, then conditioned with my regular conditioner.  Hair is still wet now, but I think the wax is probably 95 percent gone.  Plus, my head tingles nicely and my hair smells like mouthwash!

Who knows the cause of this.  I was thinking it could be hormonal (I am a 37 year old female), but after finishing reading these (loads of helpful) comments, I am leaning more toward the possibility of fungal infection.  One thing that has not been mentioned that I am going to do is throw out my pillow and get a new one, just in case.  I occasionally go to bed with a wet head of hair and perhaps that allowed a fungus to grow in my pillow?  Who knows.

Thanks,  everyone, for your helpful comments.

[Shootinstar]

Here I sit at my computer at 4:40 in the morning desperately trying to find a solution to my suddenly oily hair.  I've never had oily hair before, and now can't even get it dry and the oil is already there.  Trust me, I'll be going out EARLY this morning to buy the Suave and Listerine to give it a try.  Thank you so very much for posting your solution and I'll keep you posted as to whether I have success.

[Stephasaurus]

What has worked to so far:

1. NEUTROGENA ANTI-RESIDUE SHAMPOO
2. LISTERINE (BROWN FORMULA)

The Listerine hasn't proved to work consistently (for consecutive days), and I've only tried the Neutrogena 2 days in a row, which, so far, has been helpful.

[Nymiway]

I have to thank everyone for posting here. I thought I was going crazy not being able to clean the "waxy/grease" out of my hair. I tried the Palmolive (Free and Clear formula) this morning that didn't help, but I will be trying the Listerine and Clarifying Shampoo tomorrow.

To the question of Why this is occurring. Although I cannot think of a reason for Fungal or infection in my case. I did notice several posts about vitamins. A few weeks prior to the start of my hair issue (first time this has ever happened) my Dr. had put me on high doses of Vitamin D for a defiency. Don't know if this is what caused it.

[mushy713]

An update about my condition, it has been awhile since my last update.

Overview of my symptoms
1. Thick, long, Asian hair with oily-sticky patches around the crown and very dry ends owing to over-cleaning
2. Used to wash my hair on alternative days
2. Scalp used to be normal and becomes semi-oily on the second day
3. No itchiness, rashes, dandruff or any kind of infection in spite of the oily-sticky patches
4. Oil-sticky patches would suddenly on set and goes away after a month or two
5. Dying hair might temporary ease the problem.

My new remedies & discoveries
1. Replace the ordinary sparkling opaque shampoo with a clear botanical one.
2. Avoid putting shampoo directly onto the scalp, lather it up from the bottom
3. Do not use any harsh cleansing lotion or anti-bacterial mouth wash for the oily patches, it’s just going to off-set the natural balance of your scalp.
4. The oily-stickiness is resulted from the sebum and the styling residues which accumulates on the scalp from time to time. Sebum secretion is regulated by hormones and affected by diets and stress. That’s why many people think these factors are co-related and the oily patches keeps re-occurring.
5. My remedy echoes with Tanz and was originated from a Chinese Beauty forum.
For the ease of cleansing, use any makeup removing oil which suits your facial skin or replace it with other natural oil such as extra virgin olive oil, I haven’t tried coconut oil but I bet it is the same idea.

Thoroughly damp your hair root with adequate amount of cleansing oil and gently rub it through from your scalp towards the ends, DO NOT scratch your scalp, let the cleansing oil does its job. Leave it there for no more than 30mins, rinse it off with water, comb through your hair and shampoo your hair twice as usual.  

You may use conditioner or hair mask afterwards, just to avoid the scalp. Blow dry your hair and you should find your hair root becomes clear and free of oil.

If it doesn’t help to clear up all the oiliness on your scalp, repeat the same steps on the second day and you will see the magic!

Every time when the oily-sticky patches is re-occurring, you may use the same remedy to clear it up.

It doesn’t help to cure the problem completely but at least it helps to keep your hair clean. I hope people find this post useful and let me know if you have any questions~

[Hilaryj77]

I'm so glad I've stumbled upon this site! I've always had beautiful bouncy non-greasy hair up until 4 days ago. I didn't pay much attention to it bc I was wearing it in a pony tail/bun for work. But yesterday I showered with my usual regime and blow dried my hair and the crown was greasy! What the hell??
Anyway, going to try the listerine/ neutrogena clarifying technique. I'll check in later. Oooh pleeeease work! I can't stand having nasty looking hair :(