Q) I have combination hair and it's a nightmare. My hair is a combination of extremely greasy at the roots and very dry and brittle at the ends.
Is there any way to satisfy both?
Professional Hair Care Tips - Combination hair is a hard one. Sounds a bit like you might have some problems with hormones or overly active sebaceous glands. The trick is though, to get rid of the oil at the scalp but not at the ends. Get the brittle ends trimmed off first. You can easily trim your own hair by watching this video. Since you have an oily scalp, you'll need to wash your hair everyday.
To avoid overly drying the ends, only apply shampoo to your scalp when you wash it. (Shampoo to your ends every third time.) After washing it, apply conditioner to your ends only. Keep them on for at least 3 minutes while you're in the shower. Do not put conditioners near your scalp. They will only add oils to an already oily scalp.
Then start hydrating your hair from the inside out. Drink as much water as you can to help add moisture. Use leave in conditioners on your ends to help with the dryness. Infusium Leave In Conditioner is an old standard and a good place to start. Only apply conditioner to your ends, since they are the most dry. You can also use olive oil or mayonnaise as a home made moisturizer. To use, simply apply a sufficient amount to the ends to cover them completely. Wrap your hair in a towel or use a cap, and cover for 20 minutes or even overnight. Rinse, shampoo and condition as usual.
To eliminate more breakage, don't use a brush on wet hair. Use a wide toothed comb only.
Taking Biotin (which is part of the B Vitamins), will help your hair grow. Vitamin B is essential for strong, silky hair. You can get extra Biotin by taking Super Biotin regularly. It also helps promote the growth and health of your skin and nails, so you know it's good for you. Its a water soluble vitamin so you can't overdose on it. You might also think about using products like Avalon Organic Biotin Thickening Shampoo and Avalon Organic Biotin Thickening Conditioner which are advertised to help repair and promote hair growth.
Let your hair rest too. Don't over use irons or apply heat to your hair if possible. Heat is very drying. You can safely use Hot Rollers or Steam Rollers if you like to curl your hair regularly. These use a different kind of heat than hot irons.
In the winter, you may want to get a cool air humidifier for your home. These are inexpensive to buy and help add moisture to the air and will help with dry hair or skin.
If you are in a hurry and your scalp is oily, use dry shampoos between shampooing. These help an oily scalp when you don't have time to wash. All of these things should help your combination hair! You can get more tips for oily hair from the following pages too.