You spent a good 20 minutes in the morning, blow dryer in one hand, styling gel in the other, trying to whip those stubborn locks into shape. By noon, you knew you had lost the battle. One glance in the mirror and your spirits fell as flat as your hairstyle. That oil factory you call your scalp just doesn’t know when to stop.

What is going on? It could be that you have too much hair. The finer your hair, the more hair you have per square centimetre of scalp. At the base of each hair shaft are sebaceous glands, which produce sebum, the fatty “oil” in oily hair. The more hair, the more oil glands, and the more oil glands, the more oil. Now let’s get down to the root of this problem and sort out your oily hair with these tips.

Shampoo frequently: The most important thing you can do to combat an excessively oily scalp is to shampoo once a day. When summer heat and humidity stimulate your scalp’s oil glands, shampooing twice a day may be advisable. The sebaceous glands are producing oil continuously and what you are essentially trying to do is keep up with the secretion and remove it.

Give yourself a scalp massage: This should be done during the shampoo, never between shampoos.

Bubble double: Excessively oily hair may need to be shampooed twice. Many people don’t leave shampoo on long enough and if you have oily hair, you should double shampoo, leaving the shampoo on the scalp for 5 minutes each time.

Natural is best: Use natural herbal shampoos containing natural ingredients. Avoid using the ones containing sulphates such as sodium laurel sulphate. These shampoos are too strong for your hair and can cause your hair to remain oily.

Toss out the conditioner: If you have oily hair that tends to flatten out as the day goes on, the last thing you want to do is coat it with more oil. Try going without a conditioner.

Just aim for the ends: If you find you do need a conditioner, look for a product that contains the least amount of oil or one that is largely oil-free.  Condition the ends instead of the roots.

Don’t over- brush: People with oily hair have to be extra careful not to be overly vigorous with brushing. Be aware that brushing from the roots carries oil from your scalp to the ends of your hair.

Dry hair in the opposite direction from which it grows. Left on its own, oily hair tends to be limp and lank. To work more fullness into it, be creative with your blow-drying technique. Use a brush to lift the hair up at the roots, or bend forwards at the waist and gently brush your hair up over the top of your head.

Freshen up with lemon. Squeeze the juice of two lemons into a litre of water and rinse your hair out with it. Lemon juice is also a great way to get rid of dandruff along with adding shine to your locks. You can also use lemons as a natural hair lightener.

Try a cider vinegar rinse: Try a teaspoon of vinegar in a half a litre of water and use as a finishing rinse. This solution acts as a tonic for the scalp and removes soap residue that can weigh down oily hair. This will remove product buildup and excess oil from hair and scalp.

It’s time to get your hair looking absolutely gorgeous this summer season ladies! For more tips read our article on Tips for washing and conditioning your hair.