Did your hair also feel greasier too? These are both likely caused by the sex hormone testosterone, which is a major player in both female and male reproductive development. Testosterone is thought to increase the production of sebum which is the substance that can make both skin and hair feel oily.
One hormone, androgen, surges, increasing the production of sebum in the scalp. Sebum is vital to our hair, protecting it from environmental damage and keeping it supple, but too much can lead to a greasy look.
Hormonal imbalances during puberty can cause the sebaceous glands to work overtime, too. The sebaceous glands create sebum which is our natural scalp oil. Too much sebum means greasy looking hair. An increase in cortisol (the stress hormone) in puberty can lead to an excessively oily scalp and hair, too.
There's a real connection between heightened progesterone levels and excess sebum production. If you notice your face getting oily in the lead up to getting your period (or if you get cystic acne breakouts around your chin and jawline), it's likely affecting the level of oil production on your scalp too.
Men have an increase in testosterone, and women produce more estrogen. The increase in hormones can stimulate the production of oil from the sebaceous glands, which may result in oily hair. The increase in hormone levels also increases body hair.
Not Getting Enough B Vitamins
1 "A sufficient intake of the B vitamins, particularly of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), can help combat greasy hair by regulating sebum production," the site explained.
Sebum production is controlled by our hormones, so a sudden surge in scalp oil production could be down to hormonal changes. If you've recently gone through a major life event that's known to have an impact on your hormone levels, this may be having a knock-on effect on the amount of sebum your scalp is producing.
Overly greasy hair may be due to seborrhea, which is a relatively common skin condition. Seborrhea occurs when the sebaceous glands create excess oil, or sebum, making the skin and scalp oily. Most people with seborrhea do not have any underlying health problems.
If you wash your hair too often, you can trigger an overproduction of those natural oils, creating excess sebum production, and bang—you've got greasy hair the next day, or even just hours after rinsing.
Those with fine or thin hair, however, may find their hair looks greasy after just one day. It's all to do with the amount of oil your scalp produces, as well as how well your hair can carry that oil.
Summary. High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females. In males, they can cause breast tissue growth, erectile dysfunction, and infertility.
A blood test is one of the most common ways to test hormone levels. This test can detect testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, and thyroid levels. You should order a test that's specific to your gender, as a women's hormone test will look for different levels of sex hormones than a men's test.
Why your hair gets greasy overnight. Hair gets greasy overnight as at night time your body produces more sebum. A normal substance, sebum coats and protects your hair shaft providing that glossy shine. Dirty pillowcases, washing too little or too often, and agitation as you sleep can all contribute to over production.
Modern lifestyles have led to an increase in anxiety and stress levels, making them one of the most common causes of oily hair. “Stress causes your cortisol levels to rise. Cortisol stresses out the oil glands to produce more sebum, naturally leading to oily hair,” explains Sethi.
Our bodies go through many changes as we get older, and – unfortunately – hair getting greasier can be one of them. The culprit? Hormones, of course, and particularly androgen. The menopause is commonly associated with making hair dryer, but it can do the opposite and encourage scalps to produce more oil.
Oily hair isn't healthy or unhealthy by default. People with an oily scalp can have healthy hair or dry, brittle hair. Your hair needs oil to be healthy, but too much oil can lead to buildup on the hair and scalp. Oily skin may also contribute to a condition called seborrheic dermatitis.
Lack of vitamin B
If you have a vitamin deficiency, your skin and scalp can take a toll. In particular, the intake of B vitamins is directly linked with your level of sebum production.
How to tell if you have low progesterone. The most noticeable manifestation of low progesterone levels is irregular periods and short cycles, but sometimes symptoms like premenstrual spotting may appear. Other symptoms may include mood changes, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression.
What happens if I have too much progesterone? There are no known serious medical consequences due to the body making too much progesterone. Levels of progesterone do increase naturally in pregnancy as mentioned above. High levels of progesterone are associated with the condition congenital adrenal hyperplasia.
While progesterone doesn't directly cause weight gain, it does increase your hunger levels which may make you feel like you're eating more and therefore gaining weight. But progesterone is just a small player in hormone balance and weight management. There are other hormone imbalances that may cause weight gain.
Testosterone and fellow androgen progesterone levels increase in the week preceding your period. These hormones are to blame for your pre-period greasy hair and breakouts. To combat these issues, wash your hair more frequently or use oily hair formula products the week before your period.
Estrogen Excess
Just like excess testosterone and excess DHT can cause hair troubles, so can too much estrogen. For some women, excess estrogen may trigger hair loss because of a gene variant that affects the functioning of an enzyme (aromatase) that processes estrogen.