Postpartum hair always greasy? What is known, and a quick routine

Greasy hair after having a baby is common, and the honest answer to why is only partly known. Research describes the skin's oil glands becoming more active during pregnancy, and hormones are a major driver of how much oil they make. Less has been published about the months after birth. What is clear is that routine changes do a lot of the damage, and those are the part you can fix.

New parents tend to notice their hair at the worst possible moment: when there is no time to do anything about it. Hair that once lasted three days between washes goes flat by the end of one, and every quick fix seems to make the next day worse. This piece separates what the evidence actually says from what it does not, and then sets out a routine built for very little time.

The short version

• Oil glands on the scalp are dense and hormone-sensitive, and their activity rises during pregnancy.
• The postpartum months are less studied. Treat any confident single explanation with caution, including this one.
• Routine changes matter: fewer washes, more dry shampoo, hair tied up and touched more.
• A short, repeatable routine works better than an occasional long one. The one below takes minutes.
• Ask your doctor or midwife about any product you are unsure of while pregnant or breastfeeding.

What is known

The scalp is one of the oiliest areas of skin on the body. Its sebaceous glands, which make the skin's oil, reach 400 to 900 per square centimetre on the scalp and forehead, far more than on the limbs.¹ How much oil they make is strongly shaped by hormones; a review of the gland's endocrinology describes androgens increasing the growth of the gland's cells.²

Pregnancy changes that balance. A review of skin changes in pregnancy lists increased sebaceous gland function among the normal glandular changes,³ and a second review agrees that sebaceous activity rises during pregnancy.⁴

After birth, hormone levels shift again, and quickly. The American Academy of Dermatology describes falling estrogen levels after delivery as the cause of the shedding many new mothers notice, which it calls normal and temporary: it usually peaks around four months after birth, and most women are back to their usual hair by the time their child turns one.⁵

What is not known

We looked for good evidence that scalp oil production specifically rises in the months after birth and did not find any we would cite. Plenty of articles state it confidently. The published research we could verify covers pregnancy, not the period after it.

So if a product or an article tells you exactly why postpartum hair is greasy, be sceptical. The likelier truth is a mix: a body readjusting from pregnancy, plus a routine that has been turned upside down. The second part is the one with a fix.

The hormones are not something a shampoo can change. The routine is, and in the months after birth, the routine is usually what has changed most.

The routine part

A few things tend to happen to hair care when there is a newborn in the house, and each one makes hair look oilier:

• Fewer washes. Oil that used to be washed away every couple of days builds up for longer.
• More dry shampoo. It helps, but the AAD is clear about what it does: it does not clean hair, it just absorbs the oil.⁶ The oil and the powder both stay on the scalp until the next wash.
• Hair tied up all day. A bun keeps hair out of the way, but it presses the roots flat against an oily scalp.
• More touching. Pushing hair back with hands that have been everywhere adds to it.

A routine that takes minutes

1. Wash more often, not longer. The AAD's advice is to wash based on how often hair gets oily, and for straight hair with an oily scalp that may mean every day.⁷ A quick wash is better than a thorough one you never get to. If a full shower is not happening, washing only the front and crown over the basin takes a few minutes and covers most of what shows.

2. Shampoo the scalp, not the lengths. Massage shampoo into the scalp and let the rinse carry it through the rest. The AAD lists this as one of its basic tips.⁷ It is faster, and it leaves the ends less dry.

3. Condition the ends only. Conditioner near the roots adds weight exactly where you do not want it. The AAD suggests finer hair takes conditioner on the ends only.⁷

4. Use dry shampoo as a bridge, not a habit. One day between washes is fine. Several days of layering builds a paste.

5. Tie it loosely. A loose bun or a soft clip keeps hair back without crushing the roots. The AAD recommends wearing hair loosely pulled back, because tight styles pull on hair.⁸

6. If you use a scalp serum, choose one with no oils. An oil-based product adds to the problem. A water-based serum dries down and leaves nothing on the roots. Put it on a clean scalp, use a few drops, and let it dry before tying hair up.

While pregnant or breastfeeding

Questions about whether a particular product is suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding are best taken to someone who knows your situation. MotherToBaby, a nonprofit service run by specialists in exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding, recommends talking with your healthcare provider about any cosmetic products you are using or considering.⁹ That applies to ours as much as anyone's.

A word on shedding

Greasiness and shedding often arrive together after a birth, and they are easy to confuse. Hair coming out in the shower or the brush a few months after delivery is, according to the AAD, normal and temporary.⁵ If it continues well past a year, or if anything about it worries you, a dermatologist is the right person to see. No cosmetic, including any serum, changes it.

Ours

Our rosemary serum suits the morning: a few drops on a clean scalp, a minute of massage, and nothing to rinse or restyle. It is water-based and contains no oils, so it does not add to greasy roots.

Botanical serum

Max Density

Rosemary leads the blend: only water and glycerin come before it. Water-based, no oils, no added fragrance. Left on for at least one to two hours before washing, which makes it the morning serum. 2 fl oz.

See Max Density

Peptide serum

Max Growth

Five peptides, each one printed on the bottle, in a water-based serum with no oils and no added fragrance. Nothing to rinse out, which makes it the evening serum. 1 fl oz.

See Max Growth

If a serum has already made things worse, why a scalp serum can make hair greasy explains the usual reasons. For a longer routine when there is time for one, a simple daily hair routine goes through every step.

Eloura products are cosmetics. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any condition. This article is general information about hair care and is not medical advice.