Water Repelling Hair Roots

Girl with wet hair — Photo: Shutterstock

Q: It is incredibly hard to get my scalp wet. The ends of my hair seem to get wet and stay wet just fine, but the roots just don't seem to really get wet or stay wet unless I dunk my head in a tub of water and really work the water in while it’s in the water.

Even then I still have to rush to get the shampoo on to be able to get it to suds up. My roots just seem to completely repel water like duck feathers. What is causing this? And how can I fix it? Please, I am exhausted with battling with my hair every time I have to wash it.

A: You probably have quite thick and long hair, which are the main contributing factors to this kind of problem. What happens is that the hair follicles hair oil or sebum. This thin layer of oil is then distributed along the length of the hair shaft. This process is intensified when you comb your hair a lot with a brush or with your fingers, or if you massage your scalp regularly.

The follicles are stimulated by the brushing, combing, massaging or any other stimulating movements along the scalp, which in turn triggers the follicles to produce even more sebum. When hair is long and especially thick, it is increasingly difficult for the hair to distribute the sebum/oil along the length of the hair shaft.

Thus, the roots get oily, but the ends are still dry. The situation succumbs to the snowball effect relatively quickly. Your roots are oily, thus you wash more often, which stimulates the follicles to increase its sebum production, which causes a build up of oil in the root-area.

As you’ll know, oil of any kind is very water resistant. Duck feathers, for example, are coated in a relatively thick, very water resistant oil to keep the feathers from getting wet, which would increase the mass of the duck and make it hard for it to keep afloat. Thus, it is quite interesting that you compared your situation to the feathers of a duck, which inadvertently holds the answer to your actual question.

Hair root and sebum or oil production — Image: Depositphotos

You need to use a stronger shampoo on the roots of your hair to break down the oil build up that has accumulated there with time. This type of shampoo is called clarifying shampoo, and it is designed to break down any and all natural and product induced build up around the hair shaft, without (in theory), causing damage to the actual structure of the hair. This said, this is a very intense shampoo, and in your case should really only be applied to the root area of your hair.

Clarifying shampoo can be found in some supermarkets, but it’s best to buy some at your salon. Apply only a coin size amount to your head, and basically start to gently massage the foam along your scalp, concentrating on the root area of the hair. Do this twice, and then apply conditioner. Don’t worry about the ends of your hair; the foam that washed over it is enough to clean it, as it does not have oil build up. Do this two to three times a week until you see improvement. Lessen the times you wash your hair gradually until you only wash your hair two to three times a week.

This seems counterproductive to combat oily hair, but it’s not. The more you wash, the more you stimulate the oil production of your hair follicles. Always remember to wash twice with shampoo when you wash your hair. The first time removes build up; the second time cleans your hair shaft. Switch back to ordinary shampoo when your hair is normal again.

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See also:

Shampoo Q&A

How To Wash Your Hair