Can Sebum Build-up Cause Hair Loss? A healthy scalp is an essential factor for healthy hair. Though excess production of sebum and its build-up on the scalp, is not directly linked to hair loss; but its association with dandruff can lead to hair fall.
The overproduction of sebum can cause scalp buildup. If left untreated, it can lead to symptoms and complications, including hair loss.
When too much sebum builds up on the scalp, it eventually hardens and hinders the growth of healthy hair. Under production of sebum can also effect the growth of hair. Not enough sebum creates undernourished hair. The hair becomes dry and brittle, resulting in hair loss and breakage.
Everyone's hair is different.
Others have less sebum production and need hydrating and moisturizing products to keep the scalp from becoming dry. Having excess sebum production alone, and having an oily scalp, are not what causes you to lose your hair; it's the effect that sebum has on the hair growth cycle.
Too much sebum also causes dandruff and acne. Our hair follicles are surrounded by sebaceous glands. Overproduction of sebum leads to blockage, inflammation, and hardening in the pores. That, in turn, leads to the thinning of the hair with accompanying hair loss.
Sebum is the oil produced by the sebaceous or oil glands on your scalp. This naturally occurring oil helps hydrate your hair just like other naturally occurring oils do for your skin. This is why scalp sebum is essential for healthy hair growth. This is why it needs to be protected.
The first step in cleaning sebum plugs from the scalp is to wash your scalp with warm water. Next, use a mild shampoo while gently massaging your scalp with your fingertips. This helps loosen all the hardened and dried sebum on the scalp. Excess build-up of sebum occurs on the scalp rather than hair strands.
Too much sebum can block pores in the skin and lead to acne (which is why acne is more common in men) and with sebum comes an increased level of DHT which is essentially the most common cause of hair loss.
Sebum production is under the control of sex hormones (androgens). The most active androgens are testosterone, 5-testosterone (DHT) and 5-androstene-317diol. These hormones and others are made by the sex glands (ovary in females, testis in males) and by the adrenal gland.
DHT resides in our blood and reaches hair follicles internally, at the cellular level. But it's also present exteriorly, on the surface of our scalp. It gets on the surface through excretion, via sweat and sebum. DHT does just as much damage to our hair follicles internally as it does externally.
Sebum is a necessary component of healthy skin. It moisturizes and protects the surface of almost your entire body. But it's possible to have too much of a good thing, or too little. Everyone's body is different, so there's no exact amount to have.
What causes shine on a bald head? Your body naturally produces sebum, or oil, on your skin and scalp through the sebaceous glands. Sebaceous glands often develop alongside hair follicles. However, in those with hair loss, just because hair follicles have died off doesn't mean sebaceous glands are gone too.
Oily hair gets a bad rap, but the sebum your scalp produces is vital to healthy, shiny hair. Despite what shampoo commercials lead you to believe, washing your hair can be a key contributor to a bad hair day. Hair that is completely free of this natural oil can feel coarse and be dull and difficult to style.
It can be the result of heredity, hormonal changes, medical conditions or a normal part of aging. Anyone can lose hair on their head, but it's more common in men. Baldness typically refers to excessive hair loss from your scalp. Hereditary hair loss with age is the most common cause of baldness.
Greasy Hair Can Become More Pronounced With Age
As you age, you may have noticed your hair getting greasier. Your sebaceous glands secrete an oily lubricant called sebum, which gives your hair its natural shine.
Lowering systemic DHT is therefore almost certain to dramatically reduce its levels in the scalp. The most straightforward way of achieving this is through an oral 5-alpha-reductase (5αr) inhibitor. As the name suggests, these medications inhibit the 5αr enzyme which converts testosterone to DHT.
Biotin doesn't block DHT, but it can still lend a hand in promoting hair growth. This shampoo offers several scalp-friendly ingredients, like jojoba oil, coconut oil, and vitamin B5.
If a sebum plug completely blocks a hair follicle, it's known as a whitehead. The plug remains under the skin, but produces a white bump.
A shampoo is technically designed to clean the scalp of sebum and prevent the development of folliculitis and seborrheic dermatitis. Shampoos are intended to rid the hair of sebum, sweat components, desquamated stratum corneum, styling products, and environmental dirt.
WHAT CAUSES AN EXCESS OF SEBUM? If your skin is very oily, your body may be producing too much sebum, leading to skin conditions like acne and breakouts. The main cause of an overproduction of sebum is hormonal imbalances, including as a result of puberty and pregnancy.
Although oily skin can clog pores and lead to increased acne breakouts, oily skin also has many benefits. Oil helps preserve the skin, and people with oily skin tend to have thicker skin and fewer wrinkles. The key is to strike a balance between having too much oil and maintaining your skin's natural moisture.
Sebum. The scalp produces a natural, waxy oil called sebum from glands beneath the skin. Some people produce more of this oil than others. Sebum plays an important role in protecting your skin from infection and helping keep it moist. However, when the body produces too much sebum, it can build up on your scalp.
High levels of androgens, including DHT, can shrink your hair follicles as well as shorten this cycle, causing hair to grow out looking thinner and more brittle, as well as fall out faster. DHT can also make it take longer for your follicles to grow new hairs once old hairs fall out.