Do You Have "Combination Hair"? Here's How to Deal

If I had a dollar for every time I explained the concept of "combination hair" (oily roots and dry ends) to someone and they replied "I HAVE THAT," I'd be very rich. It's something so many of us deal with, and yet unlike with our skin types, we never really address the issue. Many of us who've ever been for a facial may have been told we have combination skin — for example, I have an oily T-zone but drier, dehydrated areas elsewhere on my face. But has a hairstylist ever sat you down and told you to deal with your combination hair? No? Didn't think so. Guys, it's officially time we recognized — and dealt with — our combination hair. This is basically the same idea as its skincare sister — part of your hair is oily and the other part dry.

I've always had hair that never really fit into a "category." I'd go into a store to pick up my shampoo and not ever know whether to go for a product designed for normal, oily, or dry hair. Outside of these, there's never really been anything in between. I'm definitely not alone in this struggle, either. Think you've got it? "If your scalp tends to be oily and you style or color treat your hair, chances are you might have combination hair," said Eric Spengler, senior vice president of research and development at Living Proof.

As Eric suggests, the huge amount of product and coloring we expose our hair to these days has a massive impact on its condition, especially our dry ends. Lesley Drummond, senior stylist at John Frieda Salons in London, agreed that "we are creating the problem [of combination hair] by using a lot more color and chemical treatments, coupled with regular heat and overdoing it with products in general." She also highlighted the impact health issues and bad diet can have on the condition of our hair, while Craig Inglis, global brand manager at Nanogen, suggested stress can play a part, especially when it comes to those dreaded oily roots: "It's well-researched that higher stress levels mean higher cortisol hormone levels, which can in turn lead to an increase in sebum production and oilier roots." Paired together, this can result in a combination hair type.

The good news is that the beauty industry is finally waking up to the issue of combination hair by putting to market a bunch of products that address both dry ends and oily roots at the same time. "Consumers now desire a product that targets multiple hair concerns," Craig said. And fortunately, that's exactly what we're getting. For example, several brands are developing cleaning and styling ranges that treat hair like skin, understanding the multitude of issues one area of the body may suffer with and recognizing our hair, like our skin, can fluctuate and differ area to area. This is a clever advancement in hair care, especially since, as Craig noted, "the scalp is made up of much the same biology as the rest of the skin, therefore sharing similar complaints and benefiting greatly from traditional skincare ingredients." Several micellar water shampoos have launched recently, as have BB creams for hair, overnight formulas and products with traditional skincare ingredients like clay, all-natural essential oils, and antioxidants. This "skin care for hair" craze means we can finally give our combination hair as much attention as our combination skin.