Hello all! I am new to this site, and new to shaving my head with a razor all together. Thank you in advance for your responses, as the many I have read on here for other stuff have been great!!!
I notice many discussions about curbing the oily head. Similarly, I have seen many about avoiding the shiny look. In both cases, it seems as if most people don't mind the shine, but want better grease control. And vice versa - many don't mind the oil but would rather take on a more matte look.
Am I wrong in feeling that both being shiny and having oily skin are one in the same? I mean don't those two go hand in hand?
I am hoping for some help with both! I don't like the shine or the oil. Anyone have any suggestions?
Thanks all!
Shiny and oily, while they can be tied to the same thing, aren't always the same thing. You can have a very shiny dome without it being oily. You might be able to dull the shine by figuring out what is causing an oily scalp. I would try a good head cleanser like Bald Guyz, Matte For Men, or Citizen Smooth. Pick up some headwipes from either HeadBlade, Bald Guyz, or Matte for Men to clean your head if it gets oily during the day.
Tyler says it right, as usual.
The oil is from the sebaceous gland. According to The Columbia Encyclopedia, the sebaceous gland secretes an oily substance called sebum. Sebaceous glands are primarily found in association with hair follicles but also occur in hairless areas of the skin. Sebum is a mixture of fat and the debris of dead fat-producing cells. These cells are constantly replaced by new growth at the base of the glands. Generally the sebum is deposited on the hairs inside the follicles and is brought up to the surface of the skin along the hair shaft. In hairless areas, the sebum surfaces through ducts. Sebum lubricates and protects the hair and skin and prevents drying and irritation of membranes. Excessive secretions of sebum may be related to certain forms of baldness.
So, the oil is produced by the glands, and without hair to conceal or otherwise keep it from being noticed you get an "oily" scalp, whether or not it's naturally shiny.
I found by accident that Gold Bond lotion seems to retard my natural shine--I put it on in the morning before I go to the gym after washing my face and scalp and no shine. Another moisturizer that seems to do the same thing is Curel, a odorless concoction that's used in hospitals to preserve skin texture. Finally, Banana Boat Sunscreen also retards shiny. All of these however, don't stop the glands from pumping oil to the surface. That's where Baldwipes, or other similar products are good.
I don't have a problem w/ shine, I like it, but maybe this iwll be of some help to those of us who don't like to "be a light" to the world.