Some people like to have a little bit of shine to their bald head, but if it’s excessive, it can often look silly and unattractive. This article will explain why your head might be too shiny as well as provide some solutions that reduce the problem or even eliminate it entirely. With a bit of effort, you can achieve the matte look that you’ve always wanted.
How Do I Make My Bald Head Not Shiny?
Reducing the shine doesn’t take a ton of work - in fact, you only need to focus on a few things:
- Using the right cleanser when you shower
- Having a light-weight moisturizer that isn’t too greasy
- Mattifying Your Head (which can be done with specific moisturizers)
By reading this guide, you will learn why these aspects are so crucial in trying to stop scalp shine and also find the best products that tackle them head-on! (pun intended)
But first, you should understand why your head is too glossy by reading the next section.
What Is The Primary Cause Of Head Shine?
Compared to the rest of the skin on your body, your scalp is slightly different in some regards.
For one, the skin in this location is filled with many dense hair-follicles; however, if you aren’t bald by-choice, these follicles have more than likely closed up shop and skipped town.
Despite this, your scalp’s skin is also very thick and porous. Even though there is a lack of hair follicles, it will still produce oil from your sebaceous glands. Your sebaceous glands can be found everywhere except on your palms and soles, and they are microscopic. Nonetheless, they have significant functions.
The proper term for the oil that your sebaceous glands create is known as sebum. Sebum is designed to lubricate and moisturize the skin and is formed by lipids such as:
- Squalene
- Wax esters
- Cholesterol
- Triglycerides
Because of its composition, human sebum is different than in other species, and it protects our skin very well, but too much of can be quite problematic. [1] For instance, excess sebum is correlated with acne.
Acne is not the only sebum-related issue either. While oil is an excellent natural defense against dry skin, having too much of it can also cause dandruff.
Without hair, you are missing something that would ordinarily soak up most of the oil coming from your sebaceous glands. It’s an unfortunate reality for those who lost their hair due to natural causes, but luckily, it can easily be managed.
In order to dull the shine on your bald head, you will have to address the source of it - the oil. You can’t stop sebum production outright (nor would it be a good idea) but you can reduce it through hygienic practices and excellent products that are specifically aimed at this issue.
Showering Habits: Using A Proper Cleanser or Shampoo
A lot of people who are brand new to being bald often make one common mistake: not using shampoo when they shower.
Just because you don’t have a full head of hair anymore, doesn’t mean you can try to save money on not buying shampoo anymore. On the bright side, you’ll still save a fortune by not having to pay for haircuts - razors and cream last a while and are reasonably inexpensive, and a good pair of clippers can last you forever, depending on how you maintain your head.
Nonetheless, you will want to use a shampoo or cleanser because it is a surefire way to reduce the oil on your scalp. Warm to hot water is effective, but it usually isn’t enough to give your skin and adequate cleaning, and that’s what a bald head cleanser does best.
This section will offer you some great choices that give your head the care that it needs without irritating it.
C3 Head Wash
This head wash by C3 is excellent for several different reasons, and despite being minimalist in nature, it offers many benefits.
For starters, it is optimal for bald heads because it is non-comedogenic, meaning it will not clog your pores. It is also free from the harmful additives found in ordinary shampoos, such as parabens, cleaning agents like SLS (Sodium Lauryl and Laureth Sulfates) and fragrances, which are all notorious for contributing to allergies and irritation in some individuals.
In fact, this product isn’t shampoo at all; it’s a foam that technically doesn’t foam up (it doesn’t use foaming agents), and it gently cleans and hydrates your skin. Some cleansers dry out the skin too much because of the unnecessary chemicals included in their ingredients.
Having some oil is necessary to protect the skin, but if you’ve been dealing with a shiny scalp, C3’s head wash aims to provide balance to your skin. It's supposed to do its job and remove excess oil and impurities while also keeping the scalp moist.
Therefore, if you are trying to stop scalp shine without compromising your skin health, this cleanser is top-notch for doing that. With its small list of safe ingredients, It’s also mindful of the environment and animals, which is definitely a plus.
Bee Bald Clean
Bee Bald makes an incredible line of different products catered to hairless folks, and they make entire kits which are very popular. Don’t worry though, you can still buy their stuff individually, and one of them is their cleanser which is known simply as “Clean.”
This one is a more affordable option if you felt that the C3 cleanser was a bit too pricey, but there are some drawbacks to it as well.
For instance, this one does contain some standard ingredients that can potentially cause dryness and irritation, if you have a history of being allergic to things like SLS and fragrances. However, the fragrance is towards the end of the ingredients, and it only serves to provide a light, fresh scent.
Despite this, Clean is still considered a gentle product that lightly exfoliates, which is great if you have been dealing with dandruff caused by excess oil. It’s also designed to suitable for use on your face as well. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone with this one!
If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to deal with your scalp oil and shiny bald head, Bee Bald’s Clean will get the job done. Just be aware of some of the ingredients - for most people, they are completely harmless, while others might have a reaction.
Staying Hydrated Without the Shine: Moisturizers & Related Products
Moisturizing is an essential part of skin maintenance regardless if you are bald or not. Since more of your head is being exposed, you’ll need to be attentive than you have ever been.
If you are already familiar with moisturizing with lotions and you’re trying to reduce the shine on your head, you should take a look at what kind you are using. It actually matters!
Some moisturizers are oily and greasy because it is an effective way to retain water in the skin, and there are plenty of products on the market that are made to deliberately give you the shiniest head possible if you like the look.
Reducing the shine on your bald head is totally possible without having to sacrifice the moisture of your skin - all you need to use is a light-weight matte head lotion, and as the last section, this one will also recommend a couple of things that do an excellent job.
Primal Earth Matte Gel Moisturizer
Although not explicitly aimed at bald people, this moisturizer might as well be because it is perfect for those who want to learn how to stop bald head shine.
This product isn’t a lotion; rather, it is a gel. Gels tend to be way less greasy than lotions, and they absorb quicker, which means it will still provide plenty of hydration to your skin without sticking to it. This is what contributes to a pesky shine.
Like, the C3 Head Wash, this one is a very gentle moisturizer that doesn’t contain ingredients that might cause irritation. The components are claimed to be natural, and the product was never tested on animals.
It also soothes the skin after shaving which is perfect if you don’t like the feeling of traditional aftershaves on your scalp and face. It makes an excellent substitute for those.
Importantly, the Primal Earth matte gel is designed specifically for those with oily and combination skin. Since the culprit of a shiny head is excess sebum, this will never contribute to your issue.
Peter Roth Thomas Max Anti-Shine Mattifying Gel
Similar to the previous moisturizer, this one is also a gel, which means that you can expect fast absorption and no greasy residue. It’s also not specifically designed for bald guys, but it does state that it’s suitable for a man’s scalp and face.
However, it’s crucial to note that this is not a moisturizer like the one mentioned before; instead, this one in particular is supposed to be used in conjunction with a moisturizer and/or sunscreen.
This gel’s sole purpose is mattifying the skin, and this one does a great job of doing just that. It does provide a layer over your skin, but will not be powdery, and should be virtually unnoticeable.
Additionally, as you’d expect from an anti-shine product, this one is oil-free and contains no fragrances.
The Peter Roth Thomas Max Anti-Shine is a pure bald head shine remover and should be a welcome addition to your skincare routine. It can be applied multiple times per day if you need touch ups, but like anything, it’s best not to go too overboard.
Conclusion
Learning how to make your bald head less shiny is really just as simple as addressing the oil that it produces. It’s relatively straightforward, but it will take some help from a combination of products.
Cleaning your head is essential because it removes the oil from your skin, but you will need to make sure not to dry your skin out too much, which is another problem altogether. This can be prevented by using an effective moisturizer.
Some moisturizers can be too greasy, so you’ll need to pick one that will hydrate without exacerbating the core issue here.
You will also need to find a way to mattify your skin. Certain moisturizers like the Primal Earth perform double-duty and will hydrate and reduces shine at the same time. However, if you already have a good gentle lotion already that you enjoy, and you feel that it’s not the source of your shiny head, you might want to invest in something that exclusively mattes, like the Peter Roth Thomas gel.
Nonetheless, the difference between a shiny vs. matte bald head can be determined by how you choose to take care of your skin. Hopefully, this guide has helped you find the right stuff, but importantly, taught you why your head is shiny in the first place.
