Why Does My Hair Feel Sticky After Washing?

When you step out of the shower, you want your hair to feel clean, soft, and beautifully conditioned.

The last thing you want is to wash your hair only for it to feel sticky straight away!

If it does happen, it can really throw you for a loop! But you don’t need to panic; you may need to change up your routine.

Why could your hair feel sticky after washing?

There are a few likely reasons for your hair feeling sticky after washing. You might have over-conditioned your hair, used too much conditioner, have a product build-up, used a strong shampoo, or you’re washing your hair too often.

If you are becoming frustrated with sticky hair after washing, read on to find out more about why it might be happening and how you could stop it from happening!

Reasons Your Hair Is Sticky After Washing

To prevent your hair from being sticky after washing, you need to figure out why it is sticky and greasy.

There are a couple of factors that could be causing this stickiness.

A woman checking the sticky hair texture after a wash

Your Hair is Over-Conditioned

A common reason hair might feel sticky after washing is that you have over-conditioned it.

You might think that using more conditioner might help to soften and nourish hair more, but this isn’t always the case.

It is recommended to condition your ends, not necessarily your roots.

Too much conditioner on your roots will definitely cause stickiness.

Applying too much conditioner to your roots will trap oil, and once you have washed and dried your hair, it will make your hair feel sticky.

To prevent this, only apply a small amount of conditioner to the ends of your hair, but skip your roots. Make sure to rinse this off properly.

Your Hair Wasn’t Rinsed Properly

If your hair feels a little off, you may not have rinsed your shampoo or conditioner out long enough.

The excess product will stick to your scalp and hair, making it look and feel greasy.

When washing your hair, it’s worth spending time rinsing thoroughly to make sure you get all the product out.

You Have a Product Build-Up

Outside of shampoo and conditioner, you might be using other products on your hair.

This could be from a variety of products, such as hairspray, serums, dry shampoo, oil treatments, and heat protectants.

The more products that you use, the more build-up you could be facing.

While most of these products help hair, if left in without being washed out, they can build up and contribute to greasiness and stickiness.

When you shampoo your hair, make sure you thoroughly wash it, especially near the scalp, especially if you have been using products like hairspray or dry shampoo.

Which can really stick there if you’re not careful.

Removing any products will prevent buildup.

Your Conditioner is Too Strong

If you only apply conditioner to your ends and rinse your hair thoroughly, yet still find your hair is coming out sticky and greasy, it could be that your conditioner is the problem.

It may be too strong for your hair.

Naturally oily, thin, or fine hair does not need as strong a conditioner as thick or dry hair.

You do not need to use such an intense conditioner on these hair types.

Instead, you should use a lightweight conditioner. You can notice a difference as early as the first wash after you switch!

You’re Washing Too Often

When you have oily hair, you might think the solution is to wash your hair more often.

However, the more you wash your hair, the oilier your hair will be!

Washing your hair too often dries out your hair and scalp, which increases oil production.

Do not wash your hair every day, as this can cause a greasy feeling over time.

Instead, wash your hair with a shampoo and conditioner two to three times a week, or around every other day.

You can also use a hair mask or deep conditioner once a week if you feel like your hair needs a little extra care and nourishment.

I look forward to using this hair mask every week.

My hair is so soft and delicious-smelling afterwards!

Why Does My Hair Feel Sticky After Washing?