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Along with ‘no elbows on the table’ and ‘parents are always right’, not putting conditioner on your roots for fear of greasy hair is a tip once learned and never forgotten.

Yet it turns out this piece of wisdom kind of misses the mark, as conditioner is likely not the sole cause of your oily roots. Mind. Blown.

Here are seven other culprits to blame.

1. Not stimulating your scalp.

Ever wondered why you get such a good head massage during your shampoo at the salon? No, it’s not just to encourage you to tip (although it definitely works for us), but rather to stimulate the oil glands in your scalp to prevent greasy hair.

You can do the same at home with your hairbrush.

“The best way to avoid that greasy feeling is for you to vigorously brush your scalp for about 50 to 100 strokes at night before you go to bed to stimulate the oil glands in your scalp, which will then bring all the excess oil out,” says Mary Dixon from Brisbane’s PlumBody Beauty.

WATCH: Mia Freedman knows a good haircut… check out her latest ‘Sliding Doors’ inspired chop. Post continues after video.)

2. Over-washing.

It’s a vicious cycle. Too frequent washing actually strips the hair of natural oils which then stimulates the sebum glands to produce even more oil in the hair.

Limiting your hair washes to at least every other day will help prevent this, and ensuring you’re washing your hair properly can reduce the greasiness even further.

“Try shampooing your

twice. The first shampoo tends to not use up as much product but will remove dirt and product, while the second shampoo will cleanse,” says Jules Tognini, director at

and three-time Men’s Hairdresser of the Year.

For a hairdresser worthy cleanse, Tognini has an insider’s trick. “Try putting a teaspoon of raw sugar in your shampoo. The texture of the sugar with help exfoliate your scalp and lift dead skin plus it will dissolve once done.”

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