Coconut oil is highly nourishing oil with hundreds of uses, but lately, there has been discussion contending the merits of this oil. Many sources recommend it in ways that may do more harm to your hair. So, let’s see how you can use coconut oil correctly and maintain the beautiful tresses you have.
Why Use Coconut Oil for Hair?
Coconut oil is the richest natural source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which are a special type of fatty acid with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that provides nourishment to the body. Coconut oil is especially high in the C12 chain of MCFAs known as lauric acid. It can penetrate hair deeply, and that’s why it can provide quicker results than most oil. Most studies suggest using coconut oil before or after shampooing.
Can Coconut Oil Harm Hair?
When we apply oil to the hair, some of us over shampoo it and remove the beneficial oils from our hair leading the body to increase natural oil production to compensate. Due to over-shampooing and poor diet, we are not taking the essential nutrients that we should use to build healthy hair.
Coconut oil produces mixed results in the hair. For some people, coconut oil gives healthier and smoother hair, whereas, for others, it might result in hair fall.
This has shown that coconut oil isn’t for everyone. This oil won’t work for every hair type.
As the oil helps the hair retain its natural protein, it is useful for those who do not have enough natural protein in hair follicles. People having fine to medium shiny hair will observe great results from coconut oil and notice stronger, shinier hair with more volume.
But for people having a coarse or dry hair-containing abundance of protein; coconut oil may lead to more brittle hair and hair loss. These people should use other types of oil, like marula oil or argan oil for hair.
Also, people having allergy or reaction to coconuts or coconut oil should strictly avoid these products in hair either, no matter what hair type.
How should you Safely Use coconut oil?
Some of the best practices while using coconut oil for hair are:
- Avoid the scalp: Put coconut oil on the hair and not the scalp, because it may clog the pores and cause irritation for some scalp types.
- Start with small amounts: Use small amounts of coconut oil to see how your hair responds. You can rub a small amount of oil between your oil and run your fingers through your hair gently to tame any frizz.
- Add other ingredients: You can add olive oil, argan oil or marula oil to create a combination for healthy hair. You can also create a hair mask of coconut oil with honey and yoghurt that may offer more benefits than coconut oil alone.