Coconut oil is an excellent moisturiser for your hair! It reduces damage to your hair caused by day-to-day wear and tear and can help it grow longer and look healthier.
Including a little pure coconut oil as part of your hair care regime could help you grow your hair longer by:
- Moisturising your hair and reducing breakage
- Protecting your hair from protein loss and damage when wet
- Protecting your hair from environmental damage like wind, sun and pollution and from heated appliances like hairdryers and straighteners.
It can be used both before and after you wash your hair to help prevent damage and keep your hair looking shiny and healthy.
Here are a few ways to use coconut oil to help improve the health of your scalp and hair. Use a tiny amount at first to see how it affects your hair.
- As a conditioner: Shampoo your hair as normal and then comb a small amount of coconut oil through your hair, from the midsection to the ends.
- As a post-wash detangler: After shampooing and conditioning your hair, rub a little coconut oil through your hair to protect it while you brush it.
- As a hair mask: Rub coconut oil through your hair and let it sit for a few hours (or even overnight) before washing it out.
- As a pre-wash hair protector: Rub coconut oil through your hair before you wash it.
- As a scalp treatment: Before bed, massage a small amount of coconut oil into your scalp. Leave it overnight and wash it off with shampoo in the morning.
These techniques can be used regularly or once in a while (depending on your hair type) to give you beautiful, healthy and shiny hair.
Does Coconut Oil Have Any Negative Effects on Hair?
Using too much straight oil could cause a build-up of oil on your hair and scalp, potentially making your hair greasy and dull, especially if you have very fine hair.
To avoid this, make sure you start with only a small amount and begin by rubbing the coconut oil through your hair, from the midsection to the ends. People with very fine hair may want to avoid putting coconut oil on their scalp altogether.
If you have short or very fine hair, you may need as little as one teaspoon. However, people with long, thick hair may want to use as much as two tablespoons.
Straight coconut oil may not suit your hair so always start with small amounts (remember: more isn’t necessarily better). Especially until you know how your hair handles coconut oil, use a small amount and see how hair responds.
Add other ingredients: Adding other oils can change how coconut oil affects hair. As a deep treatment, blending coconut oil with honey and yogurt may offer more benefit than coconut oil alone.
