The multi-faceted nourishing coconut oil has been a favorite in Indian households for thousands of generations. You will always find a bottle of coconut oil tucked away in your Grandma’s self-care shelf. But have you ever wondered “is this miracle product good or bad for your hair?” Well, you are not the only one then.
Coconut oil is a power-house of nutrients and contains powerful fatty acids that make it a good moisturizing agent and can help treat dry and damaged hair. It is highly nourishing if used properly and facilitates hair growth. Adding this ingredient to your everyday hair care routine can help you naturally gain silky smooth hair as it is rich in moisturizing properties. Another beneficiary of using coconut oil is that it acts as a great sunscreen for the hair.
Before you jump start using coconut hair oil for treating your mane, you should know how to use it correctly; otherwise, it can do more harm than good!
Why Use Coconut Oil for Hair?
The idea of applying coconut oil directly to your hair seems unnecessary, especially if you are already having an oily scalp. Although, the benefits of this oil are unimaginable, and given the nourishing properties that come with this oil are holistic for hair treatment in every possible way. It adds moisture and life to your dull hair, but it is not meant for everyday use.
Now the question is, why using coconut oil is good for hair?
As a natural supplement rich in medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), coconut oil contains special types of fatty acids that have antibacterial properties. This makes it a great antimicrobial product that adds nourishment to the body and hair. It constitutes a high number of C12 chains in MCFAs which is chemically known as Lauric acid.
Due to its lightweight, coconut oil can deeply penetrate the roots of your hair, unlike other oils. Your hair can easily absorb this oil and in no time shows amazing visible results. This is the reason why people love using coconut oil in their hair care regime.
For both damaged and undamaged hair, coconut oil acts as a nutrient supplement as it is rich in proteins. It helps fight hair fall and promotes hair growth. Studies have shown that using this before or after shampooing makes the hair soft, supple, and silky.
Is Coconut Oil Harmful for Some Hair Types?
As we all know that some beneficial hair oils act miraculously in promoting healthier hair. But sometimes, due to excessive shampooing or washing hair daily, we strip out the nutrients from our hair making it look rough and overexposed. This also leads to hair dryness and dandruff problems. To compensate for this, your scalp increases the production of natural oils (sebum) making your hair look greasy. This is the reason why the no-poo method is not good for your hair.
Many of us think that shampooing hair regularly will keep all hair-related issues at bay, but in reality, this is not the case. Your hair will start losing vital nutrients and also, due to an unhealthy diet your hair condition will continue to deteriorate. But does use beneficial oils make anything better?
Not necessarily!
Speaking of beneficial oils, they are rich in nutrients and proteins and can be good for your hair most of the time, but that is not true for coconut oil. For instance, using castor oil is an age-old beauty trick and works wonders for improving your hair condition. Women across the globe have said that it has proved amazing results in very little time.
Whereas, coconut oil has seemed to get mixed results. Some people have reported an instant glow and shine to their hair, while others claim that they lost a couple of strands after using it. Therefore, you must keep in mind that coconut oil is not suitable for every hair type.
The question that might instantly pop up in your mind is that, “how to know if coconut oil will suit my hair type or not?” Well, firstly, you must determine if your hair has lost its luster and shine, or it has become coarse and dry. As coconut oil is rich in natural proteins, it adds a layer of those missing proteins to your hair follicles and helps the hair to retain its moisture level. You can use the KMP Coconut Oil which is power-packed with lots of goodness and rich nutrients, vitamins, and proteins.
People with fine to medium shiny hair will see amazing results in a very short period if they apply coconut oil and massage it into their scalp. This will make their hair stronger, shinier and will add more volume to it. On the other hand, people with already dry, damaged, and coarse hair texture will not be benefitted if they directly apple coconut oil. It will make their hair even more brittle that will lead to hair loss. For such kinds of hair argan oil is more suitable. Also, most importantly, you must be aware that you do not have allergies or reactions to coconuts or coconut oil, then you should avoid using it as hair oil, no matter the type of your hair.
How to Safely Use Coconut Hair Oil
After you have determined that using coconut oil can benefit your hair, you should follow some safety methods and practices while applying this nutrient-rich oil to your hair:
Avoid applying in the scalp: Although applying coconut oil seems beneficial to those who suffer from excessive dandruff problems and any scalp infections, many people have given negative feedbacks on directly using coconut oil on the scalp. Using it on the scalp leads to clogged pores and can cause irritation. So, it is best if used directly on the hair for nourishment and not on the scalp.
Use in small amounts: There is a saying that “too much of anything is bad,” and this is absolutely true in the case of coconut oil. For effective results, you should always start by using it in small amounts and check how your hair is responding to it. Even better, if you pour a few drops in your hand and then rub it in between your palms to warm up the oil, and then gently apply to your hair strands. This will help you make your hair smoother and frizz-free.
Combine with other ingredients: Blending coconut oil with other oils can make it more effective and enhance your hair treatment regimes. Like for example, if you mix argan oil or olive oil with coconut oil, then it will act as a great nourishing pack for dry and brittle hair. You can also add honey or yogurt with coconut oil and make it into a pack for deeply conditioning your hair to make it healthier, softer, and shinier.
