How To Use Coconut Oil For Faster Growing Healthier Hair

You may have noticed that suddenly there’s oil in everything for your hair. And those oils come from many sources, such as olives, sesame seeds, and fruit. But out of all of the oils available, nothing beats coconut oil in terms of number of applications and the benefits to your hair.

As it turns out, coconut oil has a lot of uses when it comes to keeping hair and skin healthy, and people have been using it to treat hair for hundreds of years. If you like using all-natural products, you’ll love coconut oil.

What’s better is that you don’t need to invest in the latest hair products touting their own special type of coconut oil to reap the benefits – you can just buy a bottle of plain coconut oil from the grocery or drug store. Even better than that? Most of the time, you don’t need to use much of the oil, so even a small jar will keep your hair healthy and smelling great for a long time.

Why You Should Use Coconut Oil

Something coconut oil does very well that other oils or products don’t (or at all) is penetrate the hair shaft. This is due to the oil’s fatty acid structure. Coconut oil is comprised of medium chain fatty acids that have an easier time crossing cell membranes than short or long chain fatty acids. Most other oils are long chain.

Once the coconut oil has penetrated the hair shaft, it prevents water from getting in. If water gets into your hair shaft, the surface of your hair, called the cuticle, rises. Raised cuticles equal damaged hair andfrizz. The penetration also means that all of the moisture, proteins, vitamins, and other good things found in coconut oil actually make it inside of your hair rather than sitting on top.

Why are these fatty acids and vitamins good? We all know what happens to dry hair, but the fatty acids, vitamin E, vitamin K, and iron found in coconut oil help to keep your hair from losing protein. Fatty acids bind to the proteins in your hair, protecting each strand. If your hair isn’t losing as much protein, it’s less prone to breakage. Plus, coconut oil doesn’t the leave greasy or oily residue that so many other products do.

About half of the fatty acids in coconut oil come from lauric acid. Lauric acid doesn’t occur very often in nature, but when it does, it works very well for killing bacteria. Especially if you wear your hair in dreads, braids, or any other style where you may have some concern about microbes or fungus, applying coconut oil is a good way to keep your hair fresh.

In addition to the great hair care, coconut oil does wonders for your scalp, too. Massaging the oil into your scalp increases the skin’s circulation and absorption of nutrients and oxygen.

Applications for Coconut Oil

Just smoothing a dollop of coconut oil into your hair or scalp can help fix a number of problems. These uses include:

Moisturizing and Conditioning
Protecting Hair From Heat, Sun, Salt, and Chlorine
Preventing Frizz
Strengthening Hair
Detangling
Repairing Split Ends and Damage from Heat
Treating Dandruff

How to Use Coconut Oil

There are a number of hair treatments you can do that involve coconut oil. The oil can be mixed with other ingredients to create hair masks, dandruff treatments, and conditioners. Here are a few suggestions:

Shop for a shampoo that contains coconut oil, or add coconut oil to your shampoo to thwart having your hair dried out by the soap.
Use coconut oil as a pre-shampooing conditioner. Add coconut oil to your hair while still dry and massage the oil in. Wait at least an hour before shampooing. Some believe this works best if the oil is warmed before use.
Treat lice by soaking your hair in apple cider vinegar. Let it dry, then apply coconut oil all over, including your scalp. Let sit overnight. Another suggestion is to combine coconut oil and anise spray.
Combat hair loss by boiling sage leaves or gooseberries in coconut oil and apply the mixture to your scalp.
Prevent dandruff by mixing coconut oil with lukewarm water and castor oil. Massage into your hair and scalp.
Replace your styling products with coconut oil. Once the oil has been spread through your hair and cools, it acts like gel.
Condition your hair by combining coconut oil, henna, and warm milk until you have a paste. Apply and let sit on your hair for 20 minutes, then rinse.
Fuse split ends by massaging in a mix of coconut and almond oils.
Treat your hair with a mask made from coconut oil and honey. Apply it to your hair. After 40 minutes, rinse. Rub a small amount of oil between your hands, then smooth over your hair to keep down the frizz. Be sure you don’t use a lot or your hair will get oily.
Get a great shine by adding a small amount of coconut oil to your ends.
Stimulate hair growth by dampening your hair with warm water and applying warmed coconut oil. Massage the oil into your scalp for three or more minutes. Put your hair up into a shower cap and let sit for at least 20 minutes, but preferably 30 or more. Rinse with a shampoo that doesn’t contain sulfates or preservatives.

What Works Best

If you decide to give coconut oil a try, you want it to be virgin. Avoid products with additives, such as fragrances, or ones manufactured using any type of refining process. After all, you’re trying to stop using chemicals that dry out and damage your hair. Coconut oil smells great, but if you’re not a fan of the oil’s scent, you can also find odorless products.

Revitalize Your Hair

Shinier, stronger, conditioned hair is just a trip to the store away (and every time you use the coconut oil in your hair, you’ll be moisturizing your hands, too). That being said, there aren’t any products that can help your hair if you’re not following recommended practices when washing, styling, or dying your hair, so start there and add coconut oil as necessary to boost your hair’s health when needed.

If you’ve tried coconut oil, let me know how it worked for you. What brand worked best for you? Also, don’t forget to share these tips with your friends or pin them to save for later .