Coconut oil is a very versatile beauty and health care product.
People use it in many things, from cooking and cleaning to moisturizing skin and removing makeup.
Others often use coconut oil to help improve the health and condition of their hair.
This article explores the pros and cons of use coconut oil in your hair.
Daily effects can damage your hair
Daily activities such as shampooing, combing and styling can damage the hair and cause hair to bend, dry and break.
To understand the cause of these things, you need to know about your hair structure. Hair is composed of 3 layers:
- Core part : This is software, located in the center of the hair. Interestingly, thick hair contains a large core, while slender hair hardly exists.
- Hair cover : This is the thickest layer of hair. It contains lots of fibrous proteins and pigments that color your hair.
- Cuticle : The epidermis is the outer layer of hair.
Shampooing, styling and hair dyeing can damage the epidermis, making it impossible to protect the hair.
This removes some fibrous proteins that make up the hair shaft, making your hair thin, brittle and can break .
Crux : Shampooing, brushing, coloring and styling can damage the structure of the hair, causing hair to break easily.
Why does coconut oil protect hair better than other oils?
Coconut oil is often thought to be the best oil used for hair to reduce the loss of hair protein and keep hair look healthy.
With the current popularity of coconut oil, the use of coconut oil is not a temporary trend.
However, there is much evidence behind this statement.
A study examining the effect of applying coconut oil, sunflower seed oil or mineral oil on hair before and after shampooing .
To see which oils best protect hair, researchers measured the amount the protein of hair loss after treatment with these oils.
They found that coconut oil prevents loss of protein in hair better than mineral oil and sunflower seed oil when applied to hair both before and after shampooing.
In fact, coconut oil is at the forefront of their research on reducing the amount of protein lost in hair that is not damaged, bleached, chemically treated or exposed to ultraviolet rays.
On the other hand, both mineral oil and sunflower seed oil do not have these effects and are not proven to reduce the amount of protein lost in hair.
It is thought that the chemical formula of coconut oil is primarily responsible for its ability to protect hair .
Coconut oil is mainly made up of one medium chain fatty acids called lauric acid. This substance gives coconut oil a long, straight structure, easily absorbed deep into the hair.
Sunflower oil contains most has very large structure, so it is not easily absorbed into the hair.
This means that oils like mineral oil and sunflower oil can wrap hair, but they cannot penetrate hair .
Crux : When applied to hair before shampooing, coconut oil is believed to reduce the amount of protein lost in the hair than sunflower seed oil and mineral oil.
Hair massage with coconut oil before and after shampooing can prevent damage
You can apply coconut oil to your hair in a number of ways to help protect your hair from damage.
First, applying oil on the hair before shampooing can reduce the damage that the hair must endure during the shampooing and weting process.
Interestingly, the hair is most vulnerable when wet. It is due to structural changes that are difficult to detect, only when the hair is absorbed country .
When hair is wet, the thick core inside the hair is soaked and inflated, causing a change in the structure of the epidermis.
The hair cuticle is actually made of flat scales, overlapped and attached to the hair root, toward the ends of the hair.
When the hairs are wet and inflated, these scales will be pushed out so they stick together. This makes hair wet easily damaged, especially when washing hair or styling.
Applying oil on your hair before shampooing can reduce the amount of water absorbed into the hair core and the extent to which the cuticles stick together. This makes hair less vulnerable when wet.
Secondly, apply a layer of oil to the hair after shampooing, making the hair softer and smoother. This reduces the amount of friction caused by styling, making the hair less broken .
Crux : Hair is easily damaged when wet. Therefore, apply coconut oil on hair both before and after shampooing to help protect hair from damage.
Coconut oil can help hair grow longer
Many people want to keep their hair long and sleek.
However, hair wear and tear due to styling, care, weather, and pollution can also cause hair damage.
This can make it difficult to grow long hair because your hair may be worn out.
Coconut oil can help hair grow longer by:
- Moisturizes hair and reduces breakage.
- Protect hair from loss of protein and damage when wet.
- Protects hair from environmental hazards such as wind, sun, and smoke.
To make the most of coconut oil, you may need to turn coconut oil into a part of your beauty regime.
Crux : Coconut oil reduces damage to hair caused by daily wear and tear. Using coconut oil in daily hair care can help hair grow longer and healthier.
Other benefits of coconut oil for hair
Coconut oil can also have many other benefits for hair. However, most of them have not been tested in controlled studies.
These benefits include:
- Prevent lice : a small study showed that when used in combination with anise in aerosol form, the effect of coconut oil increased by 40% in the treatment of head lice than other chemical drugs such as .
- Protect hair from the sun : UV filters can help protect your hair from the sun. Some studies have shown that coconut oil has a protective level of hair from the sun is 8, so applying coconut oil on hair can be helpful .
- To get rid of dandruff : Dandruff can form due to mold on the scalp. Although no research has been done to specifically investigate coconut oil, it has antibacterial properties and may be useful in treating dandruff .
- Prevent hair fall : Excessive shampooing can damage the hair, in case of concern it can cause hair loss. Coconut oil can help keep your hair in good condition and prevent this condition.
It is also claimed that consuming coconut oil can benefit hair due to the nutrients it provides. However, there is little evidence for this statement .
Crux : Coconut oil can help eliminate lice, protect hair from the sun and reduce dandruff, but more research is needed to prove it.
Does coconut oil have any side effects for hair?
Coconut oil is often thought to be safe when applied to skin and hair .
However, excessive use also causes lubricants on hair and scalp.
This can cause hair to become greasy and dull, especially if you have thinning hair.
To avoid this, make sure you use a small amount and start by rubbing coconut oil in your hair, from the middle to the top of the hair. People with very thin hair may want to avoid applying coconut oil to their scalp.
Moreover, while normal hair loss takes about 50-100 hairs per day, many people also report that they have a lot of hair loss when using coconut oil.
But coconut oil is often not the culprit. Simply apply coconut oil has also caused hair to leave the scalp off.
Crux : Using too much coconut oil can cause greasy hair. Coconut oil does not cause hair loss, but it can cause hair loss to be more easily removed from the scalp.
How to use coconut oil for hair care
Here are a few ways to use coconut oil to help your hair stay healthy.
- Use coconut oil as a conditioner : Wash your hair with shampoo as usual, then brush coconut oil on hair from the middle to the top of the hair.
- Use coconut oil to untangle after shampooing : After shampooing and rinsing your hair, apply a little coconut oil on your hair to protect your hair when brushing.
- Make hair care mask: Apply coconut oil to your hair and leave it for a few hours (or even overnight) before rinsing.
- Protect your hair before shampooing : Apply coconut oil to your hair before shampooing.
- Treatment of scalp diseases : before going to bed, use a small amount of coconut oil massage on the scalp. Leave overnight and rinse with shampoo in the morning.
These techniques can be used regularly or once in a while (depending on your hairstyle) to give you beautiful, healthy and shiny hair.
The amount of coconut oil you need will depend on the length and hair quality. Most people use just enough to apply to the middle to the top of the hair to prevent hair from getting oily.
The best method is to start with the smallest amount of coconut oil you think is sufficient and gradually increase.
If you have short or very soft hair, you may need at least a teaspoon. However, people with long, thick hair may want to use about two tablespoons of coconut oil.
There are also many different coconut oils to choose from. Some people prefer to choose virgin (unrefined) coconut oil, because they also use it in their beauty treatments.
However, there are no specific studies on whether coconut oil is better for your hair. In addition, both unrefined and refined coconut oil have moisturizing properties.
Crux : Coconut oil can be used as a conditioner, hair mask or as a scalp treatment so you have strong, shiny hair.
General message
Coconut oil is a very good moisturizer for hair.
It can be used both before and after shampooing to help prevent damage and keep hair strong and shiny.
