Castor oil for hair growth?

**PolarCathy** · May 7th, 2011, 11:29 AM

I oil at random times (whenever I am alone -- I work from home for the most part) and leave it on for 3 hours...overnight. It doesn't look horrendous at all because of my hair texture if I wash it out with just warm water. I only CO every second or third time. If it's weekend, even less and I put it up in a bun or braid it and don't care. If I have to go shopping I wear a hat.

**Dina L.** · May 7th, 2011, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by rocket_surgeon

I just keep my hair up on days where I've oiled. Most people seem to like to apply castor oil on their wash days or the night before, though. I don't do this because I like using castor oil more often than I wash. My hair does not get very greasy, though, so YMMV.

I wonder how much oil do you put on your scalp that it doesn't make it look oily? And did you notice faster growth since you use CO?

**PolarCathy** · May 7th, 2011, 11:34 AM

If I need to look decent, I use an empty tabasco bottle to oil. It's easier to apply without getting oil everywhere on my hair. If I pour handfuls of oil on me though (which I sometimes do, castor+sesame oil) then CO is the solution.

**rocket_surgeon** · May 7th, 2011, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Dina L.

I wonder how much oil do you put on your scalp that it doesn't make it look oily? And did you notice faster growth since you use CO?

I use a dime-sized drop on my palm, and more at my discretion. Admittedly, I am probably using less oil than most people here are, and my hair isn't very greasy to begin with.

My growth has gotten faster, but only a little. It was about 0.75" a month initially. Since I last trimmed (a week or so into March), it's grown from 25" to 27", a rate of just over 1" a month.

**Fethenwen** · May 7th, 2011, 03:48 PM

I only use about half a teaspoon of oil. Any more than that and it becomes too much.

**PolarCathy** · May 8th, 2011, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by Fethenwen

I only use about half a teaspoon of oil. Any more than that and it becomes too much.

Please. How??? I am seriously confused. I use at least about 1.5 tablespoons. A little less than 2. Or else, I can't massage it in, not wet enough. That amount I often don't wash out the next day because 90% of it soaks in nicely and the rest I can disguise by not combing my hair, massaging the roots with wet hands and putting it up. Usually, I use more; half of a tabasco bottle, that is, 30 ml, then it's comfortable for me to massage. It soaks in nicely overnight but then I have to CO-wash next morning. I would love to use half a teaspoon, then I wouldn't have to wash ever LOL. Straight or diluted?

**Mesmerise** · May 8th, 2011, 01:59 AM

Originally Posted by PolarCathy

Please. How??? I am seriously confused. I use at least about 1.5 tablespoons. A little less than 2. Or else, I can't massage it in, not wet enough. That amount I often don't wash out the next day because 90% of it soaks in nicely and the rest I can disguise by not combing my hair, massaging the roots with wet hands and putting it up. Usually, I use more; half of a tabasco bottle, that is, 30 ml, then it's comfortable for me to massage. It soaks in nicely overnight but then I have to CO-wash next morning. I would love to use half a teaspoon, then I wouldn't have to wash ever LOL. Straight or diluted?

Yeah, I'd also like to know how! I mean, how do you get such a tiny amount to cover your entire scalp? If you were bald it'd probably be easy as hair doesn't get in the way, but I always think I sort of have to slop it on my roots so it seeps through and covers all my scalp. It's not like coconut oil where I can rub a teeny bit between my palms and then put it on my hair... because I'm trying to get it all over the scalp rather than the hair itself.

I use an empty dye applicator bottle, and sort of use the tip to part my hair and I squirt down the parts... then I massage it all in as best as I can in order to get the best scalp coverage. But I'd say it uses quite a lot!

**pixiestar** · May 8th, 2011, 02:09 AM

Off to put castor oil/ sweet almond oil mix on scalp. Coconut on length

Will report back how it goes

**PolarCathy** · May 8th, 2011, 03:02 AM

I just tried something different, I oiled with a watery foamy mix today. Had the oil in the tabasco bottle as usual, topped it up with hot water, shook it up until foamy and rubbed it in. It's easier to apply.

**Fethenwen** · May 8th, 2011, 04:26 AM

I just take a few drops and rub it between my fingers. I apply my fingers straight to the roots and massage for quite a while. I feel I get a full coverage this way without applying too much. I don't know if it is because I have fine hair that I can get away with such a small amount of oil.

A tablespoon of oil on my head would be quite the disaster. I guess it would take at least a week to get it all out

Edit: Forgot to mention that I use diluted castor oil. About 1/3 of Africa's Best Carrot seed oil and the rest is castor oil. This I find gives the oil lot of slip, otherwise if I would use plain castor oil I might have to use more oil to get it distributed.