First-timer at Hair Care Question

[aralee]

Hi. I just started hair care, and I use coconut oil. I'm not sure how often should I oil my hair. Is it advisable to apply it everyday or every week? Will it not damage my hair if I oil everyday?

Anyways, have a good day! :)

[lapushka]

You can oil several ways.

How are you using it?
As a pre-shampoo (pre poo) treatment? As a leave-in? Or in the oil rinse (link in signature)?

Also, do you tolerate coconut oil (CO) well? I always was left with brittle, crunchy, dry hair after using CO. But YMMV (your mileage may vary) --> we say this a lot around here.

Anyway, great question!

[AnyaWK]

I usually apply alittle bit of oil after every bathe and leave it in...and right before my next wash I will heavily oil my hair before washing...I use an oil mix and not only coconut oil though for this...it works for me...and my hair is manageable and I can skip heavy conditioners...but thats my routine...might not work for you hun...

[GoddesJourney]

Hello and welcome. Generally people use oil for one of two reasons. Either as a buffer against washing as mentioned above or to seal in moisture. As a pre poo (as mentioned above) people use it to help protect their hair against the potentially drying effects of washing or to get an oil treatment right before they wash. To seal in moisture, some of us very lightly oil our ends or even the entire length when it is either dry or damp. Different methods work for different people. Also, different oils work for different people. Coconut oil did not like my hair, but I found avocado oil and macadamia oil do. A lot of people have good luck with jojoba oil. Coconut oil seems to work great for some people and make other people's hair crunchy.

You will find on this board that people spend a great deal of time experimenting with what does and does not work for their individual head of hair at first. Once they find it, they dwindle to lower maintenance until something changes. People will help give you suggestions on what you might try and what worked for them, especially if they seem to have similar hair or scalp issues. Try one thing at a time so you can tell what is and isn't working.

Also, why are you oiling? If your hair doesn't need it, you don't have to do it.

[neko_kawaii]

Hi. I just started hair care, and I use coconut oil. I'm not sure how often should I oil my hair. Is it advisable to apply it everyday or every week? Will it not damage my hair if I oil everyday?

Anyways, have a good day! :)

My hair likes coconut oil. I have found that if I oil before every wash, after a few washes my hair becomes too slippery and won't stay up as well and since I prefer to wear my hair up, that is a problem. I oil roughly once or twice a month. Trial and error will get you to a place you are happy with your hair.

You may already know this, but in case you don't, for heavy oiling pre wash, the easiest way to remove the oil is to coat the hair in conditioner and let it sit for 20 minutes or more before rinsing. You don't need so much conditioner that it drips and diluting the conditioner with water helps distribute it, just watch how much you use. My routine is to apply conditioner at some point before I plan to wash my oiled hair, clip my hair up and go about my business until I remember I was going to wash.

[cat11]

Different oils behave differently. I personally really like coconut oil. As a lot of others have said, coconut oil works best as a pre-shampoo treatment. It also works great as a leave in on damp hair, or as a rinse out oil. I mostly use coconut oil in these capacities since it works well for them and its a cheaper oil so its better for when you need to use more in a treatment.

I think it also works well on ends dry for protection and softness, though I think other oils are much better on dry hair. Camelia oil is my favorite for dry application and I use 1 to 2 drops on each half of my hair every day before I detangle. Jojoba oil, Sweet Almond, Argan, Kukui and Macadamia are some other oils that I think are great on dry hair (Ive tried a lot of oils over the years.) You can use coconut oil the same way and it does work well, for me. Start with just a tiny bit and work your way up to see how much you need. It functions slightly differently in the winter on dry hair than in the summer because it solidifies easily.

I like to also use coconut oil as a base and add in a few drops of some other oils as a pre-poo. Makes said other oils last longer using coconut oil as a base.

I think GoddessJourney had great advice on trying different oils to see what works for you. One oil doesn't fit all.

[Bri-Chan]

It depends on your needs. I like coconut oil too, as a pre-poo on damp hair.

[Dark40]

Hi. I just started hair care, and I use coconut oil. I'm not sure how often should I oil my hair. Is it advisable to apply it everyday or every week? Will it not damage my hair if I oil everyday?

Anyways, have a good day! :)

Oh, my hair loves coconut oil. I don't think oiling your hair a little everyday is going to hurt at all. I oil my hair daily after every wash just before blow drying. So, no you won't be damaging it if you apply oil to it everyday. In fact, it will improve the moisture balance in your hair.

[MusicalSpoons]

The simple answer here is just "try it and see" - just have fun experimenting to see what works for your hair.

I am another person whose hair gets crunchy from coconut oil (and no I'm fairly certain it's not the oil solidifying in the cold, because it had definitely all soaked in) so if that happens, don't worry and don't give up! Just try a different oil, or if you want to persevere with coconut then you could try different methods of applying it or mixing it with other oil(s).

[Jane99]

The trick for me was to start with teeny tiny amounts of oil and increase as my hair tolerates to get out all the oil because ot wouldn’t all wash out on my hair or would make my hair greasy looking. So I started with maybe a pea’s worth of coconut oil as an overnight pre poo and now I’m up to about maybe half a teaspoon maybe less. I pre poo before every wash and leave it in overnight. I use indian herbs to wash but after about a month-5 weeks I need to use a regular SLS shampoo because it builds up. Then afterwards my hair feels oddly light and almost too clean but that works for me. A drop or two of argan oil on the length post-wash while still wet. And lately I spray some watered down conditioner on the lengths and ends to stay moisturized during the week between wash days.

[fiords]

Hi. I just started hair care, and I use coconut oil. I'm not sure how often should I oil my hair. Is it advisable to apply it everyday or every week? Will it not damage my hair if I oil everyday?

Anyways, have a good day! :)

So many great responses in this thread. I'll add on by saying: coconut *generally* works better on finer hair. If it doesn't work for you, jojoba, argan, sweet almond, olive, and avocado oil are also great choices to experiment with.
Few drops everyday in the palms being run through the hair is very healthy for maintaining it. Recommend argan or jojoba for this.
Doing a hot oil treatment once a week or fortnight is like a deeper conditioning treatment. Warm oil by placing it in a cup or small bowl and inserting that cup/bowl of oil into a larger bowl full of boiling hot water. After a few minutes the oil will be warm to the touch and penetrates the hair easier. Apply to length of hair and not the scalp. Leave in for one hour or longer, even overnight! Using conditioner before shampoo and then conditioning again helps remove it while washing.

If your hair feels dull, greasy, lifeless after an oil treatment and washing it out, then that oil does not work for your hair.
If your feels shiny, soft, and silky after an oil treatment and washing it out, then you found your match! :)