Oiling for the first time

[LaurenH]

Hello! :)

I'm still really new here, and have come across a few threads about oiling hair... Is this kind of like conditioning? Do you oil all of your hair, or just the ends? Do you rinse it out or leave it in? How much oil should I use? (my hair is thin/fine and arm pit length.) What types of oild can be used? Can I use regular Olive Oil from the kitchen?

Sorry for the overload of questions! :p

[danacc]

There is an excellent Oiling Tutorial (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71) in the Articles section.

To answer your specific questions:
Oiling provides many of the same benefits as conditioning. You may not apply oil in the same way as you would conditioner, though.
I sometimes oil the length of my hair--earlobes down--and sometimes just the ends. It depends on how the length and ends feel. Before washing, I always oil the whole length.
When I wash, I use more oil prior to the wash, and then wash it out. When I use it as a leave-in, I use almost no oil at all, and leave it in.
Different folks use different oils. Any vegetable-based oil can be tried, including olive oil. It is a heavier oil than most, and some don't like the scent. On the positive side, you probably already have some. (Yes, use the same kind as you use to cook.) Coconut oil and jojoba oil are popular.

[marikamt]

I am fairly new to oiling (maybe 3-4 wks) but it has made a huge difference in my hair....

I know there is a ton of info in the "articles" section on all the different types of oil you can use.... (sorry, I stink at the links).
Personally, after all of my research, I chose Coconut oil (parachute oil to be exact). It is cheap, around $3 at the local Indian market.

My hair feels GREAT- I do it in addition to wash (yes, I still do shampoo :D) and condition... I try to minimize washing (maybe 2-3x a week). I do a HEAVY oil the night before I wash.... after wash, when I am dry, I do a light oil on from my ears down, focusing on the ends.... I do a "mid" oil the next day (just a little more), same area..... by this time, I need to wear my hair up for the day, next day heavy oil..... I brush w/ a BBB in the morning to distribute what didn't soak in.

I love it and have seen a huge difference in my hair... straight, fine hair, no less.....

Between that and my supplements, I think I am going to get 1 inch of growth this month.....

[kdaniels8811]

By the way, a little oil means one drop. No more. Rub it between your palms and smooth it on your hair from the ears down. Any more will make your hair greasy. I put mine on at night and by morning it is pretty much absorbed. Great for your length, helps keep it strong.

[LaurenH]

Thanks so much everyone, your replies answered a lot of my questions! :)

I'm washing my hair in the morning, so I think I'll apply a little Olive Oil tonight before bed (since it's all I have here at the moment...) Next time I'm out I'll try to find some nicer smelling oils. Are oils normally applied to wet or dry hair?

Can you buy oils (Coconut, jojoba, etc) at any grocery store, or Earth Fare, or do you order them online?
Is something like Coco Butter Cream (used for skin moisturizer) ever used for hair, or is that too thick/greasy?

hehe, sorry I'm TOTALLY new to all of this... Thanks for all of the help; it's greatly appreciated! :flower:

[preshus251]

so oiling for the first time??? you put oil on your hair everyday? what type and how does that not make your hair not greasy? What supplements have you decided to go with? sorry for all the questions I am a beginner to and am so trying to make my hair grow back

[marikamt]

Like I stated earlier, I am very new to this (so there may be more sage advice out there) but this has worked for me....

I do oil daily... very little the day of wash (a few drops on ends, maybe from earlobes down- I have BSL hair)... A little more the next day, then a heavy total oil the third day prior to wash (this is usually my day off and I wear hair up)... I oil dry hair.
I bought my parachute coconut oil at the Indian grocery

Supplements- there is a great thread by Igor (i think??) somewhere.... personally, I take a multivitamin (the walmart version of womens centrum), potassium, magnesium, Evening primrose oil, fish oil, glucomsamine/MSM and a "hair/ nails" herbal supplement ... (i take 2x a day, morning and night)

This is my first "serious" month of tracking hair growth, I have been very disciplined for about 2+ months w/ the supplements (I take them for both hair growth and other health reasons) and about a month for the oil. I am at barely over a half inch growth today since July 29th.

I am still figuring all of this out, but it seems to be working.....

sorry- just read that you asked about the greasies.. yes, by the third day, my ends are greasy- I wear it up until ready to wash (again, my dayoff)- but the results are worth it. I may cut back a little when I reach goal length...

LOL- one more edit... this is all stuff I have figured out from here (LHC)... none of it is "my invention"... just read a lot and am trying to see what works for me.

[little_acorn]

Wow thats a really useful article. I'm waiting for my jojoba oil to arrive so that I can start using that :D

[danacc]

I apply the oil to dry hair. Some have better results applying it to damp hair. From what I've read, curly hair more often than not prefers oil applied when damp.

Cocoa butter can be used. It is likely too heavy for your fine 1b hair, but if you have some, you can try it and see.

kdaniels8811, my hair doesn't get the greasies because I use very, very little oil. The hardest thing when I first started was to stop myself from putting too much. Somebody posted earlier that they use just a drop. This is quite literally true. For all my length, I use just enough to make my palms shimmer before running them through my hair. It's as close to applying nothing as you can get. Also, I don't oil every day. After a while, I got a feel for when I should oil and when I should skip it that day based on how my hair behaved and felt.

[marikamt]

I apply the oil to dry hair. Some have better results applying it to damp hair. From what I've read, curly hair more often than not prefers oil applied when damp.

Cocoa butter can be used. It is likely too heavy for your fine 1b hair, but if you have some, you can try it and see.

kdaniels8811, my hair doesn't get the greasies because I use very, very little oil. The hardest thing when I first started was to stop myself from putting too much. Somebody posted earlier that they use just a drop. This is quite literally true. For all my length, I use just enough to make my palms shimmer before running them through my hair. It's as close to applying nothing as you can get. Also, I don't oil every day. After a while, I got a feel for when I should oil and when I should skip it that day based on how my hair behaved and felt.

this is great advice... I need to learn this... being so new and desperate to grow long, healthy hair, I probably overdue it.... :o

[EtherealOde]

One great thing about oil is how it helps to make your hair smooth and shiny when it's in an updo or braided. If you are going to do that anyway, you may as well oil and get the added shine and conditioning benefits.

My hair isn't as long as most here, but it tends to be on the dryer side so I can use more oil without it looking greasy. I can use 3-4 drops after washing (after I towel dry my hair so the towel doesn't steal my oil) and not have oily hair at all when dry. The next day I will lightly mist my hair with water and fluff my hair so it gets all through it enough so it's all slightly damp. Then I use 2-3 drops and oil the length paying particular attention to the ends. I CO wash my hair 3x a week mainly because I am using MN, but I could easily get by with 2x a week or every 5 days if I wasn't using the MN. I don't like the stiff look of the hair at my scalp the morning after a treatment if I will be going anywhere.

[Beldaran]

I’ll try to answer your questions as well, as different people have different perspectives on what works.

For me oil is like a leave-in conditioner, it gives my hair slip so it’s easier to detangle, and if done right, a bit of shine. It also seems to tame down my frizziness and flyaways.

I don’t oil all of my hair, I avoid the crown area. Occasionally I oil my scalp, but I either use a dropper to put the oil right on my scalp, or put the oil on my fingertips and massage it in that way so the top of my head doesn’t look greasy.

As for how much, I started with a few drops and went up from there. I can for sure use 3-5 drops on my length and it won’t look greasy, but that may turn someone else’s hair into an oil slick. My hair seems to absorb oils well and it also depends on the oil. I find jojoba to be nice and soothing on my scalp, but it does nothing for my length but sit there. Coconut oil disappears into my hair though.

You can for sure use olive oil from your kitchen, people also use coconut oil frequently, and pretty much any cooking oil can be used. Some work better than others. I’ve used Olive oil from the normal grocery store, but the co-op near me has a wider variety like Walnut oil, Sunflower oil and things like that. I prefer to buy my stuff in the kitchen aisle, as the same bottle of Sweet Almond Oil that is back in the beauty section is twice the price at the store I go to.

I oil both wet and dry hair, using the same amount of oil in either case, to avoid over oiling.

[LaurenH]

There is an excellent Oiling Tutorial (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=71) in the Articles section.
Thank you! That article was very helpful... I should have found that first, lol. :p

And wow, thank you so much everyone for all of your replies and help!! I appreciate it! :)

I did oil my hair with olive oil before bed last night. I definitely used way too much... I started out with just a drop or two, but it just didn't seem like it was enough, or like it was being evenly spread through my hair so I kept adding a bit more, lol. My hair was really, really greasy looking this morning but it's ok since I was going to wash anyway. :p My hair did feel a bit softer though! I'll try it again soon, probably with a different type of oil, and sticking with the TWO drops this time! ;)

Thank you again!! :D

[Mary <><]

Lauren,

I use sweet almond oil. I alternate between techniques, but there are 2 basic ways I use it. 1) I mix about 6 drops of it with my conditioner (sometimes honey also), 2) I wash & condition as normal, then apply 4-5 drops while wet. I drop the oil in my hands and rub them together, then I swipe my hands all over the length of my hair, mostly focusing on the ends, but some on the length as well. I steer clear of the roots though. Then I let it air dry and you would never know there is oil on my hair. HTH!!!

[LaurenH]

Hi Mary! :)
I will try the sweet almond oil! Where do you buy it? Could I find it at Earth Fare?
Thank you!

[little_acorn]

:D Thanks to everyone for their advice :D

I did my first oiling last night with jojoba oil

:cheese: fantastic! very shiny and soft - hubby even noticed - so it must have been good :cheese:

[LaurenH]

:D Thanks to everyone for their advice :D

I did my first oiling last night with jojoba oil

:cheese: fantastic! very shiny and soft - hubby even noticed - so it must have been good :cheese:
That's great!! Glad it worked so well for you! :D

[little_acorn]

That's great!! Glad it worked so well for you! :D

:D thank you :D

I also got my hubby later on (he has long curly hair that is severely salt damaged and he never uses conditioner!!) and the results were amazing!!

[amyapple329]

I'm also new to oiling. I have tried it a few times with virgin olive oil and that seemed to make my hair even drier from when I started. I was poking around on these boards and discovered coconut oil. I went to the Organic section of my local grocery store and found the coconut oil. I tried this one for the first time two nights ago and simply love it. I put quite a bit all over my hair because it is very dry and let it set over night into the next day. I didnt have much to do that day so it was ok to walk around my home with greasy hair. I washed it out in the evening time and let my hair air dry. I still had some tangles after the wash but they came out a little easier. After my hair dried I was amazed at how smooth and soft my hair felt. It was shinny, but not greasy and it looked and felt 100 times better. Its been 2 days now and it still feels great. I'm so glad I gave oiling another shot. I think this is just what my hair needed.

[Mary <><]

Hi Mary! :)
I will try the sweet almond oil! Where do you buy it? Could I find it at Earth Fare?
Thank you!

LOL! I guess I go to EarthFare a lot! Hahaha! Yes, there or some similar store where you are (not sure if you have an EarthFare there or not). I have also used and loved jojoba oil, BTW!

[Fethenwen]

The hardest thing when I first started was to stop myself from putting too much. Somebody posted earlier that they use just a drop. This is quite literally true. For all my length, I use just enough to make my palms shimmer before running them through my hair. It's as close to applying nothing as you can get. Also, I don't oil every day. After a while, I got a feel for when I should oil and when I should skip it that day based on how my hair behaved and felt.
So true. It took quite some time for me to learn the proper amount of oil that should be used. I still over oil sometimes, I just enjoy oiling my hair :D But yeah, for my fine hair I only need very little oil.

[LaurenH]

LOL! I guess I go to EarthFare a lot! Hahaha! Yes, there or some similar store where you are (not sure if you have an EarthFare there or not). I have also used and loved jojoba oil, BTW!

Thanks! Hehe, there's an Earth Fare right next to my work, so that's what made me think of it.. :p I may try some jojoba and coconut oil too and see what works best.

[InTheCity]

Reading all this, I want to oil right this second... but alas, I'm restricted until I can get to a store for some.
I'm definitely going to try it though. I always saw on here that people oiled but I pictured something completely different.

[ipickee]

LaurenH, I'm fairly new here too, and I've been oiling with just enough coconut to make my palms glisten at night. I cover it with a bandana, and shower in the morning. So far so good! I'm still experimenting, and my hair is pretty tolerant, but when in doubt, experiment on an off work day! My hair seems to reallllyyy like the oil! :)

[naselflee]

Because my hair is so dry and damaged, I use a palm full of coconut or olive oil. My hair drinks it all up. When its dry it still looks crunchy, but my hair is looking better by the week.:)