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Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 02:15 PM
Is Coconut oil applied to a dry head of hair for a deep treatment as effective as applying to a damp head of hair?

Is a coconut oil deep treatment effective at all when applied on a head of dry hair?

Flaxen
January 31st, 2010, 03:35 PM
I've only ever heard of coconut oil being applied to dry hair for a pre-wash treatment. It's the classic way for East Indian women to care for their hair, traditionally. Conditioning afterwards is not done, although as commercial shampoos have replaced herbal washing, commercial conditioners have become more common, too. :smile:

Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 03:40 PM
Hopefully it will do something to my hair. I jut put half a jar in my dry hair, but I'm planning on leaving it in for two or three hours. How do you coconut oil?

bumblebums
January 31st, 2010, 03:44 PM
Hopefully it will do something to my hair. I jut put half a jar in my dry hair, but I'm planning on leaving it in for two or three hours. How do you coconut oil?

Half a jar? For reals? I only use 1 teaspoon, maybe. It's plenty for a pre-wash treatment. Maybe it depends on how much hair you have and what its condition is... but there is only so much oil your hair can absorb. The rest ends up in your pillow, on your skin, and going down the drain.

Anyway, after some trial+error, I now only oil my hair dry, whether it's for a pre-wash treatment or for daily protection. I like being able to see exactly where it goes and how evenly it is distributed.

FrannyG
January 31st, 2010, 03:47 PM
I always deep treat my dry hair with coconut oil. Often I warm it first and then leave for as long as I can under a plastic bag topped by a towel.

A half a jar, you say? Now that's deep.

Kaijah
January 31st, 2010, 03:50 PM
I usually put a bunch of coconut oil in my hair when it's still damp. My hair just seems to absorb it better that way, and oil acts as a kind of sealer to keep in moisture, which my hair just loves.

I use it occasionally on dry hair also, since it does make bunning/braiding hold better for me. It seems like it works as a styler-deep treatment hybrid in that way, which is nice. I feel like it sinks in slower this way... though it might be that it's just more noticeable looking on dry versus wet hair.

In all... I think it's effective either way, it just comes down to personal preference. As everything with hair does, eh? :D

Hay22
January 31st, 2010, 03:52 PM
Half a jar??? I don't know how you're going to get that out!

I scoop a little more than what it takes to fill the underside of my thumb nail and only apply it to the hair from my ears down. I do this on dry hair only. I usually put it on, pull my hair back, work out for 45 - 60 minutes, then hop in the shower and CO it out. I actually did this little routine this morning!

Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 03:52 PM
haha, well not QUITE half a jar but its a 12oz jar and I used about a quarter of the jar. My hair is long APL/Short BSL but I have a ton of hair. It is also really dry from bleach, dye, and flat iron. It looks soaking wet right now.

Flaxen
January 31st, 2010, 04:29 PM
I'm using coconut oil with herbs in it, and I probably use 1/2-3/4 teaspoonful on dry hair before a wash. Sometimes I do use it as a leave-in after I wash, and then I use about a (small) pea sized amount on my length only. :smile:

Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 04:31 PM
Wow, how do you only use such a small amount and still saturate your hair?


I wonder if I'm doing something wrong.


Do you shampoo and condition after or is it best to just condition?

Madame J
January 31st, 2010, 04:52 PM
You don't want your hair completely saturated with oil, but instead each strand with a thin coating. Warm up little bits at a time (maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp.) and work it through, concentrating on your ends. You can warm a teensy bit more to do a scalp massage at the end, but it shouldn't take more than a tablespoon. It should feel a bit greasy, but not like your hair has actually gained weight from all the oil.

I have thick, APL+ hair and I still use less than a tablespoon of coconut oil for a heavy, pre-wash oiling. And, yes, I use it on dry hair. I usually either wash it out with a shampoo bar, or do an Indian herb wash (spoonful each amla and shikakai in 4-6 oz. water, left on for a few minutes in the shower).

jmallen62691
January 31st, 2010, 05:48 PM
I use coconut oil on my dry hair the day before I wash my hair. I definitely use more than a teaspoon, but I don't measure. I just work it into my ends and then my length. I don't put any on my scalp, but I know some people do. Then, I braid my hair and leave the oil in until I get ready to wash it the next day. :]

Pear Martini
January 31st, 2010, 05:52 PM
You don't want your hair completely saturated with oil, but instead each strand with a thin coating. Warm up little bits at a time (maybe 1/4-1/2 tsp.) and work it through, concentrating on your ends. You can warm a teensy bit more to do a scalp massage at the end, but it shouldn't take more than a tablespoon. It should feel a bit greasy, but not like your hair has actually gained weight from all the oil.

I have thick, APL+ hair and I still use less than a tablespoon of coconut oil for a heavy, pre-wash oiling. And, yes, I use it on dry hair. I usually either wash it out with a shampoo bar, or do an Indian herb wash (spoonful each amla and shikakai in 4-6 oz. water, left on for a few minutes in the shower).


I will have to try just doing it teaspoon by teaspoon next time. I have been throwing away money!

losthistory
January 31st, 2010, 06:21 PM
I gently heat up a mixture of coconut oil and olive oil as a pre-wash oil. It works better than each oil separately. I'm not sure how much I use.

Sissy
January 31st, 2010, 06:28 PM
I use probaby what equates to a couple of tablespoon when I do a heavy oiling on my hair. I have done these on both dry and damp hair. I actually haven't used coconut oil for a while now but when I used it I tried to apply some conditioner to my dry or damp hair first, then I put the oil on top of that. My theory is that the coconut oil would help seal in the conditioner and benefit my dry hair. Lately I've just been using catnip tea soaks/treatments and a light oiling with Camellia or a light application of my Nightblooming Salve from Etsy.

One great way to wash the coconut out is to apply conditioner to your oiled hair when it is dry and rub it in and maybe even sit under a heat capt and then condition it out in the shower. It works great... someone posted about this method here on LHC and I tried it and I agree with them it works a treat!

spidermom
January 31st, 2010, 06:33 PM
I've found that a little goes a long way with coconut oil. For a thorough deep treatment, I probably use 1/2 tablespoon combed through, then boar-brushed through, heat applied, and left in at least overnight. It works very well. I also use it on clean damp hair occasionally, but I'm not fond of the way it draws dust and lint into my hair.

maxzeen
January 31st, 2010, 07:10 PM
I apply coconut oil to my hair dry about twice a week. I use about a quarter size amount, rub it in my hands, and work it into the length of my hair. Depending on how dry my hair is I will figure out weather I need to add more coconut oil to my hair. Then I braid my hair.

Elphie
January 31st, 2010, 07:45 PM
I use a teaspoon or two on dry hair about twice a week the night before a wash. Still my favorite.

Aditi
January 31st, 2010, 08:07 PM
I use coconut oil for pre-wash treatment and also as an oil massage treatment and keep it for 4-5 days it doesn't bother my hair at all and i apply it on dry hairs.

talecon
February 1st, 2010, 02:17 AM
how do you guys go about warming up coconut oil? I stopped using coconut oil the usual way because it was making my hair stick to itself making my hair look even thinner than it is but I'm wondering if deep hot coconut oil treatments would have a better effect on my hair

Svenja
February 1st, 2010, 02:22 AM
I use about 1 spoon of coconut oil, warm it between my hands and apply it to my dry hair. I leave out the scalp though as I will never get it off the skin again.
I would not use as much as you did, as little goes a long way, and you should never get the feeling that it added weight to your hair at all.

Dani
February 1st, 2010, 04:32 AM
One great way to wash the coconut out is to apply conditioner to your oiled hair when it is dry and rub it in and maybe even sit under a heat capt and then condition it out in the shower. It works great... someone posted about this method here on LHC and I tried it and I agree with them it works a treat!

I remember posting about it a couple years ago or something, and it still works great! I remember how shocked I was that just COing it would totally get it all out, heh. It's just so nice to know I don't have to lather up with any kind of shampoo to get oil out! And that first time I tried it, my hair was completely -soaked- with coconut oil, so COing really works amazingly well for that. After reading a bit of this thread I realize I've wasted way too much oils of sorts on my hair, lol. I always thought the more the better! :p Now I'll chill with it, and by golly, my coconut oil will last me a long time for once.

Lexie
February 1st, 2010, 07:26 AM
Just WO gets the oil out of my hair, but I do use warm water.

My hair had started sticking together and then I realized it was because of my waxy sebum buildup from WO for a couple years, not from external oils.

I guess I may be the only one who starts with damp hair. I use coconut oil as a leave in, so I always apply to damp hair. If I'm doing a deep treatment, I just apply more. When it dries, then I decide if my ends need more or not, but usually they don't. I'm actually doing a deep treatment right now because I recently did a few BSOs to cut down on the waxiness of my hair.

I put some oil in my palm then rub my hands together to warm it up and liquefy it. Then I gently lift and move hair aside with my oily hands. I know when I need more oil when I haven't gotten to all of my hair and my hands are dry. When I'm done, I brush my hair in hopes that it will help with even distribution. I used to just smear it through my hair but found that I ended up using far too much and my hair felt twice as heavy as it did without any oil. That's why I just touch the hair very gently now. It does get the oil on it without applying it all on one spot as smearing does. I'm not as gentle on the ends because if I do that, they end up needing more oil. I don't smear them still, but I do gather them together and press my oily hand into them a bit firmly from multiple angles.

Hope that helps.

juliaxena
February 1st, 2010, 11:44 AM
I am really confused about this method. Won't the washing just wash all the goodness of coconut oil out again??

Kaijah
February 1st, 2010, 12:42 PM
I am really confused about this method. Won't the washing just wash all the goodness of coconut oil out again??

Not exactly. You would wash off any excess oil on your hair, but your hair will absorb the amount of oil it needs to be moisturized. Coconut oil is one of the only oils proven to penetrate hair down to the cortex, meaning it's generally going to be the best one for gaining moisture, flexibility, and general softness.

Also, though coconut oil itself will not "add" protein to your hair (it's 100% fat), it's been shown to prevent protein loss (that is, helps prevent actual damage to the cuticle) when washing. Using it as a prewash treatment can also help keep your hair from absorbing too much water if it's already damaged/is highly porous, preventing hydral fatigue (over swelling, over stretching, etc when wet).