Hot Oil or Room Temp?

[angelfell]

If you've tried both methods, which do you prefer? By Hot Oil or Room Temp, I mean when you are deep oiling your hair, do you prefer it to be hot, or let it sit warm/room temperature? For the longest time I was merely melting it, and it would be hot when I first applied it, but it cooled down quickly and I'd let it sit for 1 1/2-2 hrs. Today I decided to try something new. I heated my oil up in a glass cup like usual, and this time I put my hair in a side ponytail, and stuck the ponytail in the cup of hot oil. I let it sit in the cup for 15 minutes, then washed out. I found the results worked 2x better for me :p, and I thought the room temperature worked well.

Anyways, just curious as to which LHCer's prefer.

Oh, and when I say hot, I don't mean scalding XD

ETA: If you want to try this, keep in mind I kept the cup right up to my head (hence the side pontail for ease) the entire time. Keeping the oil/my hair inside of the hot cup kept the oil/my hair hot. When you take it out.. it cools down very quickly. If you want to do this for more than 15 minutes, you may have to take a break and re-heat the oil. But.. it still works XD. Let me know if you find an easier way :D

[AnnaJamila]

Hm... I always kept it scalp temperature and it was definately warm by the time I washed it out, but I've never tried hot... I'll have to do that, I due for an oiling in a few days!!

[sarahramen]

I always just keep it room temperature but after reading your rave i might try heating it next time...:p

[Crackaleen]

I was under the impression that hot oil treatments do more harm than good, so when I do a heavy oiling I use room temp oil.

[Anywhere]

I thought that hot oil was good, it allows it to soak into the hair better. :confused:

I'm usually too lazy to microwave my oil though so I always do cold heavy oilings.

[Cleopatra18]

I do oil treatments with a heat cap,so i chose hot. Sometimes my coconut oil gets hot accidentaly when im melting it in the winter and i love how it makes my hair feel.

[csm--carla]

Would you mind saying what difference did you notice specifically?

I've never tried heating my oil....but I've considered getting a heat cap.

I think next time I henna my roots, I'll heat the coconut oil, dip my lengths in it and then cover and wrap it while my henna works its magic.

Usually when I use cold oil its USELESS. I notice no difference after washing it out. ktani has posted documentation that says that only heat can make coconut oil penetrate the cortex of the hair.

Failing this. I'm trying cones again--my hair is so frizzy--ick!.

Thank you so much for posting this and bringing the idea of experimenting with it to my mind.

Carla

[christine1989]

I do most of my oils at room temp but occasionally I heat up some coconut oil to make it eaiser to apply. Occasionally I oil my hair and let the steam in the shower warm it for a bit before I wash it out.

[PeaceLoveHair]

I just apply coconut oil or EVOO to my hair straight out of the bottle without heating it up in the microwave or anything...The only time my oil treatments are hot it when I use the VO5 hot oil treatment. My hair likes both hot and room temp treatments equally.

[Avital88]

I used to do this all the time when i was around 15,16 and my hair was at waist.
Great reminder, im gonna do it now!

[Cleopatra18]

yeah exactly,deep oil treatments especially in the winter felt like they do nothing for me,the oil just sits on top.
since getting my heat cap,I feel like atleast 70% of the oil is absorbed into the hair.and when i do oil treatments i really soak my hair in oil,i use a huge amount really.
I used to do oil treatments for atleast 4 hours,sometimes over night.but i get better results with just 45 mins with the heat cap.
I have been lazy lately due to my exams,but i'm defently going back to this when im done.

[angelfell]

Would you mind saying what difference did you notice specifically?

I've never tried heating my oil....but I've considered getting a heat cap.

I think next time I henna my roots, I'll heat the coconut oil, dip my lengths in it and then cover and wrap it while my henna works its magic.

Usually when I use cold oil its USELESS. I notice no difference after washing it out. ktani has posted documentation that says that only heat can make coconut oil penetrate the cortex of the hair.

Failing this. I'm trying cones again--my hair is so frizzy--ick!.

Thank you so much for posting this and bringing the idea of experimenting with it to my mind.

Carla

For ME, my hair was noticeable softer, and after I had washed it out, I had zero tangles. When it dried, my length was much shinier, and my proof frazzled ends were less noticeable. But I also like the fact that I only had the hot oil on my hair for 15 minutes, and it did a better job than when I leave cooler oil on for hours. I suppose it's true about the hot oil penetrating better.

As far as heat caps are concerned.. I bought one that's supposed to heat up from your own body heat, and personally I don't think it did much at all :/. But, maybe the one I got was just cheap. I'll stick with holding a cup up to my head for now :p.

ETA: The only downside to my method is I have to hold the cup up to my head with my hair in it for 15 minutes XD. Keeping it in the hot cup keeps the oil hot. If I take the oil/my hair out, it cools down verryy quickly.

And when I say for ME, that's because I know there's lots of different hair types and results may be different on different hair types. My hair isn't normally a pain at all, but I do have trouble keeping the length soft/shiny normally.

[windinherhair]

I've always used room temperature and had great results that way.

[Kat Girl]

I also have heard hot oil wasn't good, but I don't know. I'm kind of new to oiling and have just begun using coconut oil. So far I'm loving it.

[Henrietta]

Room temperature for me. Maybe it's just my subjective impression, but I feel like hot oil is more... watery and harder to cooperate with. And I did not notice any stunning difference in results, so I use room temp. oil.

[Tresses]

Would you mind saying what difference did you notice specifically?

I've never tried heating my oil....but I've considered getting a heat cap.

I think next time I henna my roots, I'll heat the coconut oil, dip my lengths in it and then cover and wrap it while my henna works its magic.

Usually when I use cold oil its USELESS. I notice no difference after washing it out. ktani has posted documentation that says that only heat can make coconut oil penetrate the cortex of the hair.

Failing this. I'm trying cones again--my hair is so frizzy--ick!.

Thank you so much for posting this and bringing the idea of experimenting with it to my mind.

Carla

This is not true, based on the following research. (Thanks to teela and Artemis at uTT for this. I don't know if this is one of the ones ktani referenced or not. I lost track of her links.)

http://journal.scconline.org//pdf/cc2001/cc052n03/p00169-p00184.pdf

In this study, cooonut oil was compared with mineral oil. The method of coating the hair was described on page 171:

HAIR TREATMENTS
The oils were used at a level of 0.2 ml/2.5-3 g tresses. The drops of oil were placed on hair swatches and were spread onto the hair fibers with a fine-tooth comb. The samples were stored overnight, and then the oil remaining on the surface was washed with a 20% solution of sodium laureth sulfate and the swatches were rinsed thoroughly, air-dried, and stored at room temperature. Control samples were treated in a similar way, except for treatment with the oils Emphasis added.

No heat was used. On page 174, the results include this:

The positive ion images at mass number 126.67 map the distribution of coconut oil in cross sections of an untreated control (Figure 6a) and coconut-oil-treated hair fibers (Figure 6b-d). The image of the untreated control hair fiber at mass number 126.67 in Figure 6a does not show much activity, suggesting essentially the absence of coconut oil. However, ion images at the same mass number of the coconut-oil-treated hair fibers clearly show partial (Figure 6d) to complete (Figure 6b,c) penetration of the coconut oil into the bulk of the hair fiber. Emphasis added.

So it can penetrate the hair fiber without heat given enough time (i.e., overnight).

That said, I use room temp oil for overnight oilings, and a heatcap for hot oil treatments. The oil itself does not need to be hot, as the heatcap does that work.

[morecowbell]

I prefer to use hot oil for deep treatments. I soak my container of oil in a cup of very very hot water and apply. After all of my hair is soaked, I put a shower cap on, and microwave a tshirt to go on top! :) I usually reheat the shirt 5-6 times in a 20 minute treatment, and I can tell a vast difference when I use hot oil versus room temp.

[Druid of Alba]

I warm the oil in a pan, and then apply it to my hair. It's lukewarm when it gets applied, so I chose room temperature in the poll.

[o.k.]

room temperature mostly

[Angel_099]

Hmmm...interesting. I haven't had much experience with oiling (other than VO5 hot oil treatments every once in a while when I was younger). I recently started using virgin coconut oil and have only used it room temperature. I did do an experimental oil treatment on my step-daughter over the weekend where I got her hair slightly wet, used pure jojoba oil on her length, put it up on top of her head under a plastic bag, and then wrapped a damp hot towel on after. We let it sit for 15 minutes and then did a CWC (since I have read conditioner especially helps in removing oil). This seemed to work very well for her...but I haven't tried it on myself yet.

[AgnesONutter]

Well...I start out with warm (not hot) oil, wrap it all up and sleep in it. So, not exactly hot, but not cold either.

[Phexlyn]

I've never tried heating the oil before applying it, as oil treatments are mostly something I do spontaneously and I just glob it on without thinking ;) Maybe I should plan ahead more.

[MaiCarInMtl]

I have only ever tried VO5 hot oil once, a long time ago. I'll have to give the "hot" oil next time (although I would consider it warm, not really hot).

As for keeping it warm, I think I'll just either do as someone mentioned (using a cup) or maybe wrap up my hair in cellophane and take out the magic bag! I better do this on a night the husband isn't home.

[nena_shawty]

hot oil penetrates my hair better

[leandrahime]

Makes me wonder if the plastic whatever over the head plus the hot towel over top to help hold in body heat will get it hot enough or if I really should invest in that heat cap...

[MaiCarInMtl]

Makes me wonder if the plastic whatever over the head plus the hot towel over top to help hold in body heat will get it hot enough or if I really should invest in that heat cap...
Well, I can tell you that I wrap my hair in saranwrap and put a tuque on over it when I do my henna (I sleep with it on) and my head gets real toasty! Perhaps it's warm enough... Mind you that is one thick tuque!

[AnnaJamila]

Lately I've been oiling my hair before going to bed and then getting it hot before I get in the shower. Usually I put on a regular shower cap and use the hairdryer on it until it gets nice and hot then wrap it up in a hot towel. Then I just schmere on some eggs. If it's a light oiling I just leave it alone or CO.

It's been working for me, but I guess I can't really say which method is doing the job! :D

[MaiCarInMtl]

Alright, so this thread peaked my curiosity last week and I tried a warm oil treatment on the weekend.

Here's what I did:
Late night: warm a bit of sweet almond and coconut oil in a small ramekin, sit ponytail in it (I sent about halfway up the ponytail). I stayed that way about 5-10 minutes (I would've kept it longer but it's hard to run after your husband because he's making fun of what you're doing while trying not to spill the oil all over the place). I then made a bit of a cinnabun, pinned it in place, put on saran wrap and my trusty tuque. I then passed out on the couch, was too lazy to wash it out at 3 am and kept it on all night long. I shampooed it twice in the morning (I still felt greasy after 1 wash) and added in a hint of conditioner just to help detangle. I let the whole thing air dry.

Well, I was thoroughly impressed by the results! I still can't stop touching my hair - even my husband remarked how much softer my hair was. I also did a HUGE S&D session on Saturday so my hair feels even better. I am seriously reconsidering even going to get a trim at the hair dresser's in the spring. :-)

How often should someone do these kinds of treatments though? Once a week? Once every second week? Sparingly?

[exclusively di]

I use monoi oil or Panacea's Hair Salve for my leave-in at body temp. I apply it to my ends while still damp, and when dry as I feel it needs it. Once or twice a week I apply a heavy oiling to the length, put it in a low bun and sleep on it. No tangles in very tangle prone hair, great curls, happy hair. I also oil my scalp once a week with hair growth stimulating eo's to keep from shedding unreasonably.
I leave it in all night. Not hot oils, but I am a VERY warm person and generate enough heat to make these treatments work wonderfully.

[Floh]

I use Warm/room temperature oil.
I did not get the idea to heat it up.

[Pacific]

I too use room temperatured oil.

[lapushka]

My mineral oil is always room temperature. I use it for the rinse-out oil method, after washing. No need to heat that up. Should be an interesting experiment, though... But for the 10 drops it takes, barely a pump, waste to heat up all that oil for nothing.

[Groovy Granny]

I always used room temp oil....any hot oil treatments on my fine silver would look like an oil slick that needed a biohazard team LOL

[Jadestorm]

I like it hot :)

[Tahnee]

I prefer room temperature :) But I guess I should try hot oil as well!

[MaiaMoon]

I use room temperature oil. Maybe I'll try hot one day too :)

[TatsuOni]

I use both, but if I'm really going to soak my hair and scalp, I prefer hot oil and a good scalp massage:) Then I put an old T-shirt on my head to not leave oil stains everywhere and then I let it sit for a day or more:)

If I'm only putting a little oil in my ends between washes it's always room temperature.

[Margrit]

room temperature oil

[Yousra]

Always room temp for me, even for coconut oil.

[Begemot]

Only room temp for me. I never figured out hot oil treatments (or maybe my hair just doesn't like them).

[GoatLady]

Hot oil (but not too hat) on damp hair.