Newbie's Questions on Oils...

[Eternal.Fiend]

So I haven't really been a member long (this is my first thread - eek!) but it seems that so many people use oils on their hair. It might sound silly - but what are oils supposed to do to your hair? And can people with finer hair do it, or will it just make it weighed down? What's the best oil to try first? All over or just on the ends?

I'm just really confused right now...

[SilverMcFly17]

My hair is very fine. I am starting castor oil just on the scalp and it has made me greasy looking. Some people can get away with wearing if for days on end and having no problems. I'm not one of them. Castor oil is said to promote growth. Coconut oil has Medium Chain Fatty acids, so it is the only oil (that I know of) that actually has the ability to penetrate the cuticle of the hair and help strengthen it. I've also used Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but I didn't notice any real help from that. Those are the 3 I have on hand right now that I've used a lot. I am going to try to have an arsenal later on. I love the volume I get after I sleep in the castor oil and wash it out with CO in the morning. Coconut oil really helps my damaged ends become easier to live with and stop some of the breakage. Hope this helps.

[YepLilly]

They basically seal or coat your hair and prevent moisture from escaping. From what I've read, they can be used in two ways:

- Pre-wash: You add oil on the length of your hair a couple hours (or overnight) before washing it. The shampoo will be less harsh on your hair.
- Post-wash: Also applied on your length, it seals the moisture in.

Oils can be also used to tame flyaways. Certain oils have benefits of their own (castor oil is supposed to help with regrowth, conocut oil was shown to penetrate the hair, etc). I guess the oils most people start with are olive oil and coconut oil. Make sure they are extra virgin.

[Coan-Teen]

SilverMcFly17 and YepLilly have pretty much covered what oils are used for. To answer you other question, yes people with fine hair can use them, it just usually takes a little more experimentation to find what works for you.

Oil for me helps to seal and protect my hair. It also helps tame my flyaways and I have fine hair. The only two oils I've found that for work me are Moroccan Argan Oil and Camellia oil. Neither one makes my hair look greasy, but bear in mind everyone's scalp and hair is different. Starting to experiment with what you have around the house is a good place to start, but many people with fine hair find that EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) is a bit too heavy. Coconut tends to be the one most people on here love. I can't stand the smell of coconut so I went outside the box. :)

Welcome to LHC!

[sabreena]

I use coconut oil. I come from an Indian family and my mother used to brainwash me that it will grow my hair faster.
What i believe it does is give nutrients and strengthens hair. It prevents split ends and makes it manageable.

Usually i heat the oil and then put a little on my scalp. You have to massage it in. The stimulation causes hair to grow. Then you put a little bit on the body of your hair and importantly ends.

Leave it for one hour. Please wash it off completely or it will clog your pores and you will be defeating the purpose. Never leave oil overnight.

As for growing hair faster, i believe it. I experimented on myself once. I oiled my hair for a period of time and it grew faster and stronger. When i stopped oiling the growth was much slower. I do it only once a week now.

[Eternal.Fiend]

Thank you so much guys, I feel educated. Ha Ha :P

I might actually get some coconut oil, and experiment with that a little bit, it seems like there are different ways you can use it :)

Just a question about washing it out, I'm currently CWC washing my hair with Tressemme 24 Hour Body S&C (SLS and Cones) would that get it out? Or should I try and CO it out?

[tigereye]

I do CWC with diluted shampoo and I find it really difficult to get oils out. Especially coconut oil. But I can't get it out with CO either. It normally takes a good couple of shampooings with undiluted shampoo to actually get it out. I just can't stand the feeling of my hair if I don't get it out.
But a lot of people do fine with just CO or CWC, so just whatever your hair needs really. Different oils probably need different methods depending on how heavy they are.

[Lissandria]

Either CO or CWC should work (maybe not on heavier oils like EVOO or castor) But coconut should wash out ok with either methods. I
ve yet to try coconut oil (very popular on these boards) but I like to use jojoba oil on my ends post wash/as required. Jojoba oil is very close in composition to the skin's natural sebum and it's nice and light (great for fine/thin hair types) :) hope this helps

[kdaniels8811]

As a fine haired person, I have to comment. I use one or two DROPS of oil on all my hair. Place it on the palm of my hands and rub together, then wipe it down the length between my palms, concentrating on the ends. If I used any more oil, I ended up with greasy hair and had to wash it. Hope this helps.

[archel]

I use oils in a couple different ways. I use 3 drops ONLY of argan oil (a very light oil) on my hair as a leave in. Anything more and my hair is just lanky and greasy and awful. However, every other night on wash night I do a scalp rub with my castor oil blend (50/50 castor and grapeseed with 10 drops lavender/vanilla and 10 drops helichrysum). I do this for growth and deep conditioning over night and I am seeing amazing results. I find that washing once with a non sulfate shampoo is enough for me to get it all out, but I do wash for quite some time, really concentrating on my scalp.

Hope this helps!