Can an oil treatment replace a deep conditioning treatment?

[kellysmum]

I'm new here, so I'm a little confused. I have long curly, dry hair that I have to deep condition with heat once a week, usually on Friday nights. My usual routine is to gently clarify to remove build up, then use Curl Junkie Curl Rehab, plastic cap, thermal cap for 30-45 min., then rinse. It does not seem to be helping, however, as my hair is still dry during the week. So I ordered coconut oil to use as an overnight treatment. My question is: Will this oil treatment be sufficient to replace the DC treatment on Fridays, or should I do both? Oh, and can someone recommend a really good deep conditioner treatment if oil is not sufficient? Thank you.

[Roscata]

SMT (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128) is a pretty good deep moisture treatment. I suggest trying an overnight oiling with coconut oil, then clarifying, then follow it with the SMT. After that you can add a bit of oil to your length for extra moisture. Also if you're a curly girl with perpetually dry hair I strongly suggest Conditioner Only (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=2898) washes, leave-in conditioners, de-frizz spray (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=277), lemon rinse (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=53745) and reading Live Curly, Live Free (http://www.livecurlylivefree.com/curly%20hair%20basics.htm) and articles on Naturally Curly (http://www.naturallycurly.com/).

Welcome to LHC! :D

[spidermom]

I have. A pre-wash overnight coconut oiling leaves my hair exactly how I like it, so I've cut other types of deep conditioning treatments down to about once per year whether my hair needs it or not, and I'm not sure it does.

[8thsinner]

Not sure how things effect curly hair versus my straight, But I used to use a blend of coconut oil, cedar wood and rosemary as a deep conditioner, and it worked fine however, since moving to Moroccan hair oil (Marrakesh oil) I see no need for it. I just add it in after regular conditioning whilst wet and it's damn nice.
I will be moving however to argan oil pure and expect the same if not better results.

[longhairedlady]

Olive oil is the only DT I use. I have thought about using other oils but olive works so well for me that I have stuck with it. :) I do a DT weekly before my CWC day.

[Lollipop]

I have. A pre-wash overnight coconut oiling leaves my hair exactly how I like it, so I've cut other types of deep conditioning treatments down to about once per year whether my hair needs it or not, and I'm not sure it does.

I second this. Sort of. When I first started caring for my hair, I did DTs every two weeks since I was really into it, but I am honestly too lazy for that. It is a mess to mix, appl, cover, and leave in your hair for a few hours. As I got lazier, I stopped completely, but I recently started doing pre-wash oilings with coconut oil. It's perfect since it uses little product, it doesn't mess with my routine (cleaning my room is a pain with a showercap+towel on my head), and it is simple. I occassionally do a DT to pamper myself, but really it is more for the indulgence of it rather than a regular hair thing for me :shrug:.

[Cassie 123]

For some people, the answer is no. Oil alone can't replace moisture in your hair, and you can end up with what people around here call "crunchy" ends. To replace moisture, you need humectants and water, which is what you get in any good conditioner. You don't need to buy a special "deep" conditioner, just leave your regular conditioner on for longer, preferably while keeping it warm. Aloe and honey (as an SMT) can boost the humectant quality if you want.

Then again.. if your hair is healthy and not particularly dry, just using your conditioner in the normal fashion in the shower may well be enough moisture, and oiling could be your only deep treatment. The only way to find out is to try!

[Safira]

Yes and no. I oil a lot, and sometimes I replace DT because of oiling. But my hair needs a lot of protein and moisture, so I have to do DT.s more often and make protein treatments more than moisture.

It really depends and you have to try and feel what your hair needs.

[Maktub]

This is how I sort of picture it, simply put :

You want to add more moisture (water / conditionner / SMT) IN your hair
And a little oil OVER the moisturized hair to seal some moisture it in

Is your hair damaged ? Do you know why it's dry, other than being curly and somewhat prone to dryness ?

[Ashenputtel]

I see that you have fine hair, maybe you are lacking proteins. Are there any in your condish? Are your strands elastic when wet.

I always though my hair needed a lot of moisture. It turn out to be that my hair in fact was over moisturized and was lacking proteins.

Doing a heavy coco oiling before your shampoo (if you shampoo) can prevent the lost of proteins when you wash it. Leave it at least one hour. It's also a great emollient, it will make your strands softer and will nourish them, but it won't bring moisture.

[Melisande]

Dilute your shampoo for CWC washes or switch to CO, this is very important for dry hair.

I don't know the product you are using - but ask yourself, why did you choose it? Did it do its job? What are the ingredients? is there glycerine in it (which may dry out hair) or other ingredients that don't actually help dry hair?

I would add olive oil to the deep treatment AND add prewash oilings. The latter has helped my dry hair very, very much.

The key to adding moisture to hair (and skin) is a mixture of oily and watery ingredients. Water alone evaporates, and oil on its own only lubricates. Only combining both, like in creams and other emulsions, you get the benefit of adding moisture and keeping it.

And as a next step, you have to avoid stripping your hair too vigorously of oils. That's why I always recommend going gentle on the detergents.

What I have learned from my long hair journey: habits are more important than products. You can make any product hair friendlier by adding water and oil, but only changing your habits and routines, consequently keeping your hair's moisture level high and avoiding damage (damaged hair cannot retain moisture) will give you long term effects.

[Lianna]

I believe if you wet the hair first, it can be called a deep moisture treatment.