Before bed, massage a small amount of coconut oil into your scalp. Leave it overnight and wash it off with shampoo in the morning.
It should be common sense but, if you do suffer from oily hair or oily skin, an overnight coconut oil hair mask might not be for you. Adding more oil to your hair or skin, especially overnight, is unlikely to improve the problem and may only make things worse.
Although coconut oil can also be bad for hair when you leave unrefined oil on the roots and scalp for too long – if it's absorbed into the scalp, hair growth can slow down, and your hair will be getting greasy much faster.
For best results, some haircare experts suggest using coconut oil about two to three times a week.
Varalakshmi suggests oiling at least twice a week, ideally a night before you plan to wash your hair. If leaving oil on overnight isn't possible, you can oil your hair an hour before you bathe and wrap your head with a hot towel. This will extract some nutrition from the oil in a short time frame, says Garodia.
In general, it is not recommended to leave oil on for more than 6-8 hours, as that might make things tricky. The oil can attract a lot of dirt, dust, grime and get them to stick to your hair! So, it will take a lot more effort to wash your hair with all this added stuff to wash off.
If your hair is thin or gets greasy easily, you can skip the scalp so the oil doesn't weigh your hair down. Allow the coconut oil to sit on your hair for 20 to 30 minutes after application. If your hair is very dry or porous, you can leave it on longer; some people like to use it as an overnight treatment.
Coconut oil causes protein build-up, blocking off the moisture and making your tresses more breakable, rough, and dry. Massaging it onto your scalp can cause even more dryness or breakage on damaged or over-processed hair.
Frequent and regular use of coconut oil causes hair loss. This is by far one of the most devastating side effects of coconut oil on your hair, and that is the clogging of your hair follicles due to the buildup overtime.
Leaving your oil on your hair for more than one day is a bad idea. Even one day is not recommended since it can cause the oil to form a layer on your scalp, clogging your pores, accumulating dandruff and attracting dirt.
Does coconut oil make your hair grow faster? Yes, indeed it does. "Coconut oil will definitely help your hair grow healthier, thicker, and longer," Brown confirms. "The vitamins and fatty acids in coconut oil help nourish your scalp and penetrates the cuticle of the hair.
The use of coconut oil on hair helps reduce protein loss in all hair types. And, because this oil is rich in lauric acid and easily penetrates inside the hair shaft it is great to use as a daily conditioner.
"The reason some people experience dryness with coconut oil — especially when using it alone as a treatment — is that it can penetrate the hair cuticle, taking up space within the strands," says cosmetic chemist Ni'Kita Wilson.
Typically, those with fine to medium shiny hair will see good results from coconut oil and notice stronger, shinier hair with more volume. Those with coarse or dry hair may not struggle with low protein at all and coconut oil may lead to more brittle hair and hair loss.
DRY SHAMPOO
One of the easiest ways to get rid of coconut oil is to use dry shampoo. Dry shampoo comes in handy to absorb excess oils and give your strands a refreshed and balanced feel. Apply the dry shampoo to your hair, making sure to focus on your roots and apply lightly through the rest of your hair.
Since it's an oil, coconut oil may cause more irritation to the scalp in some people. For example, if your dandruff is caused by seborrheic dermatitis, coconut oil could make your scalp even oiler and worsen dandruff.
Myth 1: Oil your hair to prevent hair fall.
Fact: Oiling doesn't help preventing hair fall, instead it can increase it. Oiling leads to accumulation of dust and oil on the scalp which blocks your hair follicles, hence increasing the fall. It can also give rise to other facial problems like acne.
You should never comb your hair immediately after applying oil. You see, hair is more fragile after oiling and your scalp is a lot more relaxed. Combing your hair roughly can cause hair breakage and loss. If you do want to comb your locks, start from the tips and gently make your way to the top.
Coconut oil has also been shown to protect the hair from protein loss and, potentially, shield strands from UV damage caused by long days in the sun. While it won't help you grow longer hair (that's a myth, sorry!), using coconut oil before or after you shampoo can give your tresses a natural-looking shine.
Oil your hair no more than 1 to 2 times a week. Leave it on for approximately an hour or two but you don't need to leave it on longer than that. When you leave oil on too long you run the risk of zits because oil will run down onto your skin and you also don't add any real benefit by leaving it on longer.
If you are asking, does coconut oil lighten the skin, the answer is yes, it does. It works as a natural sunscreen because of its beauty protection benefits.