Can you leave coconut oil in your hair overnight? Although it might be tempting to put coconut oil into your hair before bed and sleep on it, you should avoid this. Coconut oil hair masks can clog hair follicles, make your hair greasy, and reduce growth.
Aside from hair growth, most people can safely use coconut oil as a moisturizing ingredient in their routine to tame and hydrate dry strands. Just remember to use it as directed (start with a small amount and add as needed) to avoid clogging your follicles.
stimulates hair growth
Coconut oil is a natural way to help your hair grow longer, thicker, and faster. The vitamins and essential fatty acids naturally found in coconut oil nourish the scalp and help to remove sebum build-up from hair follicles.
For those with thinning or fine hair, coconut oil helps slow down hair loss by penetrating deep into your hair shaft to prevent protein loss, which in turn prevents breakage. When applied to your scalp, it simultaneously moisturizes and removes buildup around your hair follicles to jumpstart hair growth.
Coconut oil contains a high percentage of fat from medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), primarily in the form of lauric acid, which has been shown to block DHT production in test-tube and animal studies when provided orally ( 12 , 13 , 14 ).
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.
There are a variety of methods available for the regrowth of hair follicles, from using medication to massaging your scalp to stimulate your hair directly. Currently, the most effective way to reactivate your hair follicles is by using medication, such as finasteride and minoxidil.
If you damage your hair follicles after an injury, they can repair themselves and your hair will grow back. It could take up to four years before you see new hair growth out of damaged hair follicles, depending on the severity of your injury.
Environmental impact from sun exposure, chlorine or salt water, air conditioning or heating and pollution can weaken hair. It is normal to lose 100 to 150 hairs each day, but since most people have about 100,000 hairs on the head, this loss is not significant. When a hair is lost, a new one grows back in its place.
Simply applying the oil allows hair that has already detached from your scalp to fall away. Using too much coconut oil can make your hair greasy. It usually doesn't cause hair loss, but it can cause previously detached hair to fall away from your scalp more easily.
Studies show that heat causes hair follicle damage. Chemicals, however, can destroy them and cause permanent damage. Reducing the usage of heating tools and chemicals will significantly reduce damage simply by not drying your hair at higher temperatures or using mild hair coloring ingredients.
"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.
Smooth coconut oil onto hair and comb it through dry hair. Leave it on for at 15 to 30 minutes to let it absorb. Thoroughly wash hair with a great shampoo (you may need to shampoo twice to remove all of the oil) and conditioning as usual.
For best results, some haircare experts suggest using coconut oil about two to three times a week.
Of the many nutrients and oils touted as natural DHT blockers, rosemary oil is one of the best proven. In a 2015 study, men applied either rosemary oil or minoxidil (an FDA-approved topical treatment for male pattern hair loss) to their scalps twice daily for six months.
Practicing a healthy lifestyle can help reduce DHT levels naturally. This includes regular exercise, quit smoking, reduce stress, take time to rest, and do scalp exercises like massages to reduce tension and increase blood flow. The herbal route is also an effective natural way to reduce DHT in the body.
Minoxidil, Finasteride and Dutasteride (5 Alpha Reductase Inhibitors) 5AR Inhibitors can stop the body from producing DHT from testosterone. Medical professionals recommend Dutasteride, Topical Minoxidil, and Finasteride to treat hair loss or male baldness. These medications can suppress the DHT levels.
A scalp massage feels great, plus it invigorates your follicles and the nearby sebaceous glands that produce and distribute sebum oil. This natural oil is necessary to protect, moisturize and strengthen your strands.
Olive oil has a very soothing effect on your scalp, thanks to its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Its moisturizing effect helps reduce itchiness, deals with the dryness, fights dandruff and unclogs the clogged follicles.