Katie Wells and Dr. Madiha Saeed, MD explain how the medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil protect, nourish, and strengthen hair.
Coconut Oil for Hair: When to Use & When You Shouldn't
AUGUST 28, 2020
BY Katie Wells
I’ve been a fan of coconut oil for a really long time. It is a highly nourishing oil with hundreds of uses, and lately I’ve run across many sources touting the benefits of coconut oil for hair. It can certainly be beneficial for certain hair types when used correctly, but many sources recommend using it in ways that may do more harm than good.
Before you go pour coconut oil all over your head, make sure to know how to use it correctly to get the benefits without harming your hair!
Why Use Coconut Oil for Hair?
The idea of putting oil directly in the hair can seem counterintuitive, especially to anyone with naturally oily hair. Yet nourishing hair oil treatments have been used for thousands of years.
By using a certain ratio of beneficial oils, hair oil can add life and moisture into hair. It is also not meant to be an everyday product.
But why coconut oil?
Coconut oil is the richest natural source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), special types of fatty acid with antibacterial and antimicrobial properties that are very nourishing to the body. It is especially high in the C12 chain of MCFAs known as lauric acid.
Coconut oil’s properties allow it to penetrate hair in ways that other oils are not able to, which is why some people notice amazing results relatively quickly when using coconut oil for hair.
This is because of its low molecular weight and straight linear chain structure, which reduces the protein loss for both undamaged and damaged hair.
For best results, studies suggest coconut oil is best used before or after shampooing.
Could Coconut Oil Harm Hair?
There is no doubt that certain oils can be beneficial to hair. Yet many of us strip out beneficial oils from over-shampooing, leading the body to increase natural oil production to compensate. This is one reason for the rise of so-called no-poo methods.
Due to over-shampooing and poor diet, many of us are also missing vital nutrients we need to build healthy hair in the first place, but is adding oil to the hair the solution?
