For the previous 5 millennia, men and women throughout the globe have scooped oils squeezed from native crops onto their hair for nourishment. Ask any lady from South Asia and you’ll hear of the nice and cozy act of ‘sneha’ (Sanskrit for ‘to oil’ or ‘to like’), childhood reminiscences of their moms lovingly massaging a aromatic combination of oils onto their hair earlier than a bathe.
In historical Egypt, the oils of selection had been almond and castor. Shea butter’s sweet-smelling roots hint again to ladies in Africa, who would use it to situation and braid afro-textured hair. According to the 2006 e book Encyclopedia of Hair: A cultural historical past by Victoria Sherrow, Native Americans used animal fat corresponding to bear oil or grease for haircare.
Today, as oiling continues in households worldwide, with a spike in utilization through the pandemic as we turned to at-home choices for shiny tresses (as per statistics web site Mordor Intelligence) – one oil remedy stood out, racking up a whopping 60m views on TikTok. We spoke to dermatologists and a trichologist to search out out simply why a sizzling oil remedy is the most well liked at-home haircare masks for immediate outcomes and what to not do.
A useful pre-wash routine
Applying oil earlier than you bathe can shield your hair from the friction and harm whereas washing and shampooing, and in addition nourish the strands.
Image Credit: Pexels/Yan Krukov
Before we delve into the remedy itself, let’s take a look at why precisely oiling is useful for hair.
• Protecting your hair from friction and breakage when washing
“All oils basically present a coating layer so it may be protecting,” says Dr Fatima Rezgui, specialist dermatologist at Dubai-based Aesthetica clinic. “This is vital earlier than shampoo as a result of the cleaning soap and brushing will be very traumatising and abrasive for the hair.”
All oils basically present a coating layer to allow them to be protecting. This is vital earlier than shampoo as a result of the cleaning soap and brushing will be very traumatising and abrasive for the hair.
– Dr Fatima Rezgui, specialist dermatologist at Dubai-based Aesthetica clinic
• Moisturising and nourishing your hair and scalp
Depending on its consistency, the oil can sink into your hair cuticle (the outer layer of hair), sealing it to entice moisture inside. Dr Rezgui says, “It has some moisturising results particularly for dry hair. Some oils even have vitamins that may nourish the hair. For instance, coconut oil and olive oil are extremely nutritive.”
• Massaging the oil into your scalp will help to extend blood circulation
“Oil therapeutic massage or perhaps a regular head therapeutic massage could assist in growing the blood circulation. It is barely a behavior and is useful in grooming the hair,” says Dr Satish Kumar, specialist dermatologist with 25 years of expertise at Doctors clinic, Dubai.
Oil therapeutic massage or perhaps a regular head therapeutic massage could assist in growing the blood circulation. It is barely a behavior and is useful in grooming the hair.
– Dr Satish Kumar, specialist dermatologist
However, he provides that scientifically, we don’t require additional oil as sebum is of course produced to moisturise our scalp.
• Rosemary oil could stop one kind of hair loss
Rosemary oil has been confirmed to assist stop and deal with one kind of hair loss.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
Dr Rezgui refers to a 2015 research by Iran-based researchers revealed within the US-based journal SKINmed, “There is a research that compares rosemary oil to minoxidil, a remedy for hair loss – and proven that it offers the identical impact, stopping and treating it.
“Specifically one kind of hair loss that is quite common – androgenetic hair loss. It will be prevented and handled by rosemary oil to a sure extent as it could actually cut back the impact of androgen hormones on hair.”
According to Dr Zahra Darwish, trichologist at Dubai-based Vivandi trichology, for different hair loss causes unrelated to scalp or hair harm, corresponding to a thyroid problem, a sure medicine, or iron deficiency, oiling is not going to assist.
• Coconut oil could stop protein loss from strands
So far, coconut oil is the one oil discovered to penetrate the hair strands, and assist cut back protein loss from it.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
“Coconut oil is particular as a result of in contrast to different oils, the molecules are smaller to allow them to penetrate the hair, offering deep moisturisation. Other oils sit on the hair and coat it. Also, what’s good about coconut oil is that it prevents protein loss, which makes the hair stronger,” says Dr Rezgui.
A 2003 research by India-based researchers within the Journal of Cosmetic Science discovered: “Among three oils (sunflower, mineral, and coconut), coconut oil was the one oil discovered to scale back the protein loss remarkably for each undamaged and broken hair when used as a pre-wash and post-wash grooming product.”
Warm oil, higher absorption
Massaging heat oil into your hair earlier than shampoo can nourish and situation your hair.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
“Hot oiling is nice in the event you do it as soon as every week or twice a month as a result of it supplies a very good diet and nourishment to the hair, in the event you’re utilizing a very good oil,” says Dr Darwish.
Dr Rezgui says, “Most oils are too thick to penetrate the hair however if you warmth the oil, it makes the hair extra permeable to the oil and it additionally seals the cuticle, so it’s extra useful for very dry and brittle hair.” Dr Kumar provides that it could actually additionally ease the elimination of thick scales on scalp.
What oils ought to I exploit?
“From a scientific standpoint, we don’t have a lot proof to assist that every one these oils are useful for hair – avocado oil, castor oil, jojoba oil,” says Dr Fatima Rezgui, dermatologist at Dubai-based Aesthetica clinic. “The solely oils which have been studied in-depth and we’ve got sufficient proof for are coconut oil and rosemary oil.”Rosemary oil would have to be diluted with a service oil earlier than use. She advises to avoid mineral oils, as they don’t seem to be really helpful for hair.
However, many people could also be damaging our hair in the way in which we oil our strands, whether or not by leaving it in a single day or making use of it onto our scalp post-shower.
The commonest mistake everybody does is that instantly after they apply oil, they begin combing their hair. The hair has oil on it and is in its most fragile stage – combing the hair will trigger a whole lot of hair breakage and it will result in hair loss.
– Dr Zahra Darwish, trichologist at Dubai-based Vivandi trichology.
Dr Darwish says, “There are many individuals who’ve a behavior of oiling their hair each day or twice every week. And once they come to me and I see their hair, typically they’ve misplaced 50 per cent of hair and oil has not accomplished any good to them and has simply created extra damages.” Here’s easy methods to do it proper –
A step-by-step sizzling oil remedy information
Many of us are oiling our hair unsuitable – here is easy methods to do it the appropriate manner, with out harm.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
“Before washing, I might undoubtedly suggest making use of oil – from the scalp and hair itself, from roots to ends,” says Dr Rezgui.
However, if in case you have any scalp irritation or illness, seek the advice of your dermatologist first earlier than making an attempt this.
1. Detangling
Brush or comb your hair to take away the tangles.
2. Warm up the oils
Slightly heat your most popular oils – both by inserting the bowl or bottle in sizzling water or utilizing a microwave. “You shouldn’t burn your hair or scalp, the temperature needs to be heat somewhat than sizzling,” says Dr Rezgui.
You may use a squeeze bottle that may apply oil straight onto your scalp.
3. Apply it onto your hair and scalp
Apply and therapeutic massage the oil gently into your scalp and hair.
Image Credit: Unsplash/Scandinavian Biolabs
Gently therapeutic massage it into your scalp and hair for a couple of minutes, masking the complete size of your strands.
4. Avoid combing
“The commonest mistake everybody does is that instantly after they apply oil, they begin combing their hair. The hair has oil on it and is in its most fragile stage – combing the hair will trigger a whole lot of hair breakage and it will result in hair loss,” says Dr Darwish.
You can gently detangle your hair along with your fingertips.
5. Gather your hair, however no tight hairstyles
“Ninety-nine per cent of individuals, once they oil, they do a good ponytail or roll their hair and convey all the things to the highest of the top with an enormous clip. This would additionally result in a whole lot of hair breakage,” says Dr Darwish.
What you are able to do as an alternative is bundle your hair right into a bathe cap to not solely entice warmth however preserve your hair in place or use a unfastened clip on the base of your neck.
6. Hooded dryer, heat towel wrap or quick steam session
One choice is to heat a towel as a wrap, and let it sit for as much as two hours solely.
Image Credit: Pexels/Maria Orlova
After masking hair with a bathe cap, you may sit underneath a hooded dryer for 10 minutes or heat a towel and wrap it round your head. If you’re utilizing a steamer, Dr Darwish says, “Only as much as 5 to 10 minutes of steaming as it could trigger the identical results as a sizzling bathe.”
7. 20 minutes to 2 hours – and in a single day is strictly no-no
Although we’re typically informed to go away oil on in a single day, the advantages of oil lie in a small window of time, quantity, and temperature – and going past this will trigger harm.
Dr Darwish says, “The most time which I inform my sufferers is 2 hours. Leaving oil in a single day is strictly prohibited.” Why?
• It can change the pH of the scalp
Our scalp is normally at pH of 5.5, and coconut oil, to choose one instance, is definitely at a pH of seven to eight.
Dr Rezgui explains, “If utilized for a brief interval, that’s effective, however in the event you apply an enormous quantity and preserve it for a very long time, it could actually trigger imbalance, trigger the hair to be extra fragile, drier in the long term and extra liable to hair fall.”
• It could make your scalp extra dry
Putting oil in your scalp can suppress your pure oils or sebum manufacturing, and result in extra dryness over time, explains Dr Rezgui.
• It can feed dandruff-causing fungus
“For dandruff, we all know that the fungus is nourished by sebum so the extra oil you employ, the extra dandruff you’ll have,” says Dr Rezgui.
• It can clog your pores and trigger scalp pimples and infections
Dr Darwish says, “It can clog the pores, occluding the hair and scalp if you’re sleeping and as an alternative of doing good, it is going to result in broken hair and breakouts on the scalp, particularly if in case you have an oily scalp. You can get pimples in your scalp, and ultimately it is going to result in hair loss as a result of it fully modifications the scalp situation.”
8. Shampoo twice to take away all oil residue on scalp
Shampoo your hair totally.
Image Credit: Pexels/Scandinavian Biolabs
“If they go away any oil on the scalp, the build-up will trigger hair breakage, damages and hair loss within the scalp,” says Dr Darwish. She recommends shampooing your hair twice.
9. Use cool or lukewarm water for rinses
“Hot water takes the diet away from hair, and it could actually trigger dandruff and sensitivity to the scalp,” says Dr Darwish.
10. Post-shower, apply solely on ends if desired
After washing, apply oil solely to the ends if desired.
Image Credit: Pexels/Yaroslav Shuraev
Applying oil in your scalp after a bathe not solely doesn’t assist with absorption, however actually clogs your pores and causes harm, explains Dr Darwish. Dr Rezgui advises, “If you’re utilizing it as a leave-in conditioner, then follow the ends solely, don’t apply it to roots.”
https://gulfnews.com/friday/magnificence/hot-oil-treatment-the-trending-haircare-practice-for-instantly-nourished-hair-1.1654511169688
