Using oils for healthy hair growth and minimizing hair loss is not just about buying good quality oils, you need oils that can penetrate the hair shafts the most. Natural oils that penetrate the hair shaft provide a high amount of fatty acids such as lauric, capric, oleic, linoleic, mystic, palmitic & caprylic acids. With small molecular structure and size using medium chain fatty acid oils will allow them to penetrate into your hair and scalp easily. Now every time you apply your oil, they will be feeding the hair and scalp the nutrition it needs to grow strong healthy hair.
Why You Should Use Oils that Penetrate the Hair Shaft
It's not just about growing hair; it's about growing healthy hair you can keep. Every time you wash your hair water molecules penetrate the hair, and it swells up. That is when your cuticles open up, bending outward to form a rough and scaly kind of texture, you no longer have smooth cuticles that shine. Applying oils that penetrate the hair shaft and locks before washing prevents the strands to swell up. The water washes your hair and is not able to penetrate it too much to cause damage to the outer cuticles. Healthy hair is almost always hydrophobic because you have natural oils being produced from your scalp to moisturize the hair continuously. Your hair usually suffers due to pollution, chemical hair products, chlorinated water, weather changes, heat tools and a whole host of other factors affecting the world today. You are left with dry, dehydrated, coarse hair that looks limp and lifeless. Now because your hair needs more protection it becomes very porous, so it builds a protective outer layer on the strands that are damaged. When you go in to wash your hair, it takes up a significant amount of water in a short period. After washing your hair, it could look frizzy and unhealthy even if you just treated that hair. That is the reason you want to use oils with high penetration abilities; they will protect and nourish the hair.
Some plant oils are emollients that are used as hair treatment and moisturizer to make it more manageable and add elasticity. Applying oils to the hair help to add slip and not tangle with other strands to avoid breakage. When oil is use to protect the hair, it makes the hair more hydrophobic (water resistance), if you have healthy, strong hair than it is usually naturally hydrophobic. Working with normal or low porosity hair is a little hydrophobic, but it does need a bit more help for oils to penetrate. Using oil to protect the hair keeps it from taking on too much water too quickly. When your hair is dehydrated adding water and oil to moisturize it is one key way to keep it healthy. The problem comes when your hair is porous, it takes on to much water too quickly and causes it to swell. Many oils can help protect the hair from expanding, but the best oils to use are the ones that can penetrate the hair shaft. No one hair is the same so we can't predict exactly how an oil will react to it, but some oils do work better at penetrating the hair shaft better than others. Others oils may not penetrate the hair, but don't rule them out completely they can have great benefit for your hair. Thinner and soft hair can use high penetrating oils but in a small amount because they tend to be easily over condition. Your hair may feel greasy and lank when to much oil is use for an oil treatment or moisturizing. Low porosity hair thrives on these penetrating oils because it is hard to not only add moisture but keep the hair from drying out. You want to use high penetrating oils to protect the hair before washing and use oils to keep it moisturize until your wash day. Environmental damages can cause your hair to become porous as well, being out in the sun can cause heat damage to your hair, the wind, and any heat styling tools you use on your hair. Using penetrating oils particularly in the ends of your hair can help restore healthy hair.
How to find penetrating oils? Look for Triglycerides and hair penetration:
The amount of triglyceride and short-chain fatty acids and oil contain is key to it penetrating your hair shaft. It is important to how the component of the triglyceride is arranged in your oil. The lipid molecules must be small to penetrate the hair, less than 18-20 carbon atoms with a few other qualities. Oils are composed of many different lipids, so when little owing for oil to use in your hair, it is important to know exactly what you are getting. The triglycerides mention earlier are only three fatty acid molecules attached to a glycerol “ backbone.” Short chain lips even non-triglycerides are often straight chains that have no branching bits, so they are small and compact. Triglyceride components in plant oils can also be polar (just slightly positively charge), so it allows them to be attracted to the negative charges proteins in your hair. Usually, oils are nonpolar that makes a big difference in chemistry with electrostatic (+ and -) interaction rather than just having other oils form a film over your hair strands. The chemistry helps the triglycerides actively pull through the hair cuticles to penetrate the hair shafts.
Oil penetrating the hair and the Fat saturation
An additional rule is monounsaturated fats tend to penetrate the hair better than polyunsaturated fats. Keeping your hair healthy, in good condition, soft and moisturize require using the right oils that will penetrate the hair shafts. Use oils that will go deep and penetrate the hair to protect it from swelling with water while you wash it.
The Fatty Acids To Look For
Oils are composed of different amount of fatty acids. Look for oils that contain a larger amount of fatty acids such as lauric acid, caprylic acid, palmitic acid, myristic acid, oleic acid, or linloeic acid. Lipids with 18 carbons long or less have carbon small enough to seep under the hair cuticles. Look for high polar triglycerides because they soak in the hair which again helps it penetrate the hair cuticles along with monosaturated lipids that are most likely to penetrate the hair. Adding indirect heat like a conditioning heat cap or a warm towel on your head after applying the oils can improve the penetration.
Let's talk about a few oils that penetrate the hair and how exactly do they work. The majority of these oils works even better covered up with a plastic cap and with indirect heat. You can sit under a hooded dryer, use a heat cap, or a warm towel wrap around your head. You will retain the warmth and allow the oils to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft to provide much-needed nutrients.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is by far one of the top penetrating oils on the market. It penetrates the hair and scalps up to 75% when using properly. Coconut oil contains the smallest molecular structure, hints why it can penetrate the hair so much and help to protect it from growing long healthy hair. The moment you apply it to your hair it starts penetrating to provide the hair with nutrients, and of course, that protects it as well. Using coconut oil on your hair before washing prevents the loss of protein in the hair shafts.
Olive Oil
When it comes to trouble hair olive oil works wonders, the moisture and nutrients it provides show it. It comes with a thicker consistency than coconut oil, but it still penetrates the hair on a high level. It moisturizes the strands, adds elasticity, and help achieve more manageable hair for less breakage. One thing to keep in mind is that this oil does get a little greasy when overused. Make sure to add the proper amount for your hair type, or you can even mix it with coconut oil to apply to your fair.
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is another oil that benefits damage or trouble hair. It is rich in rich, fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic as well it is full of antioxidants that not only repair your hair but protected it from environmental damage like the sunlight UV rays as well as heating styling tools. Avocado oil comes in about the same thick consistency as olive oil but is also able to penetrate the hair and scalp for nutrients.
Babassu Oil
The Babassu Oil is your one product that treats all your need of hair and skin. The Brazilian Babassu oil extract comes from the Babassu Palm may not be known to most, but it is a rare oil that is both beneficial to hair and skin. Like coconut oil about 75% lipids will penetrate the hair to add moisture and nourish the strands. It works to repair damages, add needed luster to the strands as it continues to nourish the hair overall. For your hair to stay healthy you need to maintain the health, add strength, add elasticity to keep that moisturizing and conditioning state. Babassu oil help to keep your hair safe and well manageable to prevent damages and breakage. The locals in Brazil have used this oil for hundreds of years and continue to do so with all the incredible benefits it provides.
Castor Oil
If your hair can handle this thick, sticky oil, you are in for thicker hair growth and significant hair repair. Castor oil is rich in powerful antioxidants such as Vitamin E & fatty acids such as Omega 6 & 9 that protects the hair from everyday environmental damages and other pollution. Castor oil can penetrate the hair to nourish and add moisture as well as help your hair retain moisture. You only need a small amount of castor oil compare to other oils because it has a heavy and sticky consistency. It contributes to mixing castor oil with other oils like coconut, olive, and other oils to lighten the texture before applying to your hair.
Other Natural Oils and Butter that Penetrate the Hair Shaft are Shea Butter, Ucuuba Butter, Argan Oil, Sweet Almond Oil.
When & How to Use Oil on Your Hair
Use penetrating oils as a pre-poo treatment when you notice the ends of your hair thinning. Losing volume in your hair, natural curls, waves, or other types of natural patterns is a sign of loss protein in the hair, start using oils to protect the strands. When the hair is not manageable and soft even after using a deep conditioning treatment. Frizzy hair that takes longer to dry could be a sign of water swelling the hair shafts during washing, oils help protect the hair. Using oils on your hair before washing is an age old secret use to prevent hair loss along with promoting growth. One of the most popular cultures that use this method is women in India to grow long, beautiful, healthy hair. Coating the hair with oils before washing makes your strands more hydrophobic in other words water resistant. While you are shampooing and conditioning your hair, the oils will prevent the loss of protein in the hair strands. One of the top choice oils to use is coconut oil because it can penetrate the hair up to 75% when added. You can use any oil that works for your hair type and will penetrate the hair when you start washing it.
Overnight Treatment Treating your hair overnight has its benefits, it allows the oils to soften up dry and coarse hair. The best method is to go with high penetrating oils like coconut, olive, and other such oils. Measure up at least two tablespoons or however much your hair needs to coat the entire scalp and strands. Make sure you are not adding to much oil as it can be hard to wash off, now massage your scalp for about five minutes after you apply your oils. Now cover your hair with a plastic cap, make sure to add extra covering on op of your plastic cap and your pillow to avoid oil stains. When you wake up the next day, your hair will be damp just grab your shampoo and add it only to your scalp and then proceed with massaging it in just the scalp and rinse. Afterward, continue with the rest of your routine.
How I Heat up My Hot Oil Treatment Before My Washing Routine
Hot Oil Massage Hot oil treatments are natural remedies when it comes to damage hair. A weekly treatment can help to restore dry, frizzy looking hair to its original luscious state. All you need is some good nutritional oils in a container; then you warm it up for a few seconds or place it in hot water. Make the oil is only warm, not hot to avoid burning your scalp and causing damage to both hair and scalp. After you warm up your oil section off the hair and apply it on the scalp and hair, then let it sit for at least 45 minutes to 2 hours. If you have a heat cap now is the time to put it to good use and keep the oil warm for the duration of the time those oils are in your strands. Now all you do is wash your hair as usual and see the difference the oils make because they are protecting your strands.
Oils are a great way to protect your hair and help it grow long and healthy, but as with everything it may not be for everyone. Use the oils that agree with your hair type, try a different mix, treatments, and methods to achieve the best results. You may find that oils do not agree with your hair at all so another approach may be needed to treat your hair and keep it growing. Never limit yourself to one product or practice for healthy hair growth, try it all.
