why does coconut oil not like course hair

by Missouri Rogahn DDS 3 min read

Oils like coconut and olive oils are too thick for hair cuticles that are closed up. They will just build up on your scalp and sit on top of your hair strands without being fully absorbed by your hair. As a result, you don’t even reap the nourishing benefits of these oils. This results in dry hair that is stiff and hard to the touch.

Coconut oil can cause protein buildup for these hair types, blocking your hair from much-needed moisture which makes your hair even drier, stiffer, and less elastic. And less elasticity means more breakage when combing or styling.Jun 6, 2022

Full Answer

Can't you use coconut oil on your hair?

But don't despair if you still love coconut oil and can't use it on your hair. There are a plethora of other ways to use it in your beauty routine, so that big jar you've got stashed in your bathroom cabinet doesn't have to go to waste.

Does coconut oil help dry skin and hair?

The multi-tasking oil can do it all, including soothing dry skin, acting as a makeup brush cleaner, even moonlighting as a tooth whitener. Is there anything it can’t do? According to some folks on the internet, the answer is (surprisingly) yes. Reddit user sleepypuff writes, "Does anyone else's hair get MORE dry feeling from using coconut oil?

Is coconut oil bad for low porosity hair?

"But for low porosity hair, it's hard enough to get water into the strands, so if you have coconut oil taking up space, then hair may not get the moisture that it needs, therefore, it dries out."

Is coconut oil drying the CR*P out of your hair?

Even though I had a feeling something was up with my beloved coconut oil, I was still shocked to find this out. Which brought me to another thought–how are more people not talking about this? Coconut oil literally dried the cr*p out of my hair and it took me over a year to figure it out.

Is coconut oil good for coarse hair?

With a little experimentation, coconut oil can work for a wide variety of hair types, from fine and limp to coarse and thick. A little bit of coconut oil goes a long way.

How do you use coconut oil for coarse hair?

Choose raw coconut oil, like Garden of Life Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. 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.

Why does coconut oil make my hair hard?

"With repeated use, coconut oil may cause protein build-up, making your hair even more stiff, hard, and less elastic—less elasticity means more breakage when combing or styling."

Can coconut oil break hair?

As it dries into a solid, it can cause strands to feel stiffer and more coarse—leading to breakage. But coconut oil also is high in lauric acid, which naturally attracts and binds with hair proteins. This will cause protein buildup, leading to less elasticity and flexibility of hair—or common symptoms of brittleness.

What is good for coarse hair?

Here, according to hair care experts, are eight ways to boost the health and manageability of your coarse hair.Use conditioning creams. ... Avoid alcohol-based hair products. ... Sleep on a silk pillowcase. ... Limit heat styling. ... Try deep conditioning masks. ... Take your vitamins. ... Get regular trims. ... Choose the right brush.

Why is my hair crunchy when it dries?

Straw-like hair is often the result of common hair care oversights, such as these: using drying and styling tools (dryers, curling irons, electric rollers, flat irons) at too high a heat setting. using heat-based drying and styling tools too frequently. shampooing too often.

Is coconut oil drying?

Despite the fact that coconut oil is definitely an oil and, as stated above, it does absorb into the skin, many people also report that coconut oil increases the feeling of dryness in their skin.

What hair type can use coconut oil?

But keep in mind that coconut oil is, well, oily. If you have particularly thin or naturally oily hair, coconut oil may weigh your hair down or further overwhelm your scalp and hair with oils. Our experts agree that those with extremely dry, curly, or natural hair will most benefit from using coconut oil.

Should you put coconut oil on wet or dry hair?

For easier absorption and styling, make sure to apply the oil to damp hair. Hair mask: For super-nourishing hair treatment, massage a teaspoon or two of the oil through your hair. Wash it out after a few hours, or leave it on overnight if you have extra dry or damaged hair.

Why does coconut oil make my hair frizzy?

Coconut oil can cause protein buildup for these hair types, blocking your hair from much-needed moisture which makes your hair even drier, stiffer, and less elastic.

Why does my hair fall out more when I put oil?

It increases the blood flow to your scalp and helps invigorate growth. But in our endeavor to moisturize our hair with warm oil, we sometimes heat the oil a little too much and end up putting in hot oil. This can cause inflammation of your hair follicles and makes up to be one of the top hairfall reasons.

Why does oil make my hair frizzy?

Oils don't have to be drying oils to make your hair feel dry. For some hair, especially extremely low porosity hair, most oils can stiffen strands, making them feel crunchy or rough, whether you apply them on wet hair or not. This could be because the oils can't bind well to the resistant cuticle on low porosity hair.

Can you coat your hair in oil?

If your hair has been damaged from over-processing from colour, or is weak and fragile, you need to get amino acids into the hair shaft, so definitely don't want to coat your hair in oil, which would stop them from penetrating. Advertisement.

Can you use coconut oil to shave your legs?

Skincare aside, it seems people are constantly finding new ingenious ways to use coconut oil. In fact, if you haven't used it to shave your legs or whiten your teeth, you're seriously missing a trick.

Can coconut oil be used for hair growth?

In short, no. Coconut oil is a great quick fix for providing instant smoothness and shine, but it's not the correct ingredient to choose for long-term hair health or growth. Instead, choose something with caffeine, which boosts circulation to the scalp, promoting hair growth . It's the humidity!

Does coconut oil irritate the scalp?

If you do decide to use coconut oil, for example, for it's humidity-resistant benefits, it's important to use extra virgin coconut oil, which means it doesn't contain bleach or other chemicals that some other formulas contain and that could irritate the scalp .

Is coconut oil good for hair?

Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid (a fatty acid), which penetrates the hair shaft as well as completely coating each strand, making it water repellent. This makes it excellent at warding off frizz in humid environments, and instantly transforming hair to look healthier. However, hair is made up of keratin, a protein.

Does coconut oil make hair stiffer?

Coconut oil can cause protein build up for these hair types, blocking your hair from much needed moisture which makes your hair even drier, stiffer and less elastic. And less elasticity means more breakage when combing or styling.

Does coconut oil help hair?

Since hair doesn’t have the ability to digest or metabolize coconut oil like the digestive system does, coconut oil can offer the most benefits when consumed. Healthy hair starts on the inside, and incorporating coconut oil into your diet may lead to stronger, healthier and shiner hair.

Can coconut oil be used as a hair mask?

Therefore, using coconut oil as a hair mask can actually make your hair drier, brittle and more damaged than it was before! Mind. Blown. Even though I had a feeling something was up with my beloved coconut oil, I was still shocked to find this out.

Does coconut oil penetrate hair shaft?

It all boils down to the porosity of your hair. Coconut oil can penetrate inside the hair shaft due to its small molecular size, and also because it contains lauric acid which has a high affinity for hair proteins.

Do oil and water mix?

He continued, "In fact, oil and water don't mix.

Is it bad to put oil in your hair?

Basically, putting any kind of oil in your hair isn't always a good idea.

Is coconut oil good for hair?

Coconut oil isn't made for your hair. Ultimately, hair oils tend to make your hair look great without fixing the actual problem. "Hair oils — and especially coconut oil — tend to seep into every tiny hole in your hair shaft and disguise the real problem to act as a quick-fix; this won't help your hair in the long-run and is one ...

Can you use coconut oil on your hair?

The Reason You Shouldn't Use Coconut Oil On Your Hair. Not only does coconut oil taste amazing, working as cooking oil and as a popular ingredient in vegan sweet treats, but it also can be used as a face and body moisturizer and lip balm. Some people even choose to use it in their hair.

Does coconut oil make hair dry?

He continued, "In fact, oil and water don't mix. Oil actually repels water and either pushes it out of the hair or stops it from getting into the hair.". So, if your hair is dry, using coconut oil may make the problem worse.

Did Naptural85's hair change?

In 2016 a popular natural hair influencer naptural85 noticed that her hair started behaving poorly. Coconut was a favorite of hers, but she stripped it from her routine and started to see an improvement in her hair.

Can you use coconut oil in L.O.C.?

Some have tried to use Coconut Oil as part of the L.O.C. method, but it is not very effective. The problem here is that coconut oil can interfere with the styling cream, mousses, and gels. Many styling creams for natural hair are already formulated with oils. Adding coconut oil to your hair in addition to the styler can leave hair weighed down and feeling greasy.

Is coconut oil water?

Moisture = water. Coconut is an oil, and oils and water don’t mix. If you thirsty drink water, if your hair is dry it needs water. If water does not seem to be working, your hair may need to be clarified. This is the message that I have been hearing from the movement of folks who have stopped using oils and butters in their regular routine.

Can coconut oil build up on hair?

Virgin Coconut Oil can build up on your hair leaving it hard, stiff, reducing the longevity of hairstyles . Coconut Oil can be found in many products, but it is different than what you would by at he grocery store. Avoid raw coconut oil and if you are a huge fan, it is probably best in products formulated by a chemist.

Does coconut oil melt?

Okay, once coconut oil melts, like most oils, it tends to get pretty slippery. As in, you could comb a half melted chunk through your hair, flick it all the way across the room and not notice until the missing piece has melted all over your stuff, not that I'm still mad. But if you need it to STAY on your hair or scalp long enough to actually do what it's meant to, you'll want to combine it with beeswax. A little of the stuff melted goes a long way, and has shining properties that go along with its natural sealant nature.

Can you use coconut oil with coconut oil?

Maybe straight-up coconut oil just isn't your thing , but you can still take advantage of the way the oil penetrates if you partner it up with some other ingredients. So whether you're DIYing it up with the double boiler, or reading the backs of bottles like a good curly, these are a few issues that you can solve by pairing coconut oil with a few other select ingredients, buddy-cop movie style.

Can you use coconut oil on hair?

But don't despair if you still love coconut oil and can 't use it on your hair. There are a plethora of other ways to use it in your beauty routine, so that big jar you've got stashed in your bathroom cabinet doesn't have to go to waste.

Does coconut oil work for all hair types?

Here’s Why It Doesn’t Work for All Hair Types. It’s no secret that coconut oil has become a beauty staple many of us keep in rotation year-round. The multi-tasking oil can do it all, including soothing dry skin, acting as a makeup brush cleaner, even moonlighting as a tooth whitener.

Does coconut oil penetrate hair shaft?

Youtube hair guru Naptural85 has done a video on the perils of coconut oil on her hair. As New York City dermatologist Francesca Fusco points out, " Coconut oil indeed penetrates the shaft of hair deeper than most oils.

Does coconut oil cause dryness?

But that's benefit is exactly why, for some people, coconut oil can cause dryness. "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.

Why does coconut oil work for some people and not for others?

Not everyone’s hair takes to coconut oil the same and there’s a pretty major reason for that. One that likely has never been brought to your attention.

Which hair types should never use coconut oil?

At this point, it should be aware that those with “dry, brittle, or damaged hair should avoid coconut oil.”

Which hair types benefit the most from using coconut oil?

Have healthy strands that aren’t dry or brittle? Chances are you stand to benefit from an added dose of coconut oil.

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