Hot Oil Treatment For Hair Growth: Benefits And How To Do It
From strengthening hair to preventing dandruff, it can work wonders on your tresses.
Dr. Rekha Yadav is a certified trichologist from the International Association of Trichologists, Australia. She established her hair and scalp practice in 1999 in Mumbai, India, and has over 20 years of experience in this field.She specializes in treating hair and scalp problems through natural and safer treatments and diet and lifestyle changes whenever possible.
Read full bio of Dr. Rekha Yadav
Experience: 11 yearsAnnie Jangam is a researcher-turned-content writer with 11 years of experience. She enjoys dissecting complex clinical studies and shuffling through the scientific jargon to make science interesting and easy to understand.
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Experience: 3 yearsEshna is an associate editor and a certified skin care coach. She has over three years of experience, a triple main bachelor’s degree in psychology, English, and journalism from Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru, and a master’s degree in psychology from Sampurna Montfort College, Bengaluru.
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Experience: 3 yearsSwathi has a postgraduate degree in English literature from The English And Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad, and over three years of experience in writing on beauty, health, and lifestyle. She also has a diploma in English journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Kottayam, and is a certified skincare coach.
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Many people prefer hot oil treatment to care for their hair and keep it healthy. Unfortunately, many of us use too many hair care products, which affects hair quality and causes damage. For example, using different shampoos, wrong shampooing techniques, excessive heat styling, curling, or straightening can cause stress to the hair, damage the cuticles, and deprive your locks of much-needed hair nourishment (1).
A hot oil treatment can keep your hair healthy, make it strong and shiny, and improve its appearance. For that, you must know the right techniques for doing a hot oil massage. Keep reading to know more about the benefits of hot oil treatment for hair and oils you can use on your hair. Scroll down.
In This Article
What Is A Hot Oil Hair Treatment?
A hot oil hair treatment is a hair and scalp care procedure done using natural hot oils to treat damaged hair. You coat your hair strands with hot oil(s) to nourish, protect, and strengthen them with the essential vitamins and other nutrients. The heat in the oil(s) promotes better absorption of the nutrients.
Your hair type and the advantages you desire can determine the specific oil you must use. A hot oil treatment can help treat issues like dry scalp, excessive hair shedding, and hair breakage. The next section explores the benefits of hot oil treatment in greater detail.
Key Takeaways
- A hot oil treatment can treat damaged hair, hair breakage, dry scalp, and excessive hair shedding.
- It nourishes and moisturizes the hair, strengthens it, and prevents damage due to heat styling and hair coloring.
- Massaging your hair and scalp with hot oil regularly may stimulate blood circulation and prevent hair loss.
- Olive, avocado, coconut, and argan oils are generally used in hot oil hair treatments.
Advantages Of A Hot Oil Treatment For Hair Growth
1. Strengthens Hair
A hot oil hair treatment penetrates deep into the hair and prevents hair damage, thereby promoting hair strengthening. Coconut oil, for instance, if used for hair grooming products, can reduce protein loss in both undamaged and damaged hair (2).
2. Nourishes And Moisturizes Hair
A hot oil treatment can work wonders on dry hair. The warm oils seal moisture, and their enriching ingredients (like fatty acids) penetrate the hair shaft easily (3). This oil infusion promotes hair restoration by infusing the lost moisture and also offers it much-needed nourishment.
3. Prevents Damage Due To Styling And Coloring
Heat styling causes major hair damage. But combining your styling routine with hot oil massage to prevent hair loss can control the damage.
4. Promotes Hair Elasticity And Hydration
A hot oil treatment can boost hair moisture, and enhance hair hydration, and elasticity (4). You may use it once or twice a month.
5. Helps Combat External Aggressors
Our hair is regularly exposed to external aggressors like surfactantsi A substance used in shampoos and soaps that reduces the surface tension of the water, allowing emulsification. and other chemicals that cause damage.
Mineral or sunflower oils used in hot oil treatments can keep such aggressive substances from penetrating the hair strands. These oils may also reduce any friction between the hair strands.
6. Helps Prevent Dandruff
A hot oil treatment can reduce dandruff symptoms by moisturizing and deep-conditioning your scalp and hair strands. The ingredients in the oils also offer a distinct shine to your tresses.
7. Prevents Hair Frizz
A hot oil treatment helps fight hair frizz without damaging your hair.
8. Detangles The Hair
A hot oil treatment is a diverse solution for hair care, addressing not only hair growth but also acting as an effective detangler. By gently heating and applying natural oils like coconut oil or argan oil to your hair, you can enhance hair manageability. The warmth from the oil helps in loosening knots and tangles, making it easier to comb through your hair. This process also nourishes your hair, leaving it smoother and shinier. Regular hot oil treatments can significantly reduce the time and effort required for detangling, mitigating any risk of damage and resulting in more manageable, healthy, and lustrous locks.
These are a few of the potential benefits of a hot oil hair treatment. Some also wonder if such treatment can promote hair growth. We discuss the same in the following section.
Can A Hot Oil Hair Treatment Effectively Promote Hair Growth?
While scientific evidence on the efficacy of the oils (and their nutritional composition) in promoting hair growth is lacking, regular massage with the oils may stimulate blood flow to the scalp and potentially prevent hair breakage and loss.
However, choosing the right oil based on your hair type can also determine the results. The next section explores the best oils you can use for this treatment.
The Best Oils For A Hot Oil Hair Treatment
Hot oil hair treatment is suitable for all hair types. You only have to customize it to suit your hair type and needs. You can use a single oil or a blend of multiple oils to achieve the desired results.
1. Olive Oil
Olive oil is a mono-saturated oil better absorbed by hair
than poly-saturated oils. The oil helps condition your hair and improves hair elasticity (6). Using it in a hot oil treatment helps keep your hair soft, shiny, and healthy.
2. Argan Oil
Argan oil helps moisturize and smoothen the hair strands
(5). The oil also may stimulate hair growth and prevent hair breakage.
Did You Know?3. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants, fatty acids, and vitamins A, E, and B5. Using avocado oil for hair is believed to seal the hair cuticles and moisturize them enough to prevent hair breakage (5).
4. Coconut Oil
Hot oil treatment with coconut oil works for all hair types. The oil strengthens the hair cuticles and promotes stronger hair growth. Regular use of the oil may reduce dandruff as well (2).
Meg O, a beauty blogger, shared how she used a mixture of coconut oil, honey, and olive oil as a hot oil treatment for her hair in her blog. She said, “I truly think this really improves my hair’s texture. It is also much shinier and stronger after these treatments (i)”
5. Hemp Seed Oil
may help moisturize dry hair as it contains high concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acidsi Dietary fats, such as omega 3 and omega 6, mainly found in salmon, oils, and nuts that are essential for brain function and cell growth. . However, more research is needed to further understand the moisturizing properties of hemp seed oil.
6. Lavender Oil
Lavender oil may help treat an itchy scalp. Its potent antimicrobial properties may help reduce bacterial infections and itching.
7. Jojoba Oil
Jojoba is especially suitable for an oily scalp (7). It is lightweight and absorbs quickly and prevents the buildup of any residue on your scalp. The oil also makes your hair shinier, softer, and more manageable.
8. Castor Oil
Castor oil
is believed to help prevent hair breakage and reduce excess scalp sebumi A combination of oils and fats produced by sebaceous glands underneath the skin that helps retain moisture. . It also adds hair shine and may slow down hair loss.
Who Can Benefit The Most From A Hot Oil Treatment?
A hot oil treatment can suit almost all hair types and textures. However, people with textured hair can derive the maximum benefit as such hair is usually more porous and does not get the advantages from natural scalp oils. That said, a natural hot oil treatment can benefit anyone with damaged, dry, or chemically-treated hair.
Quick TipAnybody can use a DIY hair oil treatment from the comfort of their homes. Wondering how? The next section will outline the process and tips.
How To Do A Hot Oil Treatment At Home
Although there are various ways you can do a hot treatment yourself with some oil, you would want to use at least one carrier oil and one or more essential oils. Here is what you need to do:
1. Choose The Oil
Pick any oil of your choice (olive, coconut, almond, lavender, avocado, jojoba, or argan oils). You may also pick two oils and mix them in equal quantities.
2. Wash Your Hair
Wash your hair properly. The hot oil hair therapy works best on clean hair and gets absorbed better into the hair cuticles.
3. Heat The Oil
Heat the oil mixture until it is warm enough (ensure it does not scald you). Take about 4 to 6 tablespoons of the oil or more, depending on your hair length.
4. Apply Oil To Hair
Comb your hair gently to remove all knots. Make sure your hair is semi-dry before you begin the application. Apply the oil to your hair strands. Massage all over your scalp to stimulate blood circulation.
5. Cover Your Hair With A Towel
Rinse a towel with warm water. Ensure it is not dripping water. Wrap the towel around your head and let it sit for an hour.
6. Wash Your Hair
Rinse your hair with warm water to boost its moisture
. Once done, you can shampoo and condition your hair as usual.
Infographic: Benefits Of Hot Oil Treatment And How To Do It
The wrong haircare products and excessive heat styling can damage your cuticles and lead to hair fall. Hot oil treatment is an ancient practice that protects, nourishes, and strengthens your hair and imparts a healthy glow. Check out the infographic below to learn about the benefits of this simple practice and how to do it at home.
Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
Hot oil treatments work wonders for excessively dry hair, hair that is susceptible to weather changes and humidity, and anyone who extensively uses heat styling tools. Hair oils are packed with nutrients that nourish and hydrate your hair and scalp and significantly benefit your health. The oil can be better absorbed if it is heated, which increases its effectiveness, giving a new lease of life to your hair. Hot oil treatments are also the way to go for hair rejuvenation and hair repair, as well as if you want your hair to be shinier, smoother, softer, and stronger. You can choose from a variety of oils or make your own blend to achieve the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you do a hot oil treatment on hair?
You can do hot oil treatment on your hair once a week or once every two weeks.
Is hot oil treatment the same as deep conditioning?
No. Hot oil treatment and deep hair conditioning have similarities in terms of their results. Both techniques help you achieve frizz-free, deeply nourished, and shiny locks. However, hot oil treatment is done before washing your hair, and deep conditioning is done after shampooing your hair.
What does hot oil treatment do for black hair?
Hot oil treatment can help maintain the vibrancy and shine of your black hair. Moreover, it remedies split ends, frizziness, breakage, and brittle hair.
Which is better – keratin or hot oil treatment?
It depends on your hair needs. Keratin treatment is ideal if you are looking for a quick fix for shiny and smooth hair, while hot oil treatment uses natural oils to maintain your hair health over time.
Which is better – a hair mask or hot oil treatment?
It depends on your hair type and needs. Hot oil treatment is considered better if you want to nourish your hair and scalp from deep within, while a hair mask adds extra moisture and shine to your hair.
Illustration: Hot Oil Treatment For Hair Growth: Benefits And How To Do It
Image: Stable Diffusion/StyleCraze Design Team
Learn how to make your own hot oil treatment at home! Check out this video to discover the five amazing benefits of this simple DIY treatment, including improved hair health and shine.
Personal Experience: Source
StyleCraze's articles are interwoven with authentic personal narratives that provide depth and resonance to our content. Below are the sources of the personal accounts referenced in this article.
i. DIY All Natural Hot Oil Hair Treatmenthttps://www.megoonthego.com/diy-all-natural-hot-oil-hair-treatment/References
Articles on StyleCraze are backed by verified information from peer-reviewed and academic research papers, reputed organizations, research institutions, and medical associations to ensure accuracy and relevance. Read our editorial policy to learn more.
- Hair: its structure and response to cosmetic preparations.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0738081X9500117X?via%3Dihub - Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12715094/ - Investigation of penetration abilities of various oils into human hair fibers
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16258695/ - African American Hair: Tips For Everyday Care
https://www.aad.org/care-african-american
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