10 Things One Must Not Do While Oiling Their Hair
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If you’ve ever wondered what the secret to the much-coveted thick dark hair of Indian women is, then we have the answer for you. It’s regular oiling. Many women across the country attribute their hair texture and growth to regular oiling that they learned how to do from their mothers and grandmothers before them. Not only does massaging your hair with oil improve circulation, but it also helps rejuvenate hair growth and thus enhance its texture. However, many simple hair oil mistakes might be coming in the way of that perfect ‘champi’ you oh so crave. Here are a few of them:
1. Skipping Heating The Oil Before Application
It’s always better to have a hot oil massage as warm oil can help penetrate the scalp and roots more smoothly. You could stick the oil inside a microwave and heat it for around 20 seconds or heat the oil by placing it in a bowl and then placing it in a bigger bowl of hot water. However, you must make sure that the oil isn’t too hot as that could destroy the nutrients present in it and burn your scalp.
2. Massaging Your Head Really Hard
If you massage your head too hard you might end up causing knots or damaging your hair roots. Instead, you should massage your hair gently, in a circular motion.
3. Not Combing Or Brushing Your Hair Before Massaging
You should never massage hair that is tangled or knotted in any way. This will cause a lot of issues like further knotting and severe damage to the roots. The main rule is to brush out your hair thoroughly and to make it smooth before you massage it. This will also spread out your natural oils throughout your hair.
4. Not Mixing Oils
It’s always a good idea to mix two of your favorite oils together or infuse essential oils in a carrier oil. You can mix argan oil with coconut oil or mix mustard oil with a few olive oil drops. Mixing two or more oils together will give you the benefits of all the oils combined and lead to a gloriously thick and lustrous mane of hair.
5. Tying Your Hair Up Too Tightly
After a good hair massage, your hair’s roots tend to loosen up a little, making them prone to breakage. If you tie your hair up too tightly, it will cause your roots to weaken further and lead to a large amount of breakage and damage. Instead, you can leave your hair loose, or plait is up if you have long hair.
6. Not Using Cotton To Oil Your Hair
Gals, trust us when we say this, skip the rough fingertips, switch to dipping cotton balls in oil, and gently massage it into your hair. Unlike your fingertips, cotton is much easier on your roots and distributes oils more generously across your scalp. Try switching up your massaging routine to include a bowl of hot oil, a few pieces of cotton for dipping in, and gently massaging the oil into your hair.
7. Oiling Your Hair Too Often
It’s a good idea to only oil your hair twice or thrice a week as any more would be deemed as excessive. Excessively oiling your hair will lead to you excessively shampooing your hair, which will then strip your hair off its natural oils and cause severe breakage and dryness. If you’re someone who has an oily scalp, it’s best to oil your hair once or twice a week, and if you’re someone with a dry scalp and dry hair, it’s best to oil it thrice a week.
8. Not Choosing The Right Hair Oil For Your Hair Type
It’s also essential to get the right hair oil for your hair type. Heavier oils that moisturize better are better for drier scalps and dry and dull hair. Argan oil is excellent for dry and brittle hair, while almond oil is great for fighting off dandruff. Coconut oil is the one oil that is usually suitable for most hair types, and that is why it is much loved across the countries. Women from the coast of Kerala to Goa thank coconut oil for their lustrous silky hair. Coconut oil is said to reduce the loss of proteins present in hair.
9. Not Leaving It On Long Enough
Oil needs to be able to soak into your scalp so that it can spread all its goodness and nourishment throughout your hair. If you just massage your hair for 2 minutes and leave it in for 15 minutes before you wash it off, what’s the whole point? Sure, it may make your hair look a little bit better than it did before, but the entire benefit of oiling is to relax and let the blood circulation to your scalp improve. Try leaving the oil in your hair for at least an hour if you can and observe the benefits after you shampoo it off.
10. Heat Styling Your Hair After Oiling It
Sometimes it’s a good idea to lay down that curling wand or straightening iron and just let your locks breathe for a bit. If your glossy, healthy natural hair brings a big grin to your face, why mess it up by styling it with heat, right? Since 2020 is all about surviving a pandemic, it’s the best time to just let your hair breathe and look its natural best!
Let this year be all about taking care of your hair and ensure that it gets the treatment it deserves. Go easy on the beauty treatments and focus on helping your hair get healthier and happier. Do you agree with the benefits on our list? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
