Are you oiling your hair right? If you’re not sure, follow these tips and tricks

Oiling your hair is the oldest trick in the book when it comes to having long, strong, thick and shiny hair. Oiling your hair not only nourishes your hair, it also brings back memories of the time when our mothers or grandmothers used to give us a champi (head massage) on the weekends while constantly nagging us about the poor condition of our hair. Good old times, huh!

Whenever we suffer from any kind of hair problem like hair fall, dryness, premature graying, etc. the first thought is, “Maybe I should start oiling my hair more often.” And rightly so, because hair oil does help us to combat all these hair problems.

Dermatologist Dr. Chiranjiv Chhabra of Alive & Wellness Clinic, says, “The oil acts as a barrier for the hair and also nourishes the hair and scalp, it creates a coat preventing it from sun damage, prevents premature graying of hair, and is a great conditioner making it look shinier.”

Here’s how to oil your hair:

Step 1

Heat the oil you have chosen until it is lukewarm, as the heat will help in increasing the blood circulation of your scalp.

Step 2

Comb your hair with a wide tooth comb to remove all the tangles and then divide your hair into sections.

Step 3

Pour the oil on your scalp and gently start massaging, with the tip of your fingers, in circular motions. Remember to not be rough or harsh while massaging as that can lead to hair breakage.

Step 4

Once you have oiled your scalp well, move to the lengths of your hair. Take some oil in your palms and gently rub the lengths of your between your palms. Don’t forget to oil the tips of your hair well as that will prevent breakage and split ends.

Step 5

Loosely braid your hair and leave the oil for an hour or two before washing it with a shampoo.

You can also apply a drop of hair oil on wet hair, after shampooing your hair, as a natural replacement of hair serums.

For how long should you leave oil in your hair?

Many people like to keep their hair oil overnight so it stays longer, others don’t realize with the change in their hormones their skin at times tends to become oilier. If you see dandruff, you start oiling the hair thinking it is happening because of lack of oil but that is not the case. Dr. Chhabra says, “Keeping the oil for longer, oiling an oily scalp, and oiling in case of dandruff doesn’t help and may lead to further serious scalp conditions.” She suggests to keep the oil for 30 minutes to 2 hours at most and then rinse it off with a gentle shampoo, and cold water, and follow it up with your favorite hair mask.

What is the best oil for hair?

Dr. Chhabra says that the best oils for hair are cold-pressed oils. She goes on to say that, “My preferred oils include coconut oil, almond oil, olive oil, and mustard oil. As a child, my mother used to apply mustard oil to my hair but nowadays I am alternating between almond oil and olive oil.”

Though oiling your hair is no rocket science, there are some points that must be kept in mind to avoid damaging your hair.