Coconut Oil: Does It Really Help Repair Your Damaged Hair?

I haven’t posted a single entry for over one month! You must be wondering what I’ve done during this prolonged period. Well, I’ve been quite stuck in different commitments. First, I joined an intensive course which made me unavailable for three hours (five if you count in the transport time) twice a week for an entire month. Then, I took on a temporary translation job to earn some extra bucks (that might help my next beauty haul!). That hasn’t counted the time of catching up with friends, family, and my work. Writing? Didn’t think about it in the past months!

Well, it’s in this hectic style that I passed my birthday. I don’t know about you, but for me, my birthday makes me even keener on natural skincare. It’s no exaggeration. I live by it every single day, now that I find my skin is more vulnerable to the impact of aging. But apart from my skin, my hair is another important part of my body. For the past month, “how to better care my hair” has been one of my missions.

In my post regarding which oils can penetrate the hair, I mentioned that coconut oil is one of the oils that can penetrate the hair, and if used as a pre-wash conditioner, it can even protect damaged hair. But then, I’ve never tried it on my hair. How could I claim it to be true? You have to walk the walk to be convincing, right? So I decided to be the guinea pig myself and test how coconut oil can benefit my hair.

My Hair Profile

Okay, before I tell you how coconut oil works on my hair, let me give you a brief profile of my hair. I have a thick bunch of hair which is dry, coarse, and a bit rigid. The ends are badly damaged, because the last time when I dyed my hair, I didn’t go through treatment at the salon right after the dying. The ends of my hair are brittle with split-ends and white bulbs. The roots and the rest of my hair are about 40% better in look and feel.

My Experiment

I did my experiment at bedtime. Here are the steps I took:

1. Pour a small of coconut oil on your palm.
2. Apply the oil evenly onto dry hair.
3. Let the oil soak in for the night.
4. Shampoo your hair the following morning as you normally do.
5. Repeat this procedure every day for a week (I have dry hair, so that poses no problem for me).

This method is quick and convenient as it doesn’t require any tools unless you count your fingers as one. And the trick in this experiment is that you need to keep good control of the amount of oil you use. Apply too much, you will have to wash your hair twice in the morning to get rid of the oil. Apply too less, the oil may not work its way into your hair cuticles.

There might be one thing I do differently than others, which is I didn’t apply the oil on my scalp. I know that many said that for any oil to be effective on your hair, it should always be applied on your scalp, which is where your hair grows from. However, since I couldn’t figure out a way to apply the oil that isn’t time-consuming, I gave up the idea completely. But that’s only me. If you find a way to doing that quickly and effectively, let me know in the comment.

The Result

After using coconut oil on my hair for a week, I found my hairless rigid, not to mention it’s much softer in touch. In fact, after using it the first time, I already noticed the difference! That’s especially true for my crown. Apart from it, the curses of my hair are cascading in a softer way that is different from its previous clumpy look. I even find my hair more voluminous. However, disappointingly it didn’t work magic on my hair ends, where breakage, split ends, and white bulbs are common. In fact, it didn’t work at all until I made the effort to consciously apply more oil onto those parts that are most damaged. But it only made them softer in touch. The split-ends and white bulbs are still there.

In a Word

To answer the question “Can coconut oil help repair your damaged hair?” I will give you a resounding “Yes.” However, it will depend on how damaged your hair is. If you are merely having a rough texture like the top of my hair is, I think coconut oil can restore the softness you want when you use it on a regular basis. However, if you have split-ends and white bulbs, don’t expect coconut oil can help you get rid of them. The best way to saying goodbye to those unsightly strays is a haircut.

Last but not least, how coconut oil works for your hair also depends on your hair type, texture, the moisture it needs and how damaged it is.

Okay, now it’s your turn! Did you ever use coconut oil in your hair care routine? How does it work for you?