Coconut Oil For Hair: Benefits & Ways To Use Efficiently 2024

Is coconut oil good for your hair? Hollywood — and Bollywood —  royalty seem to think so if fans such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Priyanka Chopra are anything to go by! In fact, coconut oil has been a staple of Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years, both topically and orally.

But what really is the science behind the story? Compelling, we now know that the high lauric acid^[1] content of virgin coconut oil carries a range of potential health benefits.^[2] These include hypocholesterolemic, anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, immunity, and anti-inflammatory effects.^[3] 

But in this article, we’ll look specifically at how coconut oil can lead to more lustrous, thicker, and shinier hair and reverse heat damage. We’ll share healthy hair tips, like how superfoods can improve hair quality. 

And we’ll be looking at exactly how to use coconut-based conditioners for maximum impact on hair health and luster. But first, where exactly does coconut oil come from, and why is it so nourishing for our hair? 

Benefits Of Coconut Oil For Hair

The coconut tree is known as kalpa vriksha in Sanskrit, which means a “palm which supplies all the necessities of life”. And according to many recent scientific reports, such a claim seems to carry merit. 

Scientific studies^[4] can now validate what thousands of years of Indian Ayurvedic medicine have long foretold: that coconut oil benefits our hair. 

Scalp Protection

When it comes to the scalp, coconut oil offers a range of benefits, according to recent clinical trials.^[5] A 2021 longitudinal 16-week study^[6] similarly reported that lauric acid-rich coconut oil enriches the scalp, offering a powerful treatment against dandruff. 

Similarly, a 2019 study^[7] confirmed virgin coconut oil’s anti-inflammatory activity and skin protective effects. It achieves this by altering the expression of several genes concerned with inflammatory responses and by the anti-microbial, antifungal effects on the scalp. 

Hair Repair 

Coconut oil, as a pre- or post-shampoo treatment, can provide great repair benefits. Here’s why. 

Hair straightening, ironing, and hair dryer-based practices remain popular but are damaging to the hair. That’s because the hair can reach up to 160°C^[8] in the wet hair during these treatments. Similarly, hydroxides, a common straightening treatment for curly hair, can dry hair out, breaking keratin bonds. 

This process can denature hair shaft proteins. But the great news? Applying coconut oil can help repair heat-damaged hair. In fact, natural products like coconut oil have been reported to be more effective^[9] in treating this kind of damage than their chemical equivalents.

In general, coconut oil-based hair products have been observed to repair hair shaft lipids and also to act as a barrier to protect hair, shielding it from further damage from such environmental toxins as pollution. Relatedly, as coconut oil has a low molecular weight, it easily penetrates the hair shaft, where it can act internally to prevent further damage. Thus it not only strengthens but prevents dryness^[10] of hair.

Smoothness And Shine

Coconut oil offers a wonderful choice if smoothness and shine are your goals. Here are some short-, medium- and long-term reasons why!

Recent tests of the maximum braking force and cuticle strength of hair noted a protective effect of coconut oil. That’s because coconut oil not only provides an occlusive layer to the hair but also deeply penetrates^[11] the hair cortex, and is easily absorbed, strengthening lipid layers and filling up porous cavities within the follicle itself. This means that we can rapidly develop an improved appearance of silkier, healthier hair using a coconut oil-based product.

In the medium term, we know that hair breakage patterns can improve if using an agent like coconut oil. A recent study^[11] of hair breakage recovery reported that coconut oil performed better than all other oils tested when studied over a 20-wash cycle. 

In the long-term, the antioxidant, skin-protecting, overall moisturizing, antifungal, and antibacterial qualities of coconut oil boost our overall health and enhance the appearance of both hair and scalp.^[12] That means a generally improved appearance of our hairstyle and hair quality, less risk of dandruff and hair loss, less hair fall, and an overall more polished look! 

Ways To Use Coconut Oil For Your Hair

So, when it comes to hair health and appearance, how exactly should we apply coconut oil for maximum benefit? 

Well, first, we need to know what kind of coconut oil for hair we should be using. There are broadly two types: deodorized copra oil and virgin coconut oil. The latter retains greater levels of^[3] vitamin E, sterols, and polyphenols and forms the basis of most hair treatments.

Second, we need to let you know that coconut oil is great for all hair types. It is a great choice for men’s hair as well as women’s hair and for those suffering from dandruff, a dry scalp, or who are experiencing hair loss. Ultimately, whether you are tackling frizz or trying to liven up finer wisps, you’ll benefit^[13] equally from coconut oil-based hair products.

Third, using coconut oil for hair is a pretty simple affair. A coconut oil hair mask, applied as a pre or post-shampoo treatment, is clinically proven to help reduce hair breakage^[13] and strengthen the hair shaft. You can choose to invest in a pre-packaged coconut oil hair mask or conditioning product, indulge in a more expensive treatment at your hairdresser, or simply add a few drops of pure coconut oil to your normal conditioner. 

Are There Any Side Effects?

As a 2020 physician review stated, “Never before in recent times has the recognition of the positive health effects of coconut oil been stronger.” The great news is that these health— (and hair!) related benefits seem to include virtually no side effects.

In fact, coconut oil offers many of the benefits of other natural oils but without any real side effects. A recent scientific review^[13] comparing three different oils, for example, reported that coconut oil was the only oil studied to reduce protein loss in undamaged as well as damaged hair, with no side effects reported.

Similarly, a 2022 evaluation^[14] of the physical-chemical properties of coconut oil reported it to be highly antibacterial but non-irritating, with no sensitization of the skin during or after use. As a result, the authors concluded coconut oil is a justified choice as a main agent in personal health and cosmetic care products.  

It should, however, be noted that rare cases of hair felting have been reported. Known as plica polonica,^[15] the condition is more prevalent in castor oil users but has been observed occasionally amongst users of coconut oil, too. 

Other Tips To Make Hair Growth Faster

Looking for other hair growth tips? We can recommend the following:

• Check out hair growth-boosting products like biotin and collagen. If you or a loved one are affected by baldness or hair loss, there are some great products that you can look into to help stimulate regrowth. But whatever route you choose, make sure you opt for Food and Drink Administration-approved prescription medications. 
• Consider hair growth treatments like Platelet Rich Plasma, which has been reported to improve hair density in this 2019 study.^[16]  
• Invest in some vitamins and minerals! We know that nutritional deficiencies can have negative impacts on your overall hair^[17] health, texture, and structure. A diet rich in superfoods, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants (such as vitamin D)^[18] can significantly improve hair growth. 
• Lower your stress levels. Research identifies that stress can be a very common cause of a hair loss condition known as telogen effluvium. Finding ways to relax can help —  like meditation, exercise, and spending time in nature – can help hair grow healthily.

The Takeaway

Coconut oil won’t only help your hair health —  it’ll help your global health, too. Operating as a powerful antioxidant, it has been found to fight the free radicals in your body, enhancing your immunity while^[3] fending off microbial and fungal infections that can affect hair growth and hair health. 

Science also shows us that coconut oil is a valid intervention for hair loss, growth, and smoothness. Suiting all hair types may be especially beneficial to individuals of African-American ethnicity whose tight curl patterns can make hair more susceptible to breakage (via tight hair styling and heat exposure).

In sum, we’ve covered just a few reasons why this 4,000-year-old staple of Ayurvedic medicine, beloved by Hollywood and Bollywood alike, isn’t going anywhere fast. And given the scientific evidence emerging to support it, we do not doubt that this luxurious emollient will continue to dominate hair care products for a long time to come!

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