Coconut Oil & Relaxed Hair

As a natural I used coconut oil religiously - that is until I realized it was making my hair hard, dry and crunchy. My natural hair was protein sensitive, meaning too much protein and my hair would turn into a hard & tangled mess, this was why my hair reacted adversely to Coconut oil. Coconut oil does not contain protein but acts as a barrier preventing the loss of protein from within the strands. For the protein-sensitive use of the oil may produce the same straw-like feeling of a protein treatment/protein containing products.

Since then I have opted for oils such as Castor, Jojoba, and Olive to provide my hair with the softness, sheen, and moisture-retention it needs.But now that I am relaxed again and the protein bonds within my strands are damaged I am thinking I may find Coconut oil more helpful in my journey to healthy, long hair. 

Coconut oil has a number of uses and benefits for both hair and skin and I am sure many of you are familiar with these so I will not list them. Instead I want to focus on the benefits I am looking for and the best uses for deriving those benefits.

Benefits

 

Stimulates Hair Growth
Massaging the scalp with Coconut oil is said to stimulate the hair follicles and thereby stimulate hair growth. In my quest to WL strands I am all about scalp stimulation and growth.

Prevents Hair Breakage & Split Ends
I like to take a proactive approach to breakage an split ends. Due to the molecular structure of Coconut oil it is said to have the ability to penetrate the hair shaft and prevent damage from the inside out. Strong strands mean fewer splits and less breakage.

Reduces Protein Loss
 Relaxers result in a loss of protein which is why protein treatments are paramount for relaxed ladies. I also intend to color my hair within the next four weeks, resulting in further protein loss. I am hoping that the use of Coconut oil along with regular protein treatments will fortify & strengthen my strands with the protein they need.

Moisture Retention
Coconut oil is said to retain moisture which is necessary to both length retention and the overall health of your tresses.

Uses

• Scalp massage
• Pre-shampoo treatment
• Sealant
• Oil rinse
• Deep Conditioner
• Moisturizer

I am heading out to my local Vitamin Shoppe to  to pick up a jar of un-refined, un-processed, 100% virgin Coconut Oil today and plan to incorporate it into my wash day this Saturday.

Have you tried Coconut Oil?