Dry, damaged hair can be frustrating to deal with and put a damper on your confidence level. A variety of things, such as environmental factors, over-styling or poor diet, can lead to split ends, dry scalp or overall damaged hair. Coconut oil proves to be a beneficial topical treatment for damaged hair. You can purchase coconut oil from your salon or many retail outlets.
What is Damaged Hair?
The definition of dry, damaged hair is hair that does not have enough oil or moisture for normal sheen, luster and fluidity, explains the University of Maryland. Certain health issues, such as anorexia nervosa, underactive thyroid or malnutrition can lead to dry hair from the inside out. Specific races may be prone to dry hair, including African Americans or people of Asian descent. Your brittle hair may also be caused by outside influences, like daily blow-drying, coloring or hot irons. The environment or weather may play a small role as well. Extreme temperatures, wind, or frequent exposure to sunlight can make your hair feel dry and damaged, leading to split ends and easy breakage.
What is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil can be made from wet or dry coconut. When pulled from dry coconut, the flakes are quickly and carefully dried and oil is pressed out. Coconut oil from wet coconut stems from pressing moist flakes, which produces coconut "milk." During this process, a second step separates the coconut oil from the "milk" mixture. Pure coconut oil is edible and enjoyable, but it is high in fat and is not used internally to treat dry hair. Coconut oil produced for treating dry hair often has added fragrances, thus making it inedible.
What it Does
Apply coconut oil to the ends of your tresses, avoiding your scalp area. One study published in the "Journal of Cosmetic Science" in 2003, concludes that coconut oil, as compared to mineral oil and sunflower oil, has the most beneficial effects on damaged hair. Coconut oil minimizes protein loss in hair strands, whereas the other oils do not. Benefits of coconut oil may stem from its low molecular weight and straight structure, which allows it to bind with hair strands, adding moisture and sheen directly to brittle hair.
Negative Effects
While coconut oil may be beneficial for your hair, it can have a few negative cosmetic effects. Adding coconut oil, or any oily substance to your hair can weigh it down. If your hair is normally flat or lacking body, applying coconut oil may weigh it down further. Too much coconut oil or applying it too close to your scalp may make your hair feel greasy, oily and have an unclean appearance. Avoid these effects by applying coconut oil only to the very tips of your hair once or twice per week, instead of all over your hair and scalp everyday.
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