Coconut Oil for Hair Growth — Homegrown Haircare Heroes
Here’s your hair’s new best friend, coconut oil for hair growth.
Coconut oil has always been used in cooking. Lately, it’s gaining traction for its remarkable impact on promoting lush, vibrant hair growth.
What is Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil is a versatile natural oil derived from mature coconut kernels or meat. It has a rich composition of fatty acids, particularly lauric acid. These two contribute to both its health and beauty properties.
How Does it Work?
The structure of coconut oil sets it apart from other oils. Coconut oil boasts a distinctive long, straight structure. It’s made up of a medium-chain fatty acid, lauric acid, that enables it to penetrate deep into the hair shaft. This nourishes and strengthens the hair from within.
A comprehensive study looked at how coconut, sunflower, and mineral oil prevent hair damage. Coconut oil came out as the better protector. It reduces protein loss from hair, even bleaching, chemical treatments, or UV exposure. Its counterparts, mineral oil, and sunflower oil, coat the hair’s surface only.
Benefits of Coconut Oil for Hair Growth
1 Promotes Scalp Health. Coconut oil helps fend off scalp infections and inflammation. This creates a healthy environment for hair follicles to thrive. Its antimicrobial qualities suggest it could be effective in combating dandruff. There’s no study yet that specifically examined coconut oil.
2 Moisturizes and Conditions. Its emollient properties moisturize the hair shaft. This prevents dryness and split ends while it enhances hair softness and manageability.
3 Reduces Protein Loss. In one study, coconut oil reduced protein loss in hair. It protected it from damage caused by environmental stressors and chemical treatments.
4 Sun Protection. Some studies in vitro and skin suggested that coconut oil may provide a sun protection factor of 8. This also indicates its UV-blocking potential when applied to hair.
5 Stimulates Hair Growth. Coconut oil nourishes the hair follicles and improves circulation to the scalp. It may support hair growth and thickness, leading to fuller, healthier-looking locks.
6 Lice Prevention. Other than keeping the scalp healthy, it also prevents rent-free pests. Combine anise and coconut oil in a spray. A small study found that it was 40% more effective in treating head lice than permethrin.
My Tip:
I’ve been using Naturenetics HairAnew Hair Growth Vitamins. It hasn’t failed me yet. It is formulated to promote faster hair growth and thickness.
Precautions on Using Coconut Oil
Something beneficial doesn’t mean there are no precautions. Keep these in mind.
- Allergies. If you have coconut allergies, stay away.
- Quantity. Too much of a good thing is also bad.
- Patch Test. Given you don’t have a coconut allergy history, do a patch test. Apply a small area of skin to check for any allergic reactions or sensitivity.
Coconut oil — is a powerhouse, a protector, and a guardian of beauty. It’s a low-risk easy-to-try ingredient to transform your locks. Make it a must-have addition to your hair care routine. Try it out and let me know how it worked for you.
Studies mentioned in the article:
Keis K, Persaud D, Kamath YK, Rele AS. Investigation of penetration abilities of various oils into human hair fibers. J Cosmet Sci. 2005 Sep-Oct;56(5):283–95. PMID: 16258695. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16258695/
Rele AS, Mohile RB. Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. J Cosmet Sci. 2003 Mar-Apr;54(2):175–92. PMID: 12715094. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12715094/
Kabara JJ, Swieczkowski DM, Conley AJ, Truant JP. Fatty acids and derivatives as antimicrobial agents. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1972 Jul;2(1):23–8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.2.1.23. PMID: 4670656; PMCID: PMC444260. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/4670656/
Saxena R, Mittal P, Clavaud C, Dhakan DB, Hegde P, Veeranagaiah MM, Saha S, Souverain L, Roy N, Breton L, Misra N, Sharma VK. Comparison of Healthy and Dandruff Scalp Microbiome Reveals the Role of Commensals in Scalp Health. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2018 Oct 4;8:346. doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2018.00346. PMID: 30338244; PMCID: PMC6180232. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6180232/
Cefali, L. C., Ataide, J. A., Moriel, P., Foglio, M. A., & Mazzola, P. G. (2016). Plant-based active photoprotectants for sunscreens. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 38(4), 346–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.12316
Gause S, Chauhan A. UV-blocking potential of oils and juices. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2016 Aug;38(4):354–63. doi: 10.1111/ics.12296. Epub 2016 Jan 29. PMID: 26610885. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26610885/
Burgess IF, Brunton ER, Burgess NA. Clinical trial showing superiority of a coconut and anise spray over permethrin 0.43% lotion for head louse infestation, ISRCTN96469780. Eur J Pediatr. 2010 Jan;169(1):55–62. doi: 10.1007/s00431–009–0978–0. Epub 2009 Apr 3. PMID: 19343362. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19343362/
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