Most people pour oil on their hair, leave it an hour and wash it out. That is a conditioning treatment. It is not what oiling is for.
The point is the scalp
Hair is dead protein. Nothing you apply will change what has already grown. The living part is the follicle, and that sits under the skin, so the oil needs to reach the scalp rather than coat the lengths.
The routine
- Warm it. Two tablespoons in your palms, rubbed together. Warm oil spreads further and absorbs better. Do not microwave it.
- Section the hair. Four to six parts, clipped. This is the step everyone skips, and it is the one that gets oil onto skin rather than hair.
- Apply along the partings. Fingertips, directly onto the scalp, working down each section.
- Massage for five minutes. Small firm circles with the pads of your fingers, never your nails. You should feel the scalp move over the skull. This is the part that drives circulation.
- Take the rest through the lengths. Whatever is left on your hands goes on the mid-lengths and ends, where breakage happens.
- Leave it. One hour minimum. Overnight is better. Old pillowcase, hair loosely tied.
- Wash it out. Shampoo onto dry oiled hair before adding water, so it lifts more easily. One round of a mild shampoo is usually enough.
Twice a week, not daily
Oil left on the scalp continuously traps sebum and dead skin, and can make dandruff worse. Two sessions a week is the point of diminishing returns.
Three mistakes worth avoiding
- Rubbing hard with nails. It irritates the scalp and breaks new growth.
- Tying wet oiled hair tightly. Wet hair stretches; tension breaks it.
- Double shampooing every time. Strips the scalp and undoes the point of the exercise.