Coconut Oil for Hair Loss – Does It Promote Hair Growth?

Have you noticed an increasing number of hair care products include natural oils as main ingredients? If you look closer, you’ll see that coconut oil is by far one of the most popular ingredients in all of those products.

Interestingly though, the popularity of coconut oil is not something new. In fact, this oil has been used for various health benefits and beauty care routines for hundreds of years.

In this article, we will focus on reviewing how coconut oil can help with hair growth and cover whether it is truly a great addition for people suffering from excessive hair shedding.

First, let’s talk about 10 popular uses of coconut oil in general:

What are the top 10 most popular uses?

• Healthy hair (growth promotion, dandruff control, and hair mask)
• Stretch marks
• Acne
• Wrinkles
• Weight Loss
• Eczema
• Psoriasis
• High blood pressure
• Stroke
• Heart/Liver Disease

Coconut oil benefits for hair

Absorbs easily

According to Dr. Bruce Fife, the author of the Coconut Oil Miracle, coconut oil is composed of very tiny molecules that our skin easily absorbs, helping to provide a complete natural moisturizing solution.

Prevents free radicals

Our skin is made of connective tissues. As we grow older, these tissues lose their elasticity and strength causing our skin age and become saggy. Free radicals contribute to the aging process.

Eating junk foods, smoking, chemical additives, or many other unhealthy habits we face on a daily basis also contribute to free radical formation in the body. Coconut oil can help control such damage by keeping it to a minimum level.

Protects the scalp from fungal growth

One of the reasons that people lose hair is due to the fungal growth on the scalp that largely goes unnoticed. If it’s untreated, the hair loss symptoms are likely to get worse. Coconut oil’s antimicrobial property solves this issue by creating a protective layer for the skin/scalp and preventing germs or infections from accessing the skin.

Prevents dandruff

The natural moisturizing property of coconut oil soothes the skin, thus removes and absorbs white flakes or skin irritation presented on the scalp.

Using coconut oil for hair growth

There are a number of aspects about how coconut oil may help people who are suffering from hair shedding.

First, if your hair loss is due to dandruff or fungal infections, coconut oil is a great natural source to put a stop on this. If you are looking for a medical-based solution to fungi or dandruff, there is a FDA-approved ingredient called ketoconazole. Anti-dandruff shampoos such as Nizoral use ketoconazole as the active ingredient.

But before you go with a medical option, start by trying natural solutions such as coconut oil or emu oil. It has minimal to none side effects and there are numerous reviews about how effective it is for getting rid of dandruff.

Another reason you may want to consider using coconut oil for hair loss is that tiny molecular structures of coconut oil help to penetrate the scalp easier than other carrier oils.  By mixing with essential oils such as peppermint or lavender, it helps with providing hair growth and  moisturizing effects and slowing down premature hair fallout.

How to use coconut oil for your hair growth

Coconut oil comes in a white solid form, so in order for easy topical application for hair treatment, it needs to be microwaved.

1. First, scoop 2-4 tablespoons from the jar into a small microwave-safe container or bowl. Microwave it for about 15-30 seconds or until the oil turns into a liquid form.
2. Dab your fingers into the bowl and start applying it on the top portion of your scalp and slowly go down to the neck area, then on both sides of your head.
3. Once your scalp is completely covered with coconut oil, use the rest to apply it throughout your hair strands section by section.
4. Make sure that you massage your scalp either using your fingers or a hair massager for 5 minutes or longer for the best result. This will promote better blood circulation.

The goal here is to make sure the coconut oil is fully absorbed into the scalp to nourish hair follicles and prevent hair loss. By healing damaged follicles, coconut oil is an all natural alternative to help with healthy hair growth.

What type of coconut oil should I use for my hair?

To get the maximum benefit of its natural healing properties for hair, first look for the “unrefined” version. This means that no chemical compounds are added to make the oil’s shelf life longer.

Additioinally, unrefined coconut oil often has two different names:

• Virgin
• Extra Virgin

According to WebMD, these two terms are meaningless and more of a marketing strategy to make it more appealing to consumers. In other words, whether the label says “virgin” or “extra virgin”, they are basically pointing to the same production technique (removing any dye, bleaches, or any chemicals).

Do you have a recommendation for the best coconut oil brand?

Our Pick

Nutiva Coconut Oil

This virgin coconut oil has over 3000 reviews with the PERFECT rating! It also comes in various sizes which is another big plus.

BUY

Based on our research for the best quality coconut oil for scalp and hair loss use, we recommend Nutiva’s Coconut oil. The Nutiva brand has been around years and the company only uses unrefined processes for their 100% pure coconut oil. It also comes in various sizes and price points, so depending on whether you want to buy in bulk or in small amounts, you have a variety options to choose from.