Haircare for men may sound like an uncharted territory. However, keeping up with a healthy regimen is essential for your crowning glory. Taking a cue from hair care routine, all that a woman would do, men can actually adopt a few to their practice as well. One such element that has made inroads is coconut oil which has stood the test of time and is readily regarded to be the perfect natural medicine for those glorious tresses. Coconut oil is an age-old remedy for a string of hair issues; ranging from hair loss, dry scalp, thinning, and much more. Not that people don’t know, but for the sake of brevity, coconut oil is wholesomely extracted from mature coconuts or the kernel. Although it primarily found its way for cooking and hydrating skin, it worked wonders when applied to hair. Here’s a look at three awesome benefits for coconut hair oil for men and everything in between.
Keeps Away Scalp Infections
Let’s face it. Compared to a woman’s scalp, a man’s scalp is more prone towards developing infections, owing to less covering. This gains more essence if you are a bit of a loser on the top. With heat, dust, and pollution, it’s quite a shady affair. When treating men’s scalp with coconut oil, it readily fights off everything that leads to potential symptoms like flaking, itching, which is mostly due to bacteria and fungi playing havoc. That coconut oil is a natural antibacterial fluid goes a long way to help you achieve a dirt free scalp to ward off all infections with ease.
The Cooling Effect
Coconut oil is a natural coolant that works to enhance blood circulation across a man’s scalp and help keep it cool for long. Several studies depict that keeping one’s scalp cool not only helps in imparting concentration and focus but also stops frequent mood swings from happening. Coconut oil, similar to sebum, keeps the scalp from turning dry while also coating the very roots of the hair strands, thus protecting them from damage. It’s more of an analogy and less of an example, but hair is akin to silk and should be treated in the very same manner as one would treat their silk garments. Remember a scalp that is well oiled, no matter what, is a sure-shot way of keeping hair follicles healthy and thriving.
Fights Dandruff
Dandruff is a recurring issue, common to many men. Not only does dandruff brings down your overall hair health but also makes it flaccid, finally leading to hair fall. Regular application of coconut oil can help prevent dandruff from occurring and coming back. With natural anti-fungal properties, coconut oil is a must prescribe for one and all men. Just 15 minutes rub in before you hit the shower, and you are good to go! Love to improvise? Here’s what you can do. Mix a little amount of Aloe Vera gel with coconut hair oil and leave it for some time to help add moisture to the scalp thoroughly.
Baldness and Premature Grey Hair
Coconut oil is no miracle ointment to bring back your long gone tresses, but multiple studies have shown how it lessens the chances of becoming bald. Besides, it also stops premature greying of hair, which usually affects men from 25-40 years of age, sporadically. Reportedly, coconut oil is believed to be the only hair oil that can achieve a higher penetration rate, which in turn helps it protect from pollutants and excess air for good.
How to go about applying coconut hair oil
While applying hair oil doesn’t require much time, it’s essential that you do it correctly by adhering to some basic tips.
- Rub it before applying – Coconut oil, besides a lot of other things, works as an excellent moisturizer for the scalp. Hence, rubbing it between your palms before applying on to your hair heats it a little, which makes it easier to apply and doesn’t leave behind a sticky feeling. If one lives in an arid climate where the heat is predominant, you might want to spray over a mist of water to keep the scalp cool before you start applying to your hair.
- Massaging from roots to the ends – Once you start applying the hair oil on to your hair strands, massage it with light fingers. Ensure you run your fingers from roots to the end of the hair strand and not the other way. Applying it at the ends help prevent early breakage of hair, owing to the moisture from the oil. The presence of Lauric acid is what helps bind the protein in the hair, which in turn is responsible for keeping it glued to the roots.
- Leave it for a while before you rinse it off – Allowing the oil to stay on your scalp for a while helps in absorption. Sometimes, the smell of hair oil can be a bit lingering, and hence using a mild shampoo to rinse it off is probably a good idea. Additionally, it will also take care of the wet look it imparts. To achieve the best results, one can apply the coconut hair oil and leave it on the scalp overnight. You might as well wear a cap to prevent any stain on your linens. Coconut oil also finds its way to act as a natural conditioner to keep one’s hair shiny and soft all the way.
Achieving consistency with other ingredients – Coconut oil is a great companion to many other oils. For instance, olive oil, when mixed with coconut oil, is said to boost hair growth along with with frizz free, soft and shiny tresses. Plus, it helps to fight dryness and condition it as well. For improved results, one can also heat the mixture of two oils in a bowl and then massage the same on to your scalp with light fingers. As a follow up to the step, you can wash it off using a mild shampoo.