Hair oiling - a millennia old practice

It may not be a prevalent practice in western countries, but hair oiling has a long tradition, especially in North Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

It is said to have been common in Ancient Egypt, where men and women would use a combination of perfumes, animal and vegetable fats to oil and fragrance their hair.

According to Prof. Maria Fernanda Reis Gavazzoni Dias, vegetable oils, in particular coconut, can have a positive effect on damaged hair by restoring the hydrophobic property of the hair and so reducing breakage and frizziness. [1]

The practice of hair oiling focuses on the scalp. Some studies have found that regular scalp massage can improve hair growth[2] and that a healthy scalp leads to healthy hair.

Here is how to do it:

1. Get enough hair oil in your hands to coat your scalp (around a teaspoon and a half) and massage into your scalp using circular motion starting at the crown of your hair, going to your temples and to the back of your head and neck. Massage for a couple of minutes

2. Coat the length of your hair with what is left on your hands until they are relatively dry

3. Leave overnight or for a least a couple of hours

4. Wash as normal

You should aim to do this once a week, depending on the condition of your hair!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[1] (Gavazzoni Dias, Maria Fernanda Reis. “Hair cosmetics: an overview.” International journal of trichology vol. 7,1 (2015): 2-15. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.153450) [2]Koyama, Taro et al. “Standardized Scalp Massage Results in Increased Hair Thickness by Inducing Stretching Forces to Dermal Papilla Cells in the Subcutaneous Tissue.” Eplasty vol. 16 e8. 25 Jan. 2016