How To Guide: Hot Oil Treatment on Natural or Transitioning Hair 2023

Hot oil treatments were once known as a miracle treatment for damaged hair. Today there are so many remedies you can use, however, the same results are not produced. Doing a hot oil treatment is very beneficial, especially if it’s done once per week.

What is a hot oil treatment & does it work?

There are many things you can do for your hair that aren’t very good for it, such as perms and boxed hair dye, however doing a hot oil treatment on natural hair is very beneficial in multiple facets. Hot oil treatments have been a common solution for those of us with split ends, dry hair, and damaged hair. The heat from the oil opens the cuticle of the hair follicle and allows moisture to infiltrate the shaft of your hair. This is especially important for people with naturally dry hair.

One of the first things that may come to your mind here is “my hair is already so oily, what would I need this for” or maybe you dont know how to do  a hot oil treatment? Hot oil treatments are good for all hair types and you may even use it to customer your mane (the hair around the back of your neck). The oils will take strengthening compounds and moisture and infuse them and itself to your hair. These oils are typically made up of a protein called keratin. After your treatment, you will have soft & luscious hair with those pesky split ends gone for the time being.

Which Oil Should You Use For Your Hot Oil Treatment?

The oil that you should choose for your hair really depends on what problem you’re looking to remedy with the treatment. Here is a list of oils and the benefits of using them:

• Avocado oil – Dry and frizzy hair are no longer a problem after using this oil, as its very demulcent and soothing.
• Argan Oil – Organically stimulates your hair and strengthens it, protecting against further damage.
• Caster oil – Anyone who has done the oil cleansing technique found out that caster has some drying capacities. If you’re someone with really oily hair, then this option is for you. Also, if you have thin or easily breakable hair, caster adds strength to it.
• Coconut oil – Sufferers of dandruff should apply this oil through a hot oil treatment due to the fact that it adds moisture to the scalp while also adding a voluptuous shine and creates a softness to your hair.
• Jojoba oil – Like natural skin and hair oils, this is really good for people with oily hair looking to dry it out.
• Olive oil – You most likely have this lurking around your kitchen, however, it’s very good for protecting your ends from splitting.
• Sesame oil – While it’s very delicious, it’s better used in a hot oil treatment and develops a smooth texture to your hair.
• Sweet Almond Oil – Containing vitamin E, using this oil stimulates the hair follicles and promotes hair growth.

There are, of course, a multitude of other oils that can be used and have great benefits as well. Kukui and Apricot Kernel are among them that leave your hair feeling soft and looking very healthy. You can also add herbs to you’re your oil, increasing the effectiveness of your treatment.

Supplies For A Hot Oil Treatment

Once you have selected the oil and herb you will be using for your hot oil treatment its time to get everything ready. You’ll need the following materials:

Oil – Use one of the oils listed above for your hair needs.

Comb or Brush – Prior to applying the hot oil you should loosen tangles or knots, and eliminate any dandruff from your hair so the hot oil can penetrate deep into your scalp.

Towel – This is essential in order to dry hair after washing off the oil.

Plastic Cap – Put this on your head following the application of the hot oil to keep things from getting messy.

Heating Cap – This is an optional device. This is used to distribute the heat evenly over your head while letting the oil seep into your scalp.

Once you have prepared all the needed products, you can proceed to follow the below steps to apply your oil treatment:

How To Do a Hot Oil Treatment

1. Wash and Clean Your Hair

It’s necessary to wash and clean your hair prior to application of hot oil treatment. This is done not the day before, but the same day. This is to ensure your scalp and strands are clean enough, guaranteeing proper absorption of nutrients from your hot oil formulation. Its also necessary to avoid using hair spray, mousse, or gel on your hair prior to the treatment. These formulations will only prevent the proper penetration of hot oil to your hair follicles.

2. Prepare Your Hot Oil

Professionals advise that you heat up your chosen essential oil in a mug or bowl; you may use your stove to do this. Nonetheless, if you have chosen a pre-mixed hot oil, this is no longer necessary.

3. Dampen Your Hair

It’s best to dampen your hair before applying the oil. You don’t have to soak your hair, dampening is enough.

4. Apply the Hot Oil Solution

Dip your fingertips in the hot oil. Afterwards, massage your scalp gently beginning with the roots to the end of your hair strands.

5. Wear the Plastic Cap

You should wear the covering cap over your head and allow the oil to settle for 20 minutes. If you have a steamer or heating cap, use it instead while allowing the hot oil seep into your scalp and follicles.

6. Wash and Rinse Your Hair

Once the 20-minute duration is up, you should wash and rinse your hair.

7. Style Your Hair

You may proceed to drying your hair and styling it as necessary.

8. Repeat Regularly

According to professionals, applying hot oil once every 30 days is good enough, but is can also be applies once every seven days.

Which Herb Should I Use In My Hot Oil Treatment?

There are a vast number of herbs to use in your hot oil treatment and most of them are very, very valuable for natural hair. You can customize your treatment any way you like, personally I enjoy pushing mine through real dried herbs prior to putting it in my hair.

Herbs have many different focuses when it comes to blending it with your oil that you’re treating your hair with including maintaining your hair color after it’s been dyed, to make your hair and scalp moister, to add strength and ensure breakage happens less. Below are several ideas:

Augments the color of your hair: For people with dark hair, you can use black tea, ground coffee, ground walnut shells (preferably black), rosemary, and sage. Those of us with light colored hair can use Calendula, chamomile, clove, red clove, and hibiscus. Redheads can put hibiscus, chamomile, or red clover to further boost their hair color. Using the hot oil treatment on natural hair can be tricky, but these benefits outweigh any cons that you may find.

Strengthening your hair can be done with burdock, chamomile, and nettle. Parsley, rosemary, and sage can be used in the clarification of your hair. Aloe, cat mint, dried rose petals, and lavender can be mixed with your oil to provide moisture. Stimulating hair growth can be done using chamomile, horsetail, sage, and ginger.

Steeping The Herbs.

After you’ve decided on the herbs that you will be using, you’ll want to infuse them into the oil you’re going to use for your treatment. One of the faster strategies is to simmer the herbs in oil on low-heat for around 30 minutes.

Step 1 – Take 3 tablespoons of the oil you have chosen and place them in a broiler. Adjust the temperature to low heat and add 1-2 tablespoons of the herb you chose.

Step 2 – Sift the herbs out from the oil into a smaller container, preferably paper based.

Step 3 – Start adding in other things to the treatment to further benefit the health of your hair. The oil/herb mixture can be stored up to six months.

These treatments are not restricted only to herbs and oils, you can use almost any type of hair-safe product in your oil. You can add ingredients like avocado, bananas, egg yolk, berries, lemon juice, carrot seed oil, rose hip seed oil, aloe Vera gel, and many other things to inject nutrients in your hair.

We know that this is a lot to take in all at once and there are a significant number of steps. You can start small by taking the information above and getting the oil, herbs or other ingredients of your choosing and making an oil treatment. You won’t regret it!

Tips on Making Your Hot Oil Treatment a Success.

Apart from carrying out the steps above on applying the hot oil, there are professional tips that you may need to keep in mind. These pieces of advice also concentrate on safety while working with hot oil. Here are the following:

Use Shampoo After Treatment – It’s not necessary to avoid shampoos after the hot oil treatment. Basically, hair cleansers help strip off excess oil from your scalp, making your strands greasy instead of free flowing. There are high quality shampoos ideal for post-hot oil treatment that will nourish your hair which you can read about here. Allow the treatment to settle for an hour or two before shampooing.

Let The Hot Oil Cool Down – You may be required to heat up the essential oil you have chosen for hair treatment, but it does not mean that you have to apply it immediately. You should never put hot oil on your scalp or this will result in burns; its best to use warm oil instead.

Treat Burns Quickly – There is a possibility for you to suffer from burns while using hot oil. In case this happens, you should rinse the affected area with running water; let it cool or apply ice instantly to mitigate damage.

Use Burn Lotions – You may use topical solution to avoid further damage of your burnt skin. However, do not wrap the affected tissues after applying the treatment to promote quicker recuperation.

Apply Alternatives – If you do not have ice or burn creams at home, you may consider other options. Banana pulp is effective in cooling down the skin and promoting healing. You may also use crushed henna leaves, ground red berries and yogurt, pure honey, bitter melon extract, and potato.

Don’t Go Out Right Away – While your hair is oiled, you should avoid going out. Otherwise, your scalp will only attract more bacteria, dust, and dirt. You may suffer from scalp irritation, dandruff, and hair loss among others.

Never Over Massage your Hair – Massage your scalp and strands moderately. This will prevent breaking your hair or putting much strain on your scalp.

Avoid Using Chemical Solutions – Since you will be dedicated to applying hot oil on your scalp and hair regularly, you should start ditching chemical procedures; try to prevent dyeing, straightening, or perming your hair using chemical-infused mixtures or unsafe styling tools. These practices often lead to damage and dullness of strands.

Hot oil treatments is not the only solution for bringing back the luster of your natural or transitioning hair but its one of the best and proven to work, it also mitigates the potential for hair damage.

We know this is a lot of information to take in all at once but doing a hot oil treatment is well worth it. You won’t regret it!

Learn how to straighten natural hair, find the best clarifying shampoo for natural hair, then learn to grow African American hair faster, find the best heat protectant for natural hair, hair regrowth products, and oils for your hair.

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