Oiling and scalp Massage for Hair Growth

There has been a whole lot of talk in the natural hair community about the pros and cons of using oils on your scalp and while I’ll admit that there ARE downsides of oiling your scalp, there are so many benefits you are missing out on when you don’t oil your scalp.

Before I start I have to say:

1. This practice is NOT for everyone

2. NOT all oils can be used on you scalp

3. Excessive use of oils can be detrimental to your hair

4. It is very possible and still beneficial to massage your scalp without oils

But don’t worry that’s why I’m here. I’m going to tell you how you can use these oils to aid in retaining length and achieving maximum hair growth.

Know your oils (Moisturizing Oils Vs Sealing Oils)

There are countless oils out there that have a multitude of benefits for our hair. But depending on your hair type, porosity and you in general, some oils might benefit your hair strands but not on your scalp. Some oils are heavy and are better suited for coating hair strands and trapping in moisture instead of being absorbed into the strands and providing these benefits themselves. The same idea goes into scalp care. Light oils can be absorbed by the scalp and some might just form a layer of oil on your scalp and even prevent your natural oils from traveling down the hair strands and cause dryness and breakage, hindering progress.

So to put it simply:

Sealing Oils- Oils that can lock in moisture. They also have other benefits to the hair but do not penetrate the hair shaft or scalp

Eg. Jamaican Black Castor Oil, Shea Butter, Jojoba Oil, Grape seed oil almost all other oils

Moisturizing Oils- Oils that can penetrate hair shaft and scalp/ with your leave in conditioner

Eg. Coconut oil, Olive oil, Avocado Oil etc.

In short you can use 1 of these 3 oils massage your scalp or even a combination of all if you prefer. You can add drops of essential oils such as lavender oil, peppermint oil( personal favorite) or any essential oil of your choosing. Just a few drops of essential are all you need in your oil treatment.

IN FACT you can add a small quantity of heavier sealing oils which have certain properties you like eg. Castor oil has anti inflammatory properties that help with itchy dry scalp if used properly. But a word of caution when adding sealing oils to your oil massage. It can add a “protective” layer to your scalp which can prevent your natural hair oils from going down your hair strands causing dry brittle hair and breakage.

Scalp Massages

Oiling the scalp is beneficial and all but if you are oiling your scalp for hair growth it is crucial that you work the oil in through massages. Scalp massages is basically the one for sure technique that has been proven to have a positive relationship with hair growth. It also soothes and relaxes a person after a hard or stressful day so it’s a complete wonder how it’s not caught on by many.

It improves blood circulation. ...

It Helps Strengthen The Roots Of The Hair. ...

It Helps Soften And Condition The Hair. ...

It Spreads The Natural Oils Of The Hair. ...

It Helps Improve Hair's Resilience… (source: Google)

OKAY, HERE’S WHAT TO DO (QnA)

1. What exactly should I do when massaging?

There are many techniques you can use while massaging your scalp for hair growth. Search for scalp massages on YouTube and see which one appeals to you. If you’re not into holistic healing then you can just rub your fingertips on your scalp in gentle circular motions.

2. Can you massage your hair without the oils?

Absolutely! Before I started easing into oiling my scalp (without clogging it), I used to spray water at my trouble areas and massage them until they grew out eventually. Oil is just icing on the already great cake! ( Really good icing)

3.How many times should you massage your scalp?

As many times as you want! Don’t overdo it though and give yourself a headache lol! Scalp massages are not harmful in anyway so you can massage it anytime. If using oils though make sure you wash/cowash your hair weekly or every two weeks to prevent build up/

Currently I deeply oil massage my scalp 2 times a week and the rest of the days I massage without oil every time I put my hands in my hair. It’s become a habit.

4.How long should it take?

That is entirely up to you. It should range from 30 seconds to 15 minutes for a deeper massage. I do it for as long as its convenient.

5. When do I oil and massage my scalp?

This is also entirely up to you. I massage my scalp for 30 seconds every time I put my hands in my hair (not in public though) and I deeply oil and massage my scalp while watching a movie or an episode of a good series. This makes is a relaxing me-time and helps with my hair growth as well. So there’s that! Feel free to share your experiences with massaging your scalp with oils/ Was it good? Bad ? or Ugly?