Just like your skin, your hair also needs proper nourishment. Hair oils are amongst the most effective solutions available in the market for healthy hair. Oiling hair has been prevalent in India for centuries. Oiling makes your hair soft and shiny and stimulates your hair follicles for healthy growth. Hot oil massage helps you in various ways and provides promising results. Read on to know more on how massaging hot oil can benefit you.
Benefits of Hot Oil Massage for Hair
First and foremost, a hot oil massage is extremely relaxing. If you had a long and tiring week or are under a lot of stress, then getting a hot oil massage at home or the salon can be quite de-stressing. The experience is heavenly and the benefits of applying hot oil on hair are plenty.
A hot oil head massage is an Ayurvedic practice that heals the mind and body by regulating the energy forces known as Vayu, stimulating good hair growth. Warm oil is good for hair since warm oil massage regulates the bio-digestive fire in the body, improving cellular metabolism in the stem cells of the follicles. Some other notable benefits of hot oil for hair include:
1. Prevents Hair Thinning
As we grow older, hormones weaken and shrink the hair follicles. Regular hot oil treatment for hair helps you by unclogging the hair follicles, delaying hair thinning or follicle miniaturisation, and stimulating the growth of thick hair.
2. Minimises Calcium and Protein Loss
Hair strands are made of keratin,a type of protein which is called the structural building block of hair. As you age, the body requires more calcium and protein to make up for the loss. When you go for head massages with natural oils, your scalp absorbs the protein and calcium. Hot oil massage strengthens your roots and nourishes your scalp.
3. Activates Sebaceous Glands
The scalp is made up of sebaceous glands that produce ‘sebum’. Sebum is an oily substance that keeps the hair follicles lubricated. When there is too much sebum production, you can experience oily scalp, therefore, a scalp massage for hair growth becomes important. A hot oil massage is good for hair because it balances the sebum production, maintaining the natural moisture of the hair.
4. Stops Hair Breakage
Hot oil massage repairs the hair shaft and cuticle to tackle damage and replenish elasticity from root to tip. Hot oil benefits your tresses like a conditioner making them soft, shiny, and frizz-free.
5. Delays Greying
Timely nourishment and blood circulation are instigated by a good oil massage for hair. This further stimulates melanin production preventing grey hair, helping your hair retain its natural colour.
6. Stimulates Hair Growth
A deeply reinvigorating hot oil treatment benefits you by reactivating the dormant follicles, stimulating new hair growth. It catalyses the life cycle of your hair strand and enhances the volume and density.
7. Balances the Doshas
Warm oil is good for hair because it is therapeutic. Stress weakens your hair follicle, raising all kinds of hair issues. A hot oil massage effectively provides relief from physical and mental stress which aggravates hair loss.
Things to Keep in Mind for Hot Oil Hair Massage
Whether you are getting a hot oil treatment at a salon or a hair massage at, there are certain things that you should keep in mind and follow to make your session as beneficial for your hair as possible:
- The benefits of applying hot oil on hair cannot be reaped by those affected by scalp infections and autoimmune conditions such as dermatitis, eczema, and scalp psoriasis.
- You can dampen your hair strands a little by sprinkling water before a hot oil massage to ensure proper absorption of the oil into the scalp.
- Pour the warm oil and massage it into your scalp gradually with your fingertips. Pressure should only be applied at specific points.
- Once you are done with the hot oil massage, take a towel, dip it in hot water, squeeze the towel so that all the water is drained out and then wrap your hair with the damp towel.
- Never use hot water to wash your hair, as it can damage the hair and increase scalp sensitivity. Use cold or lukewarm water to wash your hair after a scalp massage for hair growth.
- Coconut oil is always the ideal choice for the hot oil treatment since it protects the hair shaft from protein loss.
- For effective absorption of the oil, it is recommended that you keep the duration of the hot oil massage anywhere between 20-40 minutes.
Conclusion
For dry, dull, or damaged hair, there is nothing better than hot oil treatment. Instead of applying high-end, chemical-laden products to repair and replenish, your hair enjoys the wondrous hot oil massage. A hair massage is inexpensive, tried and tested, and insanely relaxing.
