Most women agree: Frizz stinks. It blurs the lines of a good haircut, makes a ponytail look like a puffball, and turns styling into an ordeal. Whatever your hair type and however you like to wear it, it looks so much better smooth and sleek.
When your hair is in good shape, it better showcases your cut, style, and color, and feels wonderfully silky to the touch. Problem is, frizz is just plain stubborn, so much so that women end up spending a fortune buying products to eliminate it.
We hate frizz so much because it means our hair isn't very healthy; it's a result of damage sustained from outside sources. Even young children can have frizzy hair, particularly if they have curly and/or tangle prone hair that receives rough combing, or if they frequently wear uncovered rubber ponytail elastics. As adults, we continue the barrage on our hair with heat styling, perms, dye jobs, and more.
The best ways to fight frizz is to treat your hair gently and use smoothing products in humid weather or when otherwise needed. Hot oil treatments are also valuable tools for reducing frizz.
All about Hot Oil Treatments
Hot oil treatments are a way to infuse your hair with much-needed moisture to reduce the appearance of frizz, split ends and fly-aways. While hot oil treatment is definitely not for everyday use, people with dry or frizzy hair can benefit from one as often as once a week.
Hot oil treatments are available at pharmacies and discount stores, and most stores offer a few brands to choose from. You can also make your own hot oil treatments at home. This has become increasingly popular thanks to increased interest in natural and organic beauty treatments. Doing your own hot oil treatments can save you money and create less waste from commercial packaging.
The first thing to consider when you're doing an at-home hot oil treatment of ANY kind is safety. If you're using a packaged brand, follow the manufacturer's heating directions. If you're making your own treatment, take precautions. Oil can heat up very quickly and can cause serious burns if it ends up on your skin. It's probably best to ignore the "hot" in "hot oil" and replace it with "warm". Oil should be comfortable to the touch or it should not be put on your head.
Heating with the microwave might be quicker, but it's not a safe method for warming oil. Microwaves tend to heat unevenly, and might leave one part of your oil tepid and another part scalding. Stick to the stovetop, and a small shallow saucepan. Don't leave the heating oil unattended. Heat it slowly on a lower setting and don't let it get hotter than you need it. Another method is putting the oil into a plastic bag and placing it in hot water for a couple of minutes.
Ingredients for homemade hot oil treatments vary quite a bit. The base can be made from olive, canola vegetable, or other oil. You can add other natural ingredients that strike your fancy, to give a pleasant scent and increase the effectiveness of the treatment.
Certain essential oils address particular hair and scalp issues. Essential oils can be found at your local health food store or alternative pharmacy.
Depending on your needs, you might want to use the hot oil treatment only on the ends of your hair. Breakage occurs there most commonly, and using oil on all your hair could leave you with an oily scalp. However, if you suffer from dry scalp conditions such as dandruff, a full-head hot oil treatment can be a luxurious way to ease your symptoms.
Hot Oil Treatment Recipes
Here's a recipe for oil hot oil treatment that can be prepared at home:
Dry Hair Deep Hot Oil Conditioner Recipe
Ingredients:
8 drops chamomile essential oil
8 drops of neroli essential oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
Place oilsin a small plastic bag and place the bag in a hot cup of water for 1 minute to warm. Apply preparation to hair and wrap hair in a towel for 20 minutes. Rinse oil from hair then dry with a towel.
Frizzy hair responds well to coconut oil. Here's a coconut oil-based hair treatment that, over time, can greatly improve your hair's texture.
Frizzy Hair Hot Oil Hair Recipe
Ingredients:
3 tablespoonscoconut oil
1 tablespooncastor oil
5-10 drops essential oil of choice for smell
Directions:
Melt coconut oil in a double broiler on low. Add other castor oil, allow cooling, and then add essential oils. Apply to hair; wrap hair in a towel for 30-45 minutes. Rinse oil from hair and dry with a towel.
After The Treatment
When you're washing the oil treatment out of your hair, you might have to shampoo, rinse, and then re-lather and rinse again. This will ensure the oil has been sufficiently rinsed out and avoid a dull, greasy look.
While frizz control serums and gels can provide some help, they're not a true fix. If you want to really improve the condition of your hair, you have to commit to a healthier hair care routine. The fight against frizz begins with a good haircut. Avoid choppy cuts and anything that further frays the hair shaft, such as thinning shears. This isn't always easy; many times frizzy hair is very thick and unruly to begin with, so any cut that removes bulk provides temporary satisfaction. Unfortunately, the good results don't last long. Frizz returns with a vengeance because the hair was stretched and damaged from the cut. Ask your stylist about layering as an alternative; it can help take some weight out of thick, heavy hair.
Your next step is to be gentler with your hair at home. It can be tough to take it easy on your mane when you're always in a hurry, but more attentive combing, brushing and styling habits will help stop future damage.
Use a shampoo and conditioner formulated for damaged or frizzy hair. Be sure to use a detangling spray or leave in conditioner to ease out knots and make for smooth combing.