Taking care of your hair is essential to have healthy, luscious hair. And oiling it is one of the best things you can do. But too much or too little can both be a problem. If this makes you think, how often should I oil my scalp with braids?
Oiling your hair 2-3 times a week is the threshold. Any more, and your hair will start accumulating too much dirt and debris. Any less, your scalp will dry, and your hair will become frizzy and dehydrated.
If you have braids and are looking for ways to take proper care of your hair, you have come to the right place. We’ll tell you related to oiling your hair with braids. Let’s get into it.
What Does Oiling Your Braids Do
Oiling your hair regularly helps rehydrate hair strands that are dry and suffer from malnutrition. If you have protective braids, go for oil with cleansing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal/bacterial qualities for the best results.
Jojoba oil, sweet almond, shea butter, tea tree, or coconut oil are natural products that prevent scalp irritation, and when used correctly, they ensure that there’s no build-up on the scalp.
These products help style your hair however you want without damaging it, improve hair quality, and growth and help open up the scalp. This is why these can be used not only on braids but also on cornrows, locks, and twists.
Massaging your hair and scalp with peppermint, tea tree, and citrus-based oils helps increase blood circulation and decongest the scalp. This is a big step on the path to healthy hair growth. Massage your scalp for 3-5 minutes weekly to stimulate it.
If you’re dealing with hair loss or bald spots, you can use castor oil, Jamaican black castor oil, and vitamin e oil to help with the issues.
Should You Use Oil When Braiding Hair
You need to oil your hair before getting your braids done to ensure your hair and scalp have locked in moisture and nutrients and will be healthy.
Oil your hair every time you get your braids done. The only way to care for your hair if you have protective braids is to oil it properly. After getting your braids done, apply oil to the ends of your hair for 2-3 days to reduce pressure and tension.
When Should You Oil Your Scalp After Getting Braids
Oil can be a great friend for your hair and scalp when you get braids done. Oil your scalp every time you moisturize it with a spritz. Doing this a few times a week will reduce the need for moisturizing hair every day and help protect the root of hair.
Oiling your hair helps prevent dryness, burning, dirt buildup, flakiness, and itchiness on the scalp. It also helps soften skin cells, exfoliate, and remove debris to encourage blood flow on the scalp.
Instead of castor oil, use zinc, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, saw palmetto, burdock, nettle, ginger, and Vitamin E on your hair and scalp to better protect and care for them.
When synthetic hair is used to create braids and plaits, dryness can become an issue as synthetic hair absorbs the oil your natural hair has, drying them in the process.
This makes your hair extremely susceptible to damage as your hair is in micro-sections, and the physical weight of the braid is pulling on the hair follicles.
Should I Oil My Scalp Every Day with Braids
People with dry scalps and no dandruff on their heads can use oil daily to hydrate their scalps and the roots of their hair. On the other hand, people with oily hair should refrain from oiling it daily as it may make it too greasy and oily.
To have healthy hair, you need to oil it regularly. How often you oil your hair depends on your hair type, lifestyle, and, most importantly, your scalp. Some people need to hydrate their hair and scalp weekly, while others might need to do it daily.
If your goal is to have your hair grow properly, you should oil your hair and scalp daily. This increases blood flow and promotes hair growth.
We recommend oiling your scalp two to three times per week. Especially on the weekends when you’re planning on shampooing your hair.
After you wash your hair, ensure that your scalp is moisturized, and apply essential oil if needed. This ensures your hair won’t lose its natural moisture.
Can You Oil Your Scalp Too Much
Oiling your hair too much won’t damage your hair. But if you have braids and you oil your hair excessively, you might face the following problems:
- Closing of hair follicles due to oil buildup.
- The extra oil can pull a lot of dirt and debris and make them accumulate on your scalp.
- It might loosen your braids too much.
Does Oiling Your Braids Help It Grow
Hair oil is an essential product when it comes to promoting hair growth. If you want your hair to grow faster than average, oiling your scalp works exceptionally well.
Sunflower, grape seed and baobab oil mixture help reduce dandruff and increase hair growth. While peppermint oil, castor oil, and organic olive oil revitalize hair, prevents dryness, and reduce buildup.
How Long Should I Let Oil Sit on My Scalp
Oiling your hair the night before you shampoo is a good practice. This gives the oil time to work its magic on your hair and helps keep hair and scalp healthy.
Does Oil Loosen Braids
Yes, oiling your braids loosens them. This can be a good thing when you have braids that are too tight or are causing discomfort on your scalp.
On the other hand, too much oil can be harmful, as that might loosen your braids to the point where they come undone.
So it’s better to apply oil on your braids moderately and carefully.
What Oil Is Good for Scalp Braids
If you have a protective hairstyle, not all oils will suit your hair. Keep in mind that once you get your braids done, your hair is locked away for 8-12 weeks, and you won’t be able to access it easily.
Knowing what type of oil to use in your braids is essential. Use light oils that are easily absorbed and won’t clog your scalp. Oils like grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, argon oil, avocado oil, apricot kernel oil, olive oil, and coconut oil work best in this regard.
You can use any oil mixed with castor oil to promote hair growth.
1. Coconut oil
Coconut oil is known for its highly moisturizing properties. It won’t evaporate or break down easily and will help retain moisture for longer. Locking it in keeps strands and skin for extended periods and reduces the risk of hair breakage.
Unfortunately, despite the multiple benefits of coconut oil, including its moisturizing properties, it doesn’t suit all types of hair. If you have low-porosity hair, you can try these oils instead:
2. Castor Oil
Castor oil is enriched with ricinoleic acid and anti-inflammatory fatty acids that moisturize and soothe hair and are perfect for your scalp. Among all the different types, Jamaican black castor oil is the most popular.
Other than that, it also strengthens hair, promotes growth, increases blood circulation, and helps grow more hair. It provides nutrition to the hair’s roots and balances the scalp’s pH. pH level keeps the scalp functioning at its ideal oil levels.
Apart from all these, castor oil helps prevent folliculitis, which is responsible for the inflammation of the hair follicles.
But using a heavy oil like castor oil directly on your scalp isn’t recommended. Heavy oils can cause your pores to clog, attract dirt and debris, and lead to dandruff formation.
3. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil is lighter than other oils, absorbed quickly, and has less fat content. Making it the ideal oil for those just starting with scalp oils.
4. Tea Tree Oil
Tea tree oil is an essential oil found in tea leaves. It has natural anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties that are the most important among hair products. Tea tree oil help kill the bacteria and fungus on your scalp.
5. Peppermint Oil
With its anti-bacterial and anti-microbial qualities, peppermint oil fights against the itchiness of the scalp and dandruff. It also helps balance the pH level of your scalp.
This helps control the production of natural hair oil and removes grease from your hair. Using peppermint oil with water reduces the scent and promotes hair growth.
6. Olive Oil
Olive oil helps hydrate the scalp and hair, and the added water keeps hair from getting too greasy.
How Much Should You Oil Your Scalp with Braids
If you have braids and want to keep them healthy, it is a good idea to oil your scalp every other day. This not only moisturizes your hair and scalp but also strengthens your hair and promotes hair growth.
How to You Oil Your Scalp with Braids
Protective hairstyles prevent proper access to your hair. To properly apply oil all over your scalp and hair, put a mixture of grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, argon oil, avocado oil, and apricot kernel oil in an applicator bottle and apply it once or twice a week on your scalp.
Store your oil in a squeeze bottle to easily apply it to your scalp. With this method, you can easily apply oil to the scalp and the edges of your hair. Sometimes using a squeeze bottle can put too much oil on your braids.
Instead, you can put and rub some coconut or almond oil on your hands and apply that to your braids. This will help prevent your braids from becoming frizzy.
You can also use a dropper to control how much oil you put on your hair.
Oil your hair lightly. Do not oil your hair as if you were trying to oil it when you have hair fall.
A nozzle bottle works more perfectly for those with thick and coarse hair. On the other hand, if you have thin and fine hair, you can spray oil on your scalp.
How Do I Keep My Hair Healthy with Braids
If you’re looking to have healthy hair without losing your braids, you can do the following:
- Don’t wear braids that are too tight.
- Oil your braids six to seven times a week.
- Use a light oil that won’t attract dirt or promote dandruff buildup.
- Don’t keep your braids tied or wear them for too long.
- Use a satin bonnet or scarf or a satin pillowcase when sleeping to prevent frizz.
FAQs
Should I oil my hair before braiding?
Yes, oiling your hair before getting your braids done helps lock moisture in your hair and scalp.
What happens if you oil your scalp too much?
Oiling your scalp more than needed can lead to the greasiness of the hair and scalp and lead to dirt and debris accumulating on your scalp.
What’s good for an itchy scalp with braids?
Apply a moderate amount of coconut, castor, or jojoba oil to your scalp and massage gently to moisturize and prevent itchiness.
Should I Grease My Scalp with Braids?
Oiling and greasing your scalp with braids is an excellent way to keep moisture locked in for longer
How Do You Keep Your Hair Moisturized in Braids?
To keep your hair moisturized in braids, apply coconut and avocado oil every other day. This will keep moisture locked in your hair and scalp.
Conclusion
When the question, how often should I oil my scalp with braids? Comes up the most straightforward answer is that you should oil your hair 6-7 times every week for best results and to keep moisture locked in.
But if you can’t do that for whatever reasons, the next best thing is to oil your braids and the edges of your hair every other day, or at least twice a week, and then wash it off with shampoo.
We hope reading this answered your questions and gave you a better insight into how to care for your scalp and hair with braids.
