It’s no secret that every woman in the world longs for soft, shiny and healthy hair, and that women would go to great lengths just to achieve this. In the history of hair care in Australia and throughout the world many odd and outrageous methods have been developed claiming to give women the quality of hair they desire, but only few have truly stood the test of time and effectiveness. Among these methods is hot oil hair treatment.
Hot oil hair treatments have been around for decades, used mostly by Asian women but now gaining more and more popularity with those in the West. Though tried and tested many times over, through the years it’s been connected to several negative notions which are totally false. Here, we expose what’s really true and what’s false about hot oil hair treatments.
Demystifying the Myths
For many women, trying a new hair treatment method can be scary, and hearing about scary myths does not help at all. To clear away that confusion and the fear we reveal four common hot oil treatment myths and the truths behind them:
Myth: Hot oil treatments burn the scalp.
Hot oil treatments do not burn the scalp unless you or your stylist overheats the oil. Oils for hot oil hair treatment usually come in two varieties: those that need to be heated in the microwave or stovetop, and those that come in a package that only needs to be submerged in hot water. The latter is much safer and less likely to burn your scalp, as the former can become too hot. But this will only happen if you don’t monitor the temperature of the oil carefully. To make sure your oil isn’t too hot, microwave it for 30 seconds at a time, and check its temperature constantly by placing a drop of it on your finger or wrist. If it’s too hot for your wrist, then it’s definitely too hot for your hair.
Myth: Hot oil can cause hair fall.
Just because it’s hot does not mean it will cause your hair to fall. If anything, it will cause the opposite to happen. Hot oil conditions the hair and scalp, making hair stronger, fuller and more resistant to damage from styling and colouring. Hot oil can also significantly prevent frizz.
Myth: Hot oil treatments last long.
Some believe that like other hair processes such as rebonding or perms, hot oil treatments last long, but unfortunately they do not. They will last a maximum of only about a few days because the oils get washed away by shampoo, and you’ll have to do them again in order to keep your hair soft and shiny. Thankfully, it doesn’t take much to do it. You can do it by yourself at home with a good bottle of oil, a towel and a hair dryer; or with your stylist at a salon for a convenient and stress-free treatment.
Myth: Hot oil darkens/ blackens hair.
Have fair hair and fear that hot oil will darken it? Fear not. The truth is all scalps, whether fair-haired or dark, produce oil, and this oil like all other oils used in hot oil treatments do not darken your hair. They can help maintain coloured hair though, as their deep conditioning can keep coloured hair looking vibrant.
Hot oil hair treatments can do wonders for your hair and there’s absolutely nothing to worry about if you only do it right and choose the right products for it. In Australia, a good source of high quality oil for hot oil treatments is Sydney Salon Supplies. They supply Macadamia Natural Oil Treatment products as well as Moroccanoil Hair Treatment products. They also offer numerous styling products from Babyliss, RAW by Anthony Nader and GHD hair care products.
Debra Wright blogs about a plethora of topics including oil hair treatment in Sydney and other fields. Wright considers Sydney Salon Supplies as one of the leaders in hair care Australia.