Oiling Your Scalp Is Not Necessary For Healthy Hair

What black woman cannot remember sitting between her mother’s legs as she parted, combed, brushed and (sometimes brutalized) our hair?

We were told we had to sit still, stop squirming and whimpering and most times called tender-headed. Honestly, is that even a real THING?

Anyway, if you remember all of that then you must remember getting your scalp greased or oiled as well. If you were like me then you absolutely hated it!

I hated it because all that the grease would do was make my scalp itch and no matter how much I scratched it would never stop itching.

It wasn’t until I was a grown woman and doing my own hair that I ditched that bad habit and began to realize not only was it not necessary but also counter-productive to my hair’s growth.

OK, you’ve already seen my take on this age-old routine that most black women have had to endure as children and I am sorry to say that in many households this is STILL occurring. Little black girls are still sitting between their mother’s legs getting their hair and scalps oiled.

The only difference is that it may not be with Ultra Sheen (like me and my sister had) and it even may be a coconut or olive oil*, but the question is…is this practice even necessary? What is it really doing?

There is a difference between oil and hair grease. Hair grease is made up of oils but not the good ones that we should be applying to our hair. Good oils for hair are Olive oil* , Coconut oil*, Emu oil, Argan oil* and Grapeseed oil*, just to make a few. Bad oils are Petrolatum and Mineral oil* and are mostly used in hair grease.

Hair Grease The Black Hair Enemy

Traditional hair grease (like Blue Magic and Ultra Sheen) are mostly made up of Petrolatum and Mineral oil*. Hair grease does not promote hair growth despite what we have believed growing up.

Any healthy hair journeyer worth her salt will quickly cringe at those ingredients…Petrolatum and Mineral oil? Now, most of us have ditched those ingredients well into our first 6 months of starting a HHJ.

We know that all they do is coat the hair and attract dirt. They just sit on the scalp and hair and make it difficult for real moisturizers to penetrate the hair. They clog the pores and hair follicles while weighing down your hair.

Just because it’s what we have always used or have always done does not mean it is the best method or that we can never change. Also, the hair you had as a little girl is NOT the hair you have as an adult.

The bottom-line is that as we age the rate of our hair growth slows down. We as children have not been damaging our hair for decades as many of us do as adults. So comparing our hair as children to our adult hair is unrealistic when determining what worked for you then and what works for you now.

Oiling your scalp is not…

► Going to stop dandruff and in many cases it will increase it. Putting oil on dandruff feeds the fungus (dandruff is caused by a fungus called malassezia) and only aggravates the condition.

Scratching it doesn’t help either. There are many dandruff shampoos on the market and some are even natural but all I do is add a few drops of tea tree oil* to my cleanser and apply to my scalp. It works wonders.

► Going to make your hair grow faster or better. As mentioned above it may clog the pores (if applied heavily) and keep the true moisturizers from softening your hair like water and leave in conditioners.

► Necessary on a regular schedule. Even if you feel your scalp needs some oil do not feel it must be a set schedule. You may need to apply some oil to your scalp more in the winter and not at all during the summer.

If your scalp is tight or itchy a light application of a carrier oil such as Jojoba oil*, coconut oil* or olive oil* may be necessary. If your scalp is smooth, non-flaky or clean it shouldn’t need any oil application at all.

Scalp massages

Massaging the scalp helps blood circulation to the head and face and that increased circulation at the hair roots can promote healthy hair growth. Applying a good oil like Olive* or Jojoba* oils to our fingertips and massaging it into our scalp is a great way to get the oil into your scalp if you feel you need it and to get the blood circulation to the hair roots. Jojoba oil* is very similar to the sebum that your scalp naturally produces and is great for your hair and your entire bod.

Note – Many shampoos and conditioners already have natural oils in them that not only clean and moisturize your hair but keep your scalp healthy and at the right balance. If you are using cleansers and conditioners with natural oils additional oils may not be necessary.

Oiling your scalp is not necessary but it may be needed from time to time. Which oils to use are just as important to your hair care routine as anything else but please steer clear of hair grease!

I know old habits die hard but remember as you embark on your hair journey that many old habits will succumb to new routines and better knowledge about our hair and what it needs to stay healthy and happy.