I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with my hair. Growing up, I had thick, long hair and tons of it. Being in middle and high school and not having any clue of how to mange this mane, I would resort to my tried and true ponytail. I had no clue about any products that would help tame the beast, I didn’t own a flatiron and my blow dryer skills were non-existent. So needless to say, I hated my hair. My mom would always say, “You know how many people would love to have your hair?” And I would just respond with an eye roll — followed by some repercussion because mamma don’t play.  Fast forward 2017, after I had my second child Ava, after the lustrous and shiny locks thanks to those pregnancy hormones — that’s when my hair started to fall out! Literally, clumps of hair would just run down the shower drain and I swear I thought I was going bald. I ended up seeing noticeable, bald spots near my temples.
So bad, I could no longer resort to my go-to pony. It scared me so much that I went to my physician and asked to get my blood checked for a hormone deficiency. The results came back normal and I just accepted what laid ahead. When I was younger, my mom would comment that she USED to have hair like mine and that now she had thinning hair and so I figured I had to accept that this is what happens to us Delgado women — we have kids and lose our hair. NOT. SO. FAST! I’m not giving up without a fight! So as of late, I have been trying out all sorts of remedies. I started using a shampoo and conditioner with Collagen and Biotin. I also started taking Collagen supplements along with Flaxseed Oil softgels. And now I’m doing Coconut Oil hair masks.
I was weary of trying this before because of the though of putting anything oily on my hair. I was scared that I would look oily even after washing it off. But I recently took the plunge and tried it. I went into my pantry — I was using Coconut Oil to cook but am so glad it has other uses — and grabbed my Nature’s Way Organic Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil will be a soft solid at room temp but will melt at about 76 degrees. So when you get some on your palms and rub your hands together, it will instantly melt into a liquid. I then started to rub some oil on my ends and along the shaft of the hair. I avoided my scalp due to claims that coconut oil may clog pores and cause irritation and who wants oily looking roots anyways? There have been reports that this oil may help with those with dandruff but there are also claims that it may cause your hair to become more brittle.
You may want to test on a small section of hair before going all in. Due to Coconut Oil’s richness of medium chain fatty acids, it contains Lauric Acid which is one of the reasons it can help prevent the loss of protein in your hair and is able to penetrate the hair shaft better than other oils. After applying the oil to my hair, I made two braids and went to bed. CAUTION- You may want to put on an old pillow case because it may get ruined. The morning after I decided to hit the gym in the AM and wash my hair afterwards. I felt so yucky because my hair looked (and felt) oily. I’m sure I looked crazy, but at least my hair smelled good. When I got home I hopped in the shower and shampooed and conditioned as usual. I decided to blow dry my hair straight and only applied a heat protector before drying. My hair dried so much faster (could be effect of the heat protector or the oil — who knows?) but after I was done it felt so healthy, full and hydrated. Not to mention the shine was unbelievable. I didn’t even have to apply my anti-frizz kukui oil. This is usually my finisher because it tames fly-aways AND gives it a bit of a shine. But not today folks! Not needed!! I was amazed at the results!!!!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40fTADYDGRU&w=560&h=315]There are also benefits to consuming coconut oil and I’ve even used to as a moisturizer. It is super rich and oily so you probably don’t want to slather it on before you head out on a warm day. I sometimes put on a smidgen on my freshly washed face to moisturize. Having acne-prone skin, I did not experience any clogged pores or breakouts, but did notice super hydrated skin the next morning. Now, of course I’m no scientist nor physician and would suggest you run this by your primary care doctor before trying but this has worked wonders for me. And it goes without saying, that if you’re allergic to coconuts, you probably should stay away from coconut oil. I’ve heard great things about Argan oil and Maracuja oil for hair and skin so that may be an alternative. I don’t know what took me so long to try coconut oil on my hair but I’m so happy I did. I will probably keep this routine going every couple of weeks. I’m hoping that this, along with my supplements, will help me get my full, thick hair back. I will no longer take for granted what was given to me because I never know when it can be taken away. I hope you find this beauty product to your benefit. Please let me know if you notice a difference. I would love to hear about it!
Until next time.
Be blessed,
Maria
