"Coconut Oil Ruined My Hair!" : How To Cope With Coconut Oil Mishaps

Happy Friday, everyone!

Lately, we've been getting a ton of requests for info on one very specific topic - adverse reactions to coconut oil. Several people have written in reporting mishaps with DIY coconut oil hair masks. Today, our in-house experts will be answering a few specific requests for information - we hope that the below info is helpful!

Linda G. writes: I tried coconut oil as a hair mask and I thought it went fine at first. But then I could not wash it out of my hair. It's totally stuck in there, and I look gross. A friend suggested dish soap to get it out, but I don't want to damage my hair. I look oily and gross, and I just want it to look better, because I'm embarrassed to go out of the house with my hair down and uncovered. But I also don't want to ruin my hair. What should I do?

It's possible that you gave your hair more oil than it can handle. We're curious to know how much coconut oil you applied to your hair, and how long it was left on for. If you applied a whole lot of oil to your hair and left it on for hours and hours, your hair might have absorbed too much oil, leaving it glutted. And since the oil has already been absorbed, your hair might not want to let it go, hence why it feels "stuck".

You're right about the dish soap - it is not the move! While dish soap would remove the coconut oil, it would also strip your hair of all its natural oils, a move you definitely do not want to make. You could be left with irreversible damage.

Instead, your best move is to get a sulfate-free clarifying shampoo. This is a type of shampoo that is specially formulated to deep-clean hair without inducing unnecessary damage. Wash multiple times in warm water. Allow the shampoo to sit in your hair in between washings - this might allow the coconut oil to be broken down more effectively. If multiple washings don't do the trick, head to your local salon and seek out help from a specialist.

Beth W. writes: One of my friends LOVES coconut oil for her hair. She has sworn by it for years and her hair always looks great. She's been trying to get me to use it since forever and I finally caved and said yes. So she and I put some on. We both used about two tablespoons. We both have fine hair, a little past the shoulder (hers is a tiny bit shorter than mine.) After washing out the oil, her hair looks fine while mine now feels like STRAW! It was already dry but now it feels EXTREMELY DRY. What do I do, and why did this happen? I thought it was going to hydrate it!"

Oh no! We're sorry to hear that this happened.

Coconut oil can be finicky - some hair types respond well to it. Other hair types... not so much. And although you and your friend have hair that appears similar, it might be not-so-similar on a microscopic scale.

Some hair types are able to absorb ingredients more easily than others - we call this type of hair high-porosity hair. And while having high-porosity hair can make stuff like growing your hair out rather complicated, since it's more prone to breakage, it does tend to get along better with coconut oil. High porosity hair is better able to absorb the oil than low-porosity hair. And based off of your hair's reaction, we think you might have low-porosity hair.

So since your hair wasn't able to absorb the oil, the oil likely got stuck on the surface. This could be why your hair feels like straw - your strands might just be coated in a thin layer of oil, creating a weird, uncomfy sensory experience. So it might not be that your hair is more dry than it was before, it's just got something on it that makes it feel yucky.

Here's how to deal with it: first, you've got to remove the oil. You can do so by very gently combing out your strands, and then cleansing with a sulfate-free shampoo. Work the shampoo through the lengths of your hair, concentrating on the areas that you applied coconut oil to. Don't scrub overly aggressively - this could create tangles, and your hair is extra prone to tangling right now since it's coated with oil. Take your time, and repeat as needed. It may take several washes to get the oil out. Once your hair feels like it's oil self again, treat it with a deep conditioner.

Kaylee H. writes: I put coconut oil on my scalp and now I have white flakes. I have never had flakes before, dandruff has never been an issue for me. What is happening? My head is itchy and the more I try to brush my hair the worse it gets. My hair definitely looks shiny, but the flakes are terrible."

Uh oh, it sounds like you may be having a reaction to the coconut oil. Your symptoms are aligned with seborrhic dermatitis, though what you're describing could possibly be an allergic reaction.

We recommend ditching the coconut oil immediately. Put that stuff away, and don't mess with it again! Your scalp does not like it. Use a mild, fragrance-free shampoo designed for sensitive scalps to wash your hair. Gently massage the shampoo into your scalp, being careful not to scratch or irritate it further. If your symptoms persist or worsen, seek out care from a dermatologist.

A lot of people assume that since coconut oil is a natural substance, it is safe. This isn't necessarily true - using natural ingredients can lead to some pretty gnarly side effects. In the future, we recommend doing a patch test before you put a new oil on your skin or scalp. This way, you can see if you experience any adverse side effects before going all-in with the new ingredient.