Is coconut oil good for your hair?

When it comes to coconut oil, most people think cooking. But it might just be the next hot hair treatment. And some say it’s a silver bullet for treating dandruff, psoriasis and other scalp conditions.

In recent years, beauty blogs and TikTokers alike have been touting coconut oil as a treatment for dry skin. It’s not that surprising when you think about it; the popular shea butter, for example, is also made from a nut oil. But recently, talk has turned to the hair and scalp, and the oil is being praised for fixing damaged hair and combatting scalp disorders.

Dry, damaged hair

Keratin — the protein that hair is made of — gets damaged by the wear and tear of life. Add in chemical treatments like bleaches, dyes, perms and straighteners and you can end up with dry, brittle hair. Coconut oil can help with split ends and heat damage.

A 2015 study found that coconut oil is absorbed more easily by hair, making it especially good for moisturizing. And Healthline reported that the oil can reduce protein loss in hair, which may lead to thicker, healthier looking hair.

Soothing the scalp

Coconut oil isn’t just good for your hair. It can also help with dandruff and other scalp conditions.

“Coconut oil has moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties that make it beneficial to hair,” Joyce Park, a board-certified dermatologist at Skin Refinery, explained to SHAPE.

It’s anti-fungal properties make coconut oil especially useful for treating mild cases of dandruff. and while there hasn’t been any research yet, WebMD notes that many psoriasis sufferers have found relief with coconut oil, saying “there are reasons to think it might be another tool for your toolkit.”

Not for everyone

Coconut oil isn’t right for everyone. For some hair textures, coconut oil is just too oily. With its saturated fats and palmitic and mystic acids, the oil can clog the scalp if you already have oily skin.

And, of course, if you have a more severe scalp condition, you should still seek out treatment from a medical professional. They’ll likely prescribe a medicated shampoo. “Coconut oil as a shampoo treatment has limitations since it has no active ingredients,” noted WebMD.

If you are planning on using coconut oil, experts recommend getting “virgin” oil from either the cooking aisle or the beauty section.