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Hot Oil Treatment Vs Deep Conditioning: which is Better for Your Hair?
What Is Hot Oil Treatment?
A hot oil treatment is simply nourishment and lubrication for your hair. It reduces dryness, prevents breakage, split ends and makes your hair stronger. Massaging your scalp with hot oil also stimulates blood circulation, which helps provide nutrients to the roots.
What Is Deep Conditioning?
When you apply a deep conditioning hair mask containing essential nutrients, it helps repair your hair strands, rehydrates dry hair and promotes hair growth. The mask helps lock moisture within your hair, making them appear bouncy, lustrous and soft.
Hot Oil Treatment Vs Deep Conditioning
Hot Oil Treatment
Deep Conditioning
Oils absorbed by the hair’s core undo damage and make the hair more elastic, thus preventing breakage.
Provides hydration, seals moisture and prevents tangles, but works on the top layer or the hair’s cuticle only.
Especially good for very dry hair.
Good for all kinds of hair.
Can help increase the thickness and softness of the hair in the long term as the nutrients are absorbed into the hair.
Can make hair smoother and softer, but results are temporary.
Consists of a single oil or a blend of oils. Oils like almond, walnut, olive, coconut or avocado oils are well absorbed by the hair’s cortex.
Ingredients used in a deep conditioning hair mask can range from eggs to lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, avocados, bananas, olive oil, henna, mayonnaise etc.
A hot oil treatment needs the oil to be heated for better absorption.
A mask usually does not use heat for deep conditioning.
The oil works like a lubricant that reduces frizz and nourishes from within as it gets absorbed into the roots.
Deep conditioning treatments have low pH levels, which help in reducing frizz. However, only masks with hydrolyzed proteins get absorbed into the hair’s core.
For best results, deep penetration into the hair’s core is essential, which only a hot oil treatment does.
Penetration of the nutrients from the hair mask into the hair is limited.
Can Hot Oil Treatments Be Used Instead Of A Deep Conditioning Treatment?
Ideally, one cannot be used in place of the other. Both treatments are important, since the ingredients nourish the hair differently.
If you’re short on time, you can also mix the oil with the hair mask and apply. For best results, go for hot oil treatment first and apply the deep conditioning mask on the same day post hair wash. It is also okay to skip the deep conditioning mask if you only have time for the hot oil treatment. You can also alternate between the treatments every week.
What Comes First: Hot Oil Or Deep Conditioning?
The hot oil treatment always comes first. It helps lubricate the scalp and strengthens your hair, which can prevent breakage while applying the mask. Follow it up with the deep conditioning treatment after the hot oil has been applied and washed off.
ishonest Tip
It is recommended to do your hot oil treatment after you wash your hair as it is ineffective on dirty, unwashed hair
Wrapping Up
Your hair needs as much nourishment as your skin. If you give your hair a weekly hot oil treatment and follow it up with a deep conditioning mask, your hair will have shine, strength and thickness. The treatments will also help keep hair fall at bay, as they provide the required nourishment and moisture to your hair.
Begin By Knowing Your Skin
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