If you think that there are no benefits of steaming hair after oiling, then you should think about it again. You may be making a mistake if you are looking for a solution to your hair problems without considering steaming your hair.
On the other hand, you may be considering the right solution if you are having challenges with your hair like dry hair, dry scalp, itching, hair breakage, etc., and wondering if steaming your hair after oiling it is a good solution for you.
You may even be trying to find out if there are any benefits of steaming hair after oiling it so that you can at least know this may be a good solution to try or convince yourself that treating your hair with steam and maybe infusing it with some essential oil will not be a futile effort.
There are several benefits of steaming hair and all of these are important for healthy beautiful-looking hair. Some of these benefits explained below include:
1. Product Absorption and Deep Conditioning
Effective absorption of hair products is one of the expectations that many people usually have when applying hair care products. However, this does not occur easily in some cases and it can be difficult to get the desired results from applied hair care products.
One of the benefits of steaming hair is that it improves the ability of hair to absorb applied hair products. This is because the steam opens up the cuticle layer or covering of hair shafts allowing your treatments like oiling, hair spa, etc. to get absorbed deeply into the hair shaft.
This helps to provide the nourishment or treatment that the hair needs at the right locations in the hair where they are needed the most.
2. Promotion of Hair Growth
Another benefit of steaming hair especially after oiling it is that this helps significantly in promoting hair growth. Hair steaming for hair growth is dependent on several factors but one of the most important factors for effective hair growth is the availability of nutrients that the hair needs to grow.
The heat from hair steam usually helps to improve blood circulation to the scalp, this results in increased blood flow to the scalp.
Increased blood flow to the scalp also results in improved availability of nutrients that the hair needs to grow well. So making your hair to grow longer may not be as difficult as you think, you may just need to try steaming your hair more often.
3. Improvements in Scalp Health
The health or hygiene of your scalp can be a huge factor in the well-being of your hair. One of the first things to check out when having issues with your hair should be the condition of your scalp.
A dry scalp can create the perfect conditions for several hair problems like hair breakage – when the dry conditions in the scalp cause the hair shafts to become brittle and start breaking or itching and dandruff when the dry skin cells start peeling away.
All of these and much more can be caused by dry scalp. Hair steaming after oiling can be beneficial in these kinds of conditions because the steam opens up the skin pores and helps to remove debris from dead cells mixed with dirt and sebum from the pores.
This allows the oil and other hair products to penetrate into the follicles to provide the nutrients or treatment the hair needs to grow well.
4. Improved Relaxation
Steaming usually has a calming effect on the body which produces a calming feeling. This calming feeling is as a result of hormones known as endorphins that are released into your body. This helps you to relax and get some relief from stress.
Besides calming and relaxing effects on your body, this can also indirectly improve the well-being of your hair because a reduction in stress will also have an effect on your hair as well. Stress is known to affect hair in a number of ways including hair loss, so a reduction in stress can indirectly prevent hair loss as well.
5. Cleansing and Detoxification
Have you ever thought about what happens to the different products you use for your hair? Hair products like sprays, gels, conditioners, home remedies, natural products, etc. may likely leave some residue in your hair. Your hair can also get exposed to environmental contaminants like dust, smoke, etc. which can also get trapped or deposited in your hair.
The result will be an accumulation of debris in your hair. Over time, this can generate compounds or substances that may be harmful to your hair. Steaming your hair usually helps in removing accumulated debris in your scalp as well as any associated toxins that may be affecting your hair negatively.
6. Enhances Elasticity
If you are finding it difficult to style your hair because the hair is not flexible or you noticed that you can style it but the styling doesn’t just last long; then the solution you need may be steaming your hair. It can be difficult to style dry hair that is often brittle and the hair can break off when you try combing it which is often part of the styling process.
Hair steaming is very beneficial for styling hair because it improves the elasticity of hair. The steam gets absorbed by the hair shafts which moisturizes the hair in the process.
Well moisturized and oiled hair is much easier to comb and style because the friction is removed and the hair is less likely to break in the process.
7. Moisture Retention and Hydration
Another benefit of steaming hair after oiling is that it helps your hair to retain moisture and stay hydrated for longer periods. The moisture in the hair does not evaporate or dry off easily because the steam allows the moisture to penetrate deeply into the hair shaft and the cuticle covering of hair shafts slows down the process of evaporation.
Oiling your hair after steaming it can also help in conserving moisture in the hair. This helps in making the hair flexible for styling, treating dry hair and scalp, etc.
What to Do and Not Do When Steaming Your Hair?
There are certain things that you need to do and things that you need to avoid when steaming your hair. Doing these things will help you to maximize the benefits of steaming your hair and achieve the kind of results you want to have with your hair.
Do the following recommendations to get the best results for your hair steaming:
Things You Should Do:
1. Steaming Frequency – How Often to Steam Hair? Steaming your hair once a week is an ideal frequency for hair steaming. This helps the hair to absorb nutrients needed for growth and benefits can add up with significant results over time.
On the other hand, steaming your hair more than once a week can cause the hair to become over moisturized. Over moisturized hair can become weak, difficult to style and can even lead to hair breakage.
2. Wear a Headband: Wearing a headband when steaming your hair can also serve as a safety measure. A headband prevents steam condensate from running down to your face and shoulders.
A headband can also protect your ears from the steam heat and make you comfortable during your steaming session.
3. Steaming Duration: Your steaming session should not be more than 30 minutes. The best duration for a steaming session should be within 20 to 30 minutes.
This time will allow the hair cuticles to open up and for your hair to absorb conditioning nutrients and moisture. Staying under a steamer more than this could cause some undesirable effects.
4. Allow Hair to Cool: It is better to allow the hair to cool down after steaming before washing out anything from the hair. Washing the hair while it is still warm could erase any benefit of steaming the hair.
This occurs because the hair cuticles normally close up when the hair has cooled down and any absorbed hair nutrients will be trapped inside the hair. Washing the hair before it cools downs can remove any absorbed nutrients since the cuticles are still open.
Things You Should Not Do:
1. Covering Your Hair with Plastic Cap: Some people make the mistake of covering their hair with a plastic cap before going under the hair steamer. This prevents the hair and scalp from having direct contact with the steam and it may significantly affect the kind of results that you are likely to get from steaming your hair.
Direct exposure or contact with heat will allow moisture and conditioning nutrients to get absorbed into the hair easily. For best results, allow your hair to have direct exposure to the steam.
2. Leaving Your Hair Down: One of the things you need to do before putting your head under a steamer is to make sure that your hair tips are tied up or clipped so that they are not left out of the steamer. Hair tips may be the part of the hair that may need conditioning the most because they are the oldest part of the hair shaft.
Clipping or tying the hair tips up ensures that the tips are exposed to the steam as well. So always remember to tie up or clip up your hair tips and don’t leave them outside the steamer.
