Can I Leave Castor Oil in My Hair For a Week?

leaving castor oil in hair for a long time

You shouldn’t leave castor oil in your hair for a week because you could clog the scalp’s pores.
In that case, irritation, itching, and drying of the scalp will appear.
The longest you can leave castor oil in your hair is overnight. Then, rinse it out the next morning. I’ll tell you how to use it correctly later on.

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We all love moisturized hair because it means hair shine, body, and beauty.

And for some years now, it has become fashionable to use natural oils to moisturize hair.

I love them, and I must admit that coconut oil is a must in my hair beauty routine.

However, like any type of product, hair oils should be used properly, especially castor oil.

Why?

I’ll tell you a story. As you can imagine, it’s the story of one of my clients.

Three weeks ago, Eugenia came to the salon. She’s in her Twenties, has waist-long hair that’s healthy.

Eugenia had come to see me because she wanted to trim her ends, which she does every forty-five days.

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However, she confessed to me some concern because she noticed that her hair was “dull.” Lately, she had been having trouble untangling it after washing it.

My advice was to use a natural oil once or twice a week as a homemade mask.

She asked me if she could use castor oil, as her sister had recently bought it.

I said she could, but I advised her to use it twice a week at most. Then, leave it on overnight.

After ten days, she called me in desperation.

She couldn’t sleep because of the itchy scalp. Her hair felt drier and duller than ever.

What had happened?

After asking her to detail her hair care routine for the last fifteen days, I found the problem.

Eugenia had used castor oil as a hair mask.

And instead of leaving it on overnight, she had left it on her hair for a whole week.

That was the problem: Eugenia’s use of the castor oil.

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If you leave castor oil on your hair for a whole week, it clogs the pores in your scalp

Itchiness from leaving oil in the hair for a long time

And when that happens, it only worsens the condition of your hair and scalp.

That’s why natural oils, including castor oil, should be left on your hair for a maximum time.

It’ll be all night, as a night hair mask.

That’s more than enough time for the oil to moisturize and provide nutrients to your hair.

Regarding castor oil, you have to comply with the maximum exposure times. Unlike other natural oils, it contains essential fatty acids.

And if you leave castor oil on your hair for a week, those essential fatty acids will block the pores of your scalp.

Why is it important to care for your scalp?

Because it’s where toxins are released.

If the pores become clogged, these toxins are reabsorbed by the scalp, causing irritation, excess oiliness, dry scalp, and itching.

Castor oil is an excellent tool for moisturizing damaged hair.

But if you leave it on your hair for more than one night, you’ll damage your hair and scalp.

So, this brings us to its proper use. And that’s what I’ll talk about next.

How to use castor oil correctly?

I’d recommend using it once or twice a week for at least three months.

Why?

Although natural oils are wonderful, they don’t work miracles overnight.

What we’re talking about is a moisturizing treatment using castor oil.

And to get the results you want, you need to extend the duration of the treatment.

If you want to see a change in your hair, castor oil just once won’t moisturize your hair. Instead, you’ll need several applications, especially if your hair is seriously damaged.

Therefore:

If your hair is seriously damaged , use castor oil once or twice a week and leave it on overnight. Rinse it out the next morning. Repeat for three months.
If your hair has slight damage , apply castor oil once a week and leave it on overnight. Rinse it out the next morning. Repeat the process for two months.

Remember to rinse your hair. Otherwise, if you don’t remove the castor oil, you’ll notice your hair is dull and your scalp feels irritated.

Castor oil application and rinsing step by step

Place warm water in a spray bottle and wet your hair from the roots up to three or four centimeters long. Only spray your hair to dampen it.
Place a small amount of oil on the palm of your hand. Massage the oil so that it loses its thick consistency.
With your fingertips, apply the castor oil to your roots and cover your scalp.
Then, spread the oil to the ends of your hair and massage for fifteen minutes. Wrap your hair with a shower cap and leave the oil on overnight.
The next morning, rinse your hair with plenty of warm water. I recommend washing your hair twice with a sulfate-free shampoo to remove the castor oil.