Hair Oiling Myths Busted: How It May Harm Your Scalp and Hair Growth

By: Nima Pourian

As the founder of UKLASH and someone who’s spent years obsessing over what truly drives healthy hair growth, I still see hair oiling being pushed as the go-to solution. Coconut oil, argan oil, castor oil, or other oil-based serums are everywhere, each one promising thicker hair, shinier strands, and a boost in growth. And sure, they might benefit the hair shaft by adding temporary shine or softness. But for your scalp? Not so much.

Let’s unpack why oiling your scalp might actually be setting your hair and scalp health back instead of helping it move forward. Here are five key reasons why hair oiling can be damaging—and why it might be the hidden cause behind hair shedding, clogged hair follicles, and slow rate of hair growth.

Top 5 Reasons Hair Oiling Leads to Hair Loss and Scalp Issues

1. Clogged Hair Follicles = Slower Growth and More Hair Loss

When you oil your scalp, you’re creating a sticky film that easily traps dead skin, sweat, and your own sebum. Over time, this mixture leads to clogged hair follicles, blocking oxygen and nutrients from reaching the root.

This kind of blockage is one of the biggest contributors to chronic inflammation, hair shedding, and even long-term hair loss. Think of it like pouring thick grease into a narrow drain. It builds up and causes backups, and in your case, that backup is your hair’s growth potential being choked at the source.

2. Encourages Dandruff and Fungal Overgrowth

If you’ve been battling an itchy, flaky scalp, heavy hair oiling might be to blame. There’s a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia that naturally lives on our scalps. Usually harmless, it feeds on oils, especially the kind you add manually through oiling. This encourages its overgrowth, leading to dandruff, inflammation, and in more severe cases, seborrheic dermatitis.

These conditions disrupt the scalp’s microbiome, inflame the skin, and further impair the function of your hair follicles. The result? A hostile environment for healthy hair growth, more hair shedding, and irritation that no one wants to deal with.

3. Oil is Difficult to Clean and Leads to Product Buildup

Oil doesn’t wash out easily, especially not with gentle cleansers. Unless you’re scrubbing with strong surfactants (which bring their own issues), a layer of residue often remains. This not only weighs down your hair shaft, making it limp and dull, but also suffocates your scalp.

That buildup acts as a physical barrier, preventing nutrients, water, and oxygen from reaching your hair follicles. In effect, your scalp gets smothered. And a smothered scalp can’t produce thicker hair or make your hair grow faster.

If you’ve ever noticed your hair getting greasy within a day or two of washing, or needing multiple rounds of shampoo to feel clean, it’s a sign that buildup is stalling your rate of hair renewal.

4. Disrupts Your Natural Oil Balance

Your scalp already knows how to take care of itself. It produces its own natural oils (sebum) that moisturise the hair and scalp without clogging pores, if left in balance. When you keep adding oils on top, your scalp gets confused.

In some cases, it may shut down its own oil production, leaving your scalp dry and flaky once the external oil is washed off. In other situations, it overproduces oil to compensate, creating a feedback loop of grease, clogged pores, and potential hair loss. Either way, you’re throwing off your scalp’s natural rhythm and sabotaging your efforts for healthy hair growth.

5. Blocks Absorption of Active Growth Ingredients

If you're using high-performance products like the UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum, applying oil before or after is like placing a plastic wrap over your scalp. Oils form a hydrophobic (water-repelling) barrier that prevents serums from sinking in properly. Instead of feeding your hair follicles with potent growth-boosting actives, you're sealing them off.

That means your investment in products designed to help your hair grow faster and fuller is wasted. You're not nourishing your scalp, you’re isolating it.

But What About the Fatty Acids in Hair Oils?

Yes, some oils are rich in fatty acids like omega-3s and omega-6s, which are known to benefit the skin and hair. These fatty acids can indeed nourish the hair shaft, making it appear shinier and less prone to split ends. And for those with extremely dry, flaky scalps—especially in cold, dry climates or due to certain skin conditions—occasional hair oiling may provide temporary relief by forming a barrier that locks in moisture.

However, this should be considered more of a treatment for extreme cases rather than a routine practice. Even then, it needs to be done sparingly and with careful scalp cleansing afterwards. Otherwise, the same risks apply: clogged hair follicles, buildup, and interference with treatments designed to support healthy hair growth.
So while hair oiling might have a place for those dealing with very dry scalps, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, and it certainly shouldn’t be the backbone of your hair care regimen.

What to Do Instead: Support Your Scalp With a Proactive Serum

Your scalp isn’t just skin; it’s a living, breathing ecosystem responsible for producing strong, healthy hair. That’s why I created UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum - a water-based, lightweight formula that’s designed to nourish the scalp without blocking it.

It absorbs quickly, penetrates deep into the hair follicles, and delivers actives that help your hair grow faster, longer, and stronger. There’s no greasy residue, no need for harsh cleansers to remove buildup, and no interference with your natural oil production.
If you’re serious about achieving thicker hair, managing hair shedding, and avoiding issues that lead to breakage, it starts with changing how you treat your scalp. Skip the heavy oils and opt for solutions that enhance, not hinder, your scalp health.

Hair oiling might feel nourishing in the moment, but it often causes more harm than good when used on the scalp. It contributes to clogged pores, fungal overgrowth, product buildup, disrupted oil production, and blocked ingredient absorption. All of these directly impact your rate of hair growth and contribute to hair loss or lead to breakage.
While oils can be great for smoothing the hair shaft or sealing in moisture on the ends, they’re not the answer to scalp care. For true, long-term results, focus on feeding your hair and scalp with clean, science-backed solutions like UKHAIR Hair Growth Serum.

Let your scalp breathe. Nourish it with purpose. And say goodbye to greasy myths in favour of real, healthy hair growth.