When it comes to hair growth, there are many oils, pomades, and products, all promising to deliver results. However, Castor oil is one of the most recommended hair oil.

The thick, sticky oil can soften, grow hair, and increase volume, making it ideal for broken hairlines and thinning hair.
 
How to use castor oil

Paul Kamy, a hairdresser, points out that castor oil has antibacterial properties which help fight scalp infections such as dandruff, which leads to a healthier scalp and better hair growth.

Castor oil is denser than most organic oils and, therefore, requires mild heat to break it down.

It has an overpowering smell, too and it needs to be mixed with some other lighter oils like avocado, grapeseed, or coconut oil to manage its consistency for easier application. 

“You can use castor oil as a hot oily treatment, by mixing it with other oils, placing the container in a bowl of warm water and when it is slightly molten, apply to freshly shampooed scalp and hair.

Cover with a plastic cap for 20 -30 minutes, shampoo again to reduce the grease, and then apply leave-in conditioner, proceed to style.

To manage the smell, add a few drops of essential oil such as lavender, thyme, or tea tree, as it also adds to the scalp conditioning property.
 
Another way to use castor oil is as part of a pre-poo in preparation for wash day.
Kamya says the best way to do this is to apply castor oil, mixed with other oils on unwashed hair, cover it with a shower cap overnight then shampoo it in the morning.

This helps the hair retain its natural oils when it comes in contact with the shampoo and it reduces breakage. 
 
Lastly, apply it to the scalp at least once a week and massage it to stimulate hair growth and also increase absorption to the scalp. However, Kamya warns against using the oil daily as it is quite greasy and will make the hair sticky, causing it to be shampooed often.