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Appreciating My South Asian Heritage Through Hair Oiling

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Carleton chapter.

What is the importance of hair oiling, specifically in the South Asian community? Hair oiling, also called “tael” in South Asian culture, is a tradition that many of us follow to stimulate hair growth and keep our hair follicles strong and healthy. Those in the South Asian community remember our parents and grandparents warming up the coconut oil and massaging the oil into our scalps every Sunday morning, a few hours before washing it out. One of my earliest memories I still cherish is how I appreciated whoever was oiling my hair, from my grandfather warming up the coconut oil to my grandmother massaging the oil onto my scalp, down to the ends of my hair. Small moments like these make me really appreciate my heritage and the loving elders who took care of me.

As seen on social media, there is a trend that circulated around called “Indian haircare” where many individuals discovered how hair oiling can strengthen and stimulate hair growth. These posts consisted of individuals who were new to hair oiling, drenching their hair in different kinds of oils and showing the results. These videos often hit millions of views under the hashtags “hair oiling” and “Indian haircare” with many of those videos not including the cultural significance of hair oiling in the South Asian community.

To me and my community, this is much more than a trend, it is a tradition that has been passed down for centuries and will continue to be for many more generations. It is also a bonding moment that connects me with my South Asian peers as we share stories from childhood of our elders oiling our hair. Most importantly, for many who did not grow up or no longer live in their home countries, hair oiling is a way to still honour and embrace our heritage.

How to Hair Oil (from a South Asian experience): As for myself, I find it best to oil my hair every Sunday morning. As my hair is very long, getting my hair care routine done earlier is better when I have to wash and dry my hair a few hours later. This routine is something I have been following ever since I could remember.

I begin by heating up coconut oil on my stove, I then wait for the oil to be lukewarm as I want to be cautious to not burn my scalp from the hot oil. I begin by oiling the top of my scalp in a slow, circular motion then moving down my hair and focusing on my ends. Once I am done oiling my hair, I put my hair in a loose braid and wait about four hours to wash it out with shampoo. Be careful not to put too much oil in your hair as it would be difficult to wash out. A rule of thumb would be to try a few drops of oil, then if you achieve a result you like after washing the oil out, continue to use that amount. Since my hair is thick and down to my hips, I use enough to lightly coat my hands.

I also like to occasionally apply a light hair oil about two days before my hair wash day. I tend to do this when the weather gets cold.

How do I find the best oil for myself? I remember discussing this very question with my friend who also follows a South Asian hair oiling routine. She mentioned the “Hair Porosity Test”, this test is used to determine if your hair would benefit from a thicker or thinner oil. Begin by cutting off a strand of hair, put it in a cup of water and wait about five minutes.

  • If your hair floats at the top of your cup, you have low porosity hair (you could benefit from lighter oils such as almond oil)
  • If your hair sinks to the bottom of your cup, you have high porosity hair (you could benefit from heavier oils such as coconut oil)

Keep in mind that the world has very diverse people, with different hair lengths and textures. Hair oiling might not be for everyone, so it is important to be patient when finding the right oil for you.

I love my South Asian hair, the tradition of hair oiling is deeply significant to me as I keep my hair long and healthy to embrace my culture and religion, making my haircare an essential part of my routine. When anyone asks me how to achieve my thick hair, I will continue to share my hair care routine and more importantly, the cultural significance of it.

Harkiren Sandhu

Carleton '25

Harkiren is a psychology major. She is passionate about understanding how individuals influence ourselves and others, as well exploring cognitive mental processes such as memory, perception and problem solving. Harkiren is also the 2024-2025 Vice President for Her Campus Carleton and is thrilled to read everyones articles. Harkiren is passionate about activism, as a woman of colour, specifically a south asian woman, she loves sharing her culture and advocating for diversity and inclusion. As well, she is passionate about advocating the importance of mental health and self-care. In Harkiren's free time, she enjoys watching tv shows such as Gilmore Girls. She also loves listening to music and going to concerts. Harkiren enjoys reading new studies in psychology.