Dear Annie,
My hair is really dry and I’ve tried olive oil to soften it, leaving it in and then washing it, but my hair still feels dry. Any ideas? –Laurie, MS

Dear Laurie,
I just tried using coconut oil in my dry hair, inspired by reader comments on an article we have on the site about repairing your hair with olive oil. I’ve used olive oil in the past, too, with mixed results.

I love using coconut oil for baking, and had some handy, so last night I slathered quite a lot on my hair, wrapped it in a towel, and went about my life for a few hours before washing the coconut out thoroughly with shampoo. I followed the washing with a conditioner, like usual.

I couldn’t be happier with how soft my hair feels today. I am so happy with it, in fact, that I am going to have my hair trimmed to cut off all the split ends and have a fresh start, and have a routine of treating my hair with coconut oil at least once a week.