Should You Seal The Strand or the Ends??

Lately I've been seeing quite a few blog posts around the internet about sealing the ends of your hair to retain moisture.  This isn't a new idea, but I was just wondering if I'm the only "Natural" that takes this advice a step further.  I always apply my sealant over the entire length of my hair, root to tip.  I may apply the oil a little lighter at the roots, but I never skip that section altogether.  I learned very early on in my Healthy Hair Journey that moisturizing products alone don't do enough for my hair unless that product is extremely thick, or designed to be a rinse out conditioner.  "Regular" leave ins and moisturizers only keep my hair soft and hydrated for a limited amount of time before the water simply evaporates from my strands.

Recently, Ouidad, owner of the Ouidad line of hair care products, stated in a panel discussion that oils do not actually seal the hair, only suffocate it.  Now, honestly I knew better.  I can still remember the physical experiment we did in first grade where we put water in a cup with some oil next to another cup containing only water, and watched for a few days as the oil-covered water stayed at the same level and the other simply evaporated.  That is why the idea of "moisturize and seal" made so much sense to when I initially learned about the method over 3 years ago.  I've had much success following this routine of water+oil, but after hearing Ouidad's remarks, I wanted to see if there was any truth to them.  So, the following wash day I did everything I normally do except seal after moisturizing.  I didn't even seal my ends.  What were the results?

SUPER dry, dull, matted hair!  Without putting that final layer of oil over the length of my hair, it didn't matter what leave in conditioner or moisturizer I used:  the hydration wouldn't stay put and the lack of lubrication from not applying my oil made tangling and matting a breeze for my strands.  Even though I pretty much knew what would happen to my hair, I wanted to experience for myself what leaving oil out of my natural hair regimen would do.  And I can honestly say I'm glad I did it.  It simply reinforced what I've learned thus far.

But, after doing this little experiment, it made me wonder if sealing the entire length of the hair strand is really necessary.  Logically speaking, the ends of the hair need to most tender, loving care because they are the oldest.  The ends of the hair emerged from the scalp longer ago than any other portion of the shaft, and accordingly have been subjected to much more wear and tear.  This is why the hair's porosity (ability to accept and retain moisture and chemicals) increases as we go down the hair shaft.  There simply aren't as many cuticle layers protecting that last inch of hair as there are at that first inch at the roots.

Knowing this, I can understand why many women choose to seal only the last few inches of their hair, but in my personal experience doing this causes two distinct issues:  1) My hair will feel softer on the ends from oil's lubrication than it will higher up on the length of my hair. 2) My hair will begin to tangle and mesh closer to the roots, while the ends stay defined.  I'm sure you can understand why this is a problem.  Who wants to walk around with soft, shiny, defined ends and rough, dull, tangled hair from mid-shaft to roots?  Certainly not I.  But every head of hair is different, so what works for me may be bad for another head and vice versa.

What do you ladies think?  Should we be sealing the entire length of our hair or just the ends?  Or should some of us be foregoing the sealing step altogether?  Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!