The Truth On How Often Should You Condition Your Hair
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There is no doubt that a high-quality shampoo will thoroughly clean your hair and leave it smelling wonderful. Despite this, the natural oils in your hair and scalp will be lost during the shampoo process, even with the most excellent shampoos.
That is where a fantastic conditioner comes into play, and it has a lot of advantages. Conditioning helps the hair restore natural oils, which are essential for the general health of your hair and scalp.
Conditioners provide a layer of defence that protects, thickens, and preserves the hair follicles all day. Hair conditioning also works to repair heat damage to hair from blow dryers and other hot styling tools. It also ensures you have a good hair day every day!
What is a conditioner?
Conditioner is a chemical agent that can be applied to the hair to deposit protein or moisturizer in order to restore hair strength, promote moisture, and protect hair from breaking.
Conditioning treatments can restore luster, gloss, manageability, and strength to damaged hair, allowing it to grow long enough to be cut off and replaced with new growth.
Conditioning is essential for individuals who care about their hair due to the potential negative effects of regular shampooing, the use of thermal styling equipment, and chemical services.
It is important to note that conditioners can only restore hair to a limited level; they cannot improve the quality of fresh hair growth.
Conditioners contain humectants and oils that keep hair silky and flexible, promoting the retention of moisture. Because shampoo often utilizes chemicals that are harmful to hair. They have the ability to dry out the hair and eliminate all of the hair’s natural oils.
Your conditioner keeps your hair hydrated, seals in moisture, adds shine and smoothness, reduces breakage, and helps repair heat-damaged hair.
Conditioners come in various forms, including hydration, deep conditioners, cleansing conditioners, and more.
Why should you condition your hair?
Shampoo raises the PH levels of your hair. The conditioner will help to lower back down the PH level of your hair.
The cuticle of the hair is composed of overlapping scales that, when in good health, lay down smoothly and reflect light. This creates the illusion of lustrous hair. Conditioners, detangling rinses, and cream rinses can be used to cover the hair shaft and smooth out the cuticle. (Milady Standard Cosmetology 336).
Without a conditioner, hair can become more fragile, prone to knots, and susceptible to breakage.
If you stop using conditioner, your hair may become harder to comb, and it can also result in less glossy hair. Additionally, it will be more prone to flyaways, frizz, split ends, and breaking during your styling process.
How often should you condition your hair?
You should most definitely condition your hair every time you shampoo. Conditioners are a great way to help replenish oils and moisture in the hair that is otherwise stripped away during the shampoo process. After every wash day, you should use a rinse-out conditioner; ideally, this should happen several times each week (approximately 2-3 times minimum).
You might want to use a lightweight conditioner on your hair if you have finer or thin hair, as a thicker conditioner will be too heavy. Furthermore, you should consider adding deep conditioning masks to your hair care routine if you have thick hair, extremely dry hair, or damaged hair. This will help to add extra moisture to the hair and help bring brittle hair back to life.
It is recommended that individuals with curly hair or damaged, dry hair use leave-in conditioners or protein and moisturizing treatments in their regular hair care routine. Also, using hot water or warm water on your hair when raising out your conditioner or hair treatments can dry your hair even more. Cold water will help lock on the moisture and seal the hair's cuticle.
Those with really dry hair can choose to forego shampoo altogether. This is referred to as “co-washing.” For hair that is already prone to breakage, co-washing might be kinder to the hair. Even though the process is safe and a great thing for the hair, co-washing can leave behind a lot of excess product. Use a clarifying shampoo every two weeks to clear the buildup.
Different types of conditioner?
Leave-in conditioner
Leave-in conditioner is applied to the hair after shampooing and conditioning your hair. You do not have to worry about rinsing the product out with water when using a leave-in conditioner. You apply the product onto clean damp hair and let the product work its magic.
Deep conditioner treatment/hair mask
Deep conditioners are a chemical combination of intense moisturizers and concentrated protein. When a moisturizing and/or protein treatment is used, it penetrates the cuticle layer and makes hair recovery easier. These conditioners are available in all different consistency. You should choose your hair mask depending on your hair type.
Cleansing conditioner
While providing extra hair-friendly ingredients, cleaning conditioners gently cleanse the hair. This type of conditioner typically doesn't include damaging detergents and has less irritating surfactants. This cleanser cleans hair without leaving it devoid of its natural oils. Curly-haired individuals may use cleansing conditioners more than others.
Types of hair conditioners based on your hair type
Coarse hair - You want a conditioner that has a thicker consistency. Thicker conditioners are normally more hydrating and add more moisture to the hair.
Fine hair - A lightweight conditioner that is thinner in consistency.
Medium hair - A conditioner with a medium consistency that is not too thick but not too thin.
How to apply conditioner
Hop in the shower and wash your hair using shampoo. Rinse all of the shampoo out of the hair.
Start off with a smaller amount of conditioner, then add more if needed.
Apply the conditioner to the ends of your hair first. After working it through your ends, work your way up to the mid-length of your hair. You shouldn't use conditioner on your scalp if you have an oily scalp. As it will result in excess oil in the hair. If you have a dry scalp, you may want to apply conditioner to your roots to help nourish your dry scalp.
Now that the conditioner is applied use a wide-tooth comb or your fingers and comb the conditioner through your hair to ensure every strand is getting hydrated.
As directed on the label, let it sit on your hair for a short while. Usually, this takes one - five minutes.
Rinse the conditioner out thoroughly.
Conditioner mistakes to avoid
Rarely Using your conditioner can result in under-conditioned hair. It is essential to use conditioner on your hair every time you wash your hair for the best results.
Conditioner must be rinsed out thoroughly to prevent build-up.
Not using the right conditioner for your hair may result in your hair not getting enough protein and hydration.
Rinsing out the conditioner right away. The conditioner should not be rinsed out immediately after application. Ideally, you should leave your conditioner in your hair for approximately 2-5 minutes, depending on the brand, so that it can properly absorb into the hair.
Avoid using too much product. If you have fine hair, make sure to use a lightweight conditioner or use less conditioner on your hair. Using too much conditioner on fine hair can result in your hair getting less volume or getting oily faster.
How can you tell if you're over conditioning
If you condition your hair too much, it could harm it more than help. Over-conditioning your hair can leave it oily, lifeless, dry, and brittle. However, this problem is readily resolved if you use less hair conditioner and fewer styling products on a daily basis.
Your hair also may become so soft and greasy that it becomes challenging to manage and style.
Furthermore, applying too much conditioner to curly hair loses its bounce and won't remain in place. Your hair can also become incredibly stiff from over-conditioning and appear too glossy.
Lastly, too much conditioner can resolute in product buildup. You can incorporate a clarifying shampoo or scalp scrub into your normal hair care regimen to help remove any product build-up.
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