Natural hair thrives on moisture. In our last blog post, one of our tips to help retain your hair’s moisture was to deep condition it more often. In this post, we will cover why deep conditioning is a necessary component of healthy hair care.
What is a deep conditioner?
This is a rich, intense hair treatment designed to restore your hair’s moisture levels, reduce breakage, repair, nourish and improve hair elasticity. Deep conditioners are thicker, heavier conditioners with high viscosity. They often have penetrating oils and ingredients that fight frizz, dryness and damaged strands.
Some companies refer to deep conditioners as hair masks. Unlike a leave-in conditioner, a deep-conditioner eventually gets rinsed out.
When buying deep conditioners it’s important to check the ingredients. Deep conditioners that contain coconut oil, olive oil and avocado are good because they can truly penetrate the hair shaft.
What is deep conditioning?
This is the process of using deep conditioner activated by heat for about 20-45 minutes to allow for the product to fully penetrate deeper within the hair shaft. The process of deep conditioning can restore your hair’s sheen.
How often should I deep condition my hair?
This totally depends on your lifestyle and your hair needs! Deep conditioning once a week is usually enough for most people. However, you may need to do it more often if you:
- wash your hair more than once a week maybe as a result of working out regularly
- have colour treated hair
- use heat tools
- spend a lot of time in the sun
The more damaged your hair is, the more deep conditioning it requires. We would say deep conditioning once a week is appropriate. You run the risk of overdoing it if you deep condition more often than that. When hair is over conditioned it can appear mushy, limp, weak and lifeless! On the other hand, if your hair responds well to deep conditioning two or more times a week, then go for it girl! Trial and error is the best way to determine if deep conditioning more than once a week is ideal or too much for your hair.
How do I deep condition my hair?
There are four simple steps to deep conditioning your hair:
- Get your hair wet
You should be applying deep conditioner to wet hair. Assuming you have washed your hair with shampoo, you can then rinse it off and apply the deep conditioner. Application on wet hair allows the product to easily penetrate your hair strands.
- Concentrate on your ends
While it’s good to apply deep conditioner throughout your hair, it’s more important to focus on the ends. Our scalp releases oil (sebum) naturally so the roots don’t need too much product. Our ends on the other hand are usually the driest parts of the hair and can have accumulated split ends and knots. Applying deep conditioner to the ends will restore oils and help to prevent breakage and split ends.
- Apply heat
After applying your deep conditioner, cover your hair with a shower cap / plastic bag and sit under a hooded dryer (low heat) for 20 – 45 minutes. You should leave in the deep conditioner for at least 20 minutes. If you don’t have a hooded dryer, you can simply use a blow dryer on top of the plastic cap, or wrap a warm / damp towel around your head. The heat opens up the cuticle and allows the deep conditioner to penetrate your hair.
- Rinse
Rinse out the deep conditioner completely with cold / lukewarm water. This will close the hair cuticles and help the strands retain moisture.
After following through with the routine, style your hair as desired and rock your crown!
