8 Reasons Why You Are Deep Conditioning The Wrong Way:
Most girls know about the importance of deep conditioning curly hair. It’s something that has become part of the natural hair indoctrination and it’s something that rapidly becomes a part of any curly hair routine.
Though it is a fairly simple hair care practice to do, it’s easy to not reap the full benefits a deep conditioning session has all because you’ve been doing it the wrong way. Talk about wasting time, product and money. Keep reading to know if you’ve been doing it the wrong way.
Deep conditioning is the hair care practice that will deeply moisturise, nourish and strengthen the hair, while also temporarily improving its appearance, especially if the hair is damaged. It’s meant to improve detangling (on wet and dry hair), elasticity (hair bounce) and tensile strength, it lends softness and shine, reduces flyaways and prolongs hair moisture.
Factors That Contribute to Hair Damage:
Let’s take a quick recap of the types of beating our hair is regularly under so you can understand and appreciate why deep conditioning is such a valuable weapon in a quest to healthy hair even if you like to colour, bleach or use heat styling tools.
- UV Rays
- Water
- Heat styling tools
- Manipulation (brushing, combing, detangling, styling)
- Weather (cold breeze, high or low temperatures, frost)
- Salt or chlorinated water
- Chemical treatments (Dye, bleach, relaxer, Keratin/botox treatment)
Here are a few things you gotta make sure you’re not doing so your deep conditioner, hair treatment or mask is as effective as it can be and your hair can reach or stay in tip-top condition.
1. Build up
Happens as a result of product residue and water minerals that accumulate on the hair shaft after a period of time. This creates a barrier on the hair that not only prevents products from performing their best and the doing what they’re meant to do, but also prevents the hair from receiving proper hydration and nourishment.
On your wash day, make sure you use sulphate free shampoo capable of removing buildup from product residue, vegetable oils and butter (yes, they also create build up). Also, add a monthly deep cleansing hair session with a clarifying shampoo (not a regular shampoo) if you have hard water (less if your water is not hard). This shampoo will be able to remove all of this, plus the hard minerals from your water.
As a clarifying shampoo, you can use Kevin Murphy´s Maxi wash (excellent Deep cleansing shampoo) and as a normal shampoo Pretty Curly Girl´s Peppermint clean shampoo (The most popular and suitable for everyone)
2. Wrong Conditioner
There is such a thing as using the wrong deep conditioner! You see, hair needs to receive the right balance of moisture and protein. Moisture is needed to hydrate your hair and prevent dryness and protein is needed to strengthen the protein bonds in the hair and improve elasticity and tensile strength.
When you give the hair too much of one thing damage is sure to happen. If your hair needs moisture but you are giving it protein it will feel stiff and dryish. On the other hand, if your hair needs protein but only gets moisture your hair will feel mushy, look frizzy with limp curls or without bounce.
Therefore, if you deep conditioned your hair and it came out not looking or feeling better than before then you need to reevaluate if you’ve been giving your hair a good balance of moisture and protein.
Remember, during application your deep conditioner is supposed to make your hair feel immediately soft, melt tangles, facilitate detangling and moisturise the hair. Afterwards (even when dry), you should experience continued moisture, stronger hair with less breakage, ease of combing, fewer tangles, sheen… Are you experiencing all of this?!…
Must have products it´s definitely Pretty Curly Girl´s Intense moisture deep conditioner & Intense protein deep conditioner!
3. Your Hairtype
Are you aware of the type, porosity, or health condition of your curls?
If not, the following paragraphs will provide you with some background information so you can choose the best products for your particular needs.
You should use a lighter deep conditioner for looser, thinner hair types (types 2 and 3a). On the other hand, curls with tighter coils (type 3b and above) may benefit from a heavier deep conditioner.
Curl type isn’t the only factor to consider. In addition, consider whether your hair has a high or low porosity, whether it has been chemically treated, and whether it is damaged or brittle. Finding the perfect deep conditioner requires finding out what your hair likes because each deep conditioner is designed to nourish your hair in a particular way.
Most deep conditioners fall into two categories:
- protein-based
- moisturizing-based
Hydrolyzed protein in protein-deep conditioners rebuilds and strengthens your hair strands. These deep conditioners are essential to your hair routine for damaged curls. But note that you don’t need to use them very often. On the other hand, moisturizing deep conditioners are great for preventing dryness of the hair and keeping it healthy because they intensely condition the hair.
4. Time
Okay, so now you know that adding heat to your deep conditioning treatment can be a good thing, could you be doing it for too long?! Is this the reason why your hair is looking frizzy with droopy limp curls?
A lot of people like deep conditioning overnight, however, this can damage your hair as it is being over moisturized which can cause hygral fatigue. In other words, the excess of moisture lifts the cuticle layers making the hair look frizzy and lose elasticity (which visually translates into losing your curl definition).
The fact that your hair feels all buttery, super soft, light, elastic and easy to detangle also means your hair’s protein bonds (the thing that gives your hair its strength and elasticity) are too soft and easy to break. More time deep conditioning doesn’t mean better effects of better penetration. It can cause build-up too.
5. Occasional Practise
Deep conditioning once in a while is better than nothing at all, but how can you expect your hair to improve from dryness, become stronger, retain length, be more shiny, bouncy and just be ‘curlyfrinkantastic‘ if this is just a random or sporadic hair care practice for you?
You need to be consistent if you want to see results and reach your hair goals. Deep conditioning is an important hair care practice that will work as a catalyst in the pursuit of your hair goals, so make sure it is non-negotiable.
Yes, we all feel a little lazy sometimes and skip one treatment here and there, that’s okay! Just make sure that that doesn’t become the norm.
6. Changing The Product Application Priorities
Apply deep conditioner only after you have shampooed your hair, never before. The shampoo is a cleanser that cleans the hair and (in some cases) strips it of moisture, so in essence, it undoes all of the moisture-locking power that the deep conditioner has. While deep conditioners, on the other hand, restore moisture to the hair and rebalance it after it has been shampooed. Deep conditioning your hair before shampooing is technically considered a “pre-poo” treatment. There is no doubt that pre-pooing your hair is excellent for your hair, but it is not considered part of your regular deep conditioning routine.
7. Not deep conditioning on a schedule that's right for your hair type
Similar to leaving in your deep conditioner for too long, it's also possible to deep condition your hair too often. Every hair type can benefit from a good deep conditioning, but not everyone should be using it twice or even once per week.
If your hair is fine, naturally straight or wavy, and relatively healthy, you may only need to use a deep conditioner once per month to keep it balanced and frizz-free. Overusing your deep conditioner may make your strands feel weighed down or greasy.
On the other hand, thick or textured hair can go through this process much more often. Thick hair should be deep conditioned one or two times per week.
The conditioner helps keep thick locks manageable and soft, reducing tangles and frizziness. For textured hair, regular use of this product can make your curls easier to care for on a daily basis. It's recommended to use a deep conditioner on curly hair each time or every other time you wash your hair depending on your hair concerns and how your wash schedule is already set up.
8. Not adding heat to your deep conditioning routine
It isn't a must, but adding heat to your deep conditioning routine can really make a difference in how your hair retains the benefits of the product. High porosity hair is typically dry and easily tangled. While it easily absorbs moisture, it also has trouble retaining it, so it feels like you are constantly adding oil and other hydrating products to quell its thirst. One way to help your deep conditioner make a difference is to open your hair cuticles with heat. This allows the conditioner to penetrate even deeper into your strands.
Surprisingly, low-porosity hair, which has trouble absorbing moisture, can be aided by heat, as well. This hair type, which is usually straight or wavy, won't let the product in, so it simply sits on the hair causing build-up. As the cuticle opens up with the heat, the deep conditioner can make its way into the hair to do its job. Low heat can be introduced to your strands with a heat cap.
You can find our online store microfiber towels and Flora & Curl´s heat/shower cap.
Sources:
https://curlyhairlounge.com
https://curlfans.com.au
https://www.glam.com