Deep conditioning is very beneficial to anyone and everyone that has hair on their head. I consider myself to be doing deep conditioning treatments on my hair weekly. However, this is a topic and regimen that I never bothered to research and just relied upon my general knowledge to develop a deep condition routine. What I am doing has been working for me but if it could be better then why not give it a shot. Also, none the authors mentioned using a specific type or brand of conditioner to deep conditioner. One even stated that any conditioner can be used as a deep conditioner if left on the hair for at least 20-30 minutes. I examined various sources to compile the most frequently recommended suggestions and why those recommendations are made (I like to know the ‘whys’ about things).
According to the articles I read, deep conditioning should leave your hair feeling soft and moisturized. To achieve this outcome:
• Hair should be saturated with conditioner for 15-30 minutes.
Why? To allow the conditioner to penetrate
• You should cover your hair with a plastic cap, sit under a dryer, or cover your head with a warm towel
Why? The heat allows the hair shaft to swell and the cuticles to open and allow the conditioner inside. The heat helps increase the conditioner’s effectiveness.
• The conditioner should be rinsed out thoroughly and rinsing should end with a final cold water rinse.
Why? The cold water helps the cuticles to close and trap the moisture inside the hair.
Additional info that I found interesting:
The type of deep conditioner used should depend on the condition of the hair. If the hair feels mushy when wet and stretches a lot before breaking then a protein conditioner is required to restore the hair's strength. If however, the hair feels brittle and just snaps when any tension is applied; the hair is in need of a moisturizing conditioner. The aim is to get the hair to a stage where the hair is both strong but has a certain degree of elasticity. Too much protein will make the hair go hard and too much moisture will make the hair mushy. Moisturizing deep conditioners should be used in conjunction with protein deep conditioners in the hair care regimen to maintain a healthy balance.
So after reviewing this information I have decided to make a few changes to my regimen. I will now include heat and the final cold water rinse to my regimen.
Resources:
-Alma Campbell
-Lisa Richardson
-Alma Campbell
