Reader Kerry says;
I hope this isn’t too redundant, but I’m still fascinated by the ‘unnecessary hair practices‘ post. As you know deep conditioning ended up being the number 1 thing people had dropped from their regimen. So I was wondering if you could bring that particular question to your readers; If they deep condition, could they explain why they do it, for how long, and how it helps their hair. If they don’t, could they explain how they used to do it, and what made them stop? This would help me out so much!
I think it’s a great question Kerry! Please weigh in ladies. I agree that this is a very fascinating topic!
Deep conditioning is definitely a must for my hair. It helps melt tangles and soften my strands. My hair does not feel like this when I leave the conditioner on only for a few minutes. And boy have I tried a LOT of different conditioners. I have my DC staples and I usually deep condition for 45 minutes to an hour.
I deep condition with Aubrey Organics condish for a half hour or more. Basically I just leave it in while I do other stuff. It makes my hair softer than useing a condish quickly in the shower or not at all.
i deep condition. moreover, i deep condition for at least an hour. with my hair, i have noticed a difference between not DCing, DCing for only 20 minutes, and DCing for at least an hour. also, the type of DC matters as well. i find that natural/homemade DCs are best left on for at least an hour whereas synthetic/store bought treatments only need about 30 minutes max. but, this is only the needs on my head of hair.
@Sarah, store bought conditioners contain ingredients that smooth the hair surface, making it feel softer. You will need more time to achieve the same effect with something homemade. If you want the best of both worlds add an oil of your choice to a store bought conditioner.
Very True! Coconut Oil or Olive Oil to any store bought Dc’er works well for my hair!
I have tried to go without DC but that is something my hair really responds positively to. I DC about 2-3 times a month and I don’t leave it in that long. 30 minutes tops if I’m being lazy, and 5 to 10 minutes if I am in a time crunch with my detachable hooded dryer. My hair is soft, pliable, easier to manage for at least a week after my DC. I find I don’t need to moisturize in between as often.
I barely co wash (only after a strenuous workout).
MY DC of choice is Shea Moisture Deep Treatment MASQUE. One word: BUTTER!!
Over the course of being natural, to save on time you HAVE to get rid of extra practices. (I only detangle once a month–took me HOURS, I don’t seal and moisturize every day-product build up and greasy pillows) in the end, my current regime is waaaaayy simpler and my hair is doing just fine.
It is all part of the process to find out what works for your hair.
Yes! I second the Shea Moisture Deep Treat Masque, my hair loves that stuff!
I just used this this weeknd and I loved it! I added some Olive Oil and Honey to it for good measure and loved the fact that it was not a runny mess. My hair is soft to the touch and feels great!
I actually tried this stuff and it left my hair hard and dry! :( I have a really hard time finding good deep conditioners
My hair didn’t like it either.
I can’t seem to find the right conditioner either. So most of the time I just use a cheapy with oil added.
DC’ing for me means the difference between super soft, manageable hair and just ‘ok’ hair. My hair is moisturized throughout the week. So much so that I don’t have to reapply any moisture (or any product for that matter) for the duration of the week. The only time my hair sees any tools or products is on Sunday which is wash and style day.
I am of the mindset that 75% of how your hair fairs throughout the week is dependent on your styling practices. So I can’t say that DC’ing is the key to it all but it is definitely a major contributor. I believe that it is the number 2 reason why I have been able to maintain growth/length. Because it helps my hair retain moisture.
I deep condition because my hair really responds to it. After a good deep conditioning, my hair is softer and just looks healthier. I keep my deep conditioner in for about an hour. I think whether or not you should deep condition depends on your hair. It works for some but not for others.
I deep condition because it makes my hair feel softer, helps stop breakage, and allows moisture to seep into hair strands.
I usually deep condition for about and hour with heat, or for a while with heat and then overnight, or just overnight… or sometimes all day with no heat. lol whatevers convenient and what my hair requires. when i dont DC my hair doesnt feel as soft or as healthy so i try to DC after every wash. i’ve heard that ‘dry’ heat doesnt open up the cuticle ans is therefore non beneficial? idk if this is true but either way i DEF plan on getting a Heutiful hair steamer and eventually replace DCs with Steam Conditions in my regimen! hope this helped!
I personally can NOT go without deep conditioning. I have 4c (if there was a such thing as 4z hair mine would be it) extremely tight coily hair and I’ve noticed the quick 15 minute conditioning does just about nothing for me. I deep condition about once a week with a Jasons natural hair conditioner mixed with a little avocado and EVOO and I henna protein condition bi monthly. I condition with Jasons for about 1hr and henna deep condition for sometimes up to 6hrs. It sounds excessive but my hair has benefited because of it. I’m also a vegetarian so my hair needs that extra boost of protein.
I always DC. I have since my hair was 2inches long. I leave it in over night and it is so much softer and bouncy(yes I said BOUNCY) when I wash the DC out. I usually leave it in over night…if I don’t have the time to do that I leave it in for a hour with a heating cap on. I have to DC or my hair will be so dry during the week…..this is one thing I would never stop doing.
I really love the benefits of deep conditioning over night/all day. I like to think of this day(washday/sunday) as a way to relax. However, my time does not permit me to do this every two weeks(summer) or every three weeks(winter). I’ve reduced this process depending on time to 1-3hours. I alternate between to two deep conditioners: cantu and a cholesterol(dark&lovely w/shea butter). I add a base condtioner(cheapy like sauve,tresemme, or VO5). I also add olive oil & honey to the conditioner(warmed). My hair gets dry very easily and if I don’t deep condition I will have a sack of hay on my head.
The steps I removed is co-washing. It was too many different conditioners sitting on my head for too long; one with baking soada and another with oils. I just combined them all together which reduced my time drastically. I use a sulfate free shampoo now, so I don’t have to add the baking soda.
As my hair grew I found I had to simplify my regimen. I am now TWA in between, too long to be short and too short to be long. :)
i prepoo for 15 min with aubrey organics honeysuckle rose…that pretty much does the job. and once a month i use ao blue green algae protein mask for 15 min. I find that leaving it in much longer does not change much. and honestly I couldn’t stand taking that much time on my hair unless I was preparing for a big event
The most popular article on my blog is the deep conditioning article where I discussed the research in more depth
The truth is there is very little in conditioner (deep or rinse out) that can actually penetrate hair. Conditioners are designed primarily to
1. Smooth the hair strand externally
2. Temporarily patch up the hair externally
The less damage your hair has, the less effect conditioner has.
Does heat and time make a difference? In all probability, there is likely to be some extra deposition onto the surface of hair but there is nothing to say that this is of any benefit beyond making hair feel softer (i.e the smoothing and patching of hair by conditioner happens rapidly with the first few minutes).
Damaged hair (heat treated and colour treated hair) on the other hand may be more likely to benefit more from conditioning, simply because more of the hair surface is damaged.
I advocate for people to do what suits their hair best. If you find 5 minutes is just as good as 15 minutes, then do less to hair. The less you do, the more you preserve the strand. However if you find that 15 minutes is terrible and 35 is ideal, then do 35 minutes and keep yourself sane by getting the hair you find easiest to manage.
JC-
Your blog post in conjuction with Long Hair Don’t Care2011, from youtube is the reason I let go of deep conditioning after 7 years. I’ve been deep conditioning since my relaxed days. I recently stopped becuase I realized the the 3 minute Aussie mosit made my hair soft whether I left it on for 3 minutes or 30 mintues. I’m sure that the only reason I no longer need to DC is becuase Aussie mosit 3 min miracle works well on my hair. I never had this experience with any other conditioner. I still dc sometimes with honey so that I can gradually lighten my hair but I realize that it’s no longer neccessary.
I’m happy that I was able to cut 30min out of my routine.
How about a protein conditioner/ deep conditioner, because i notice it stops the breaking; my hair is colour treated
Protein of the right size (hydrolysed/hydrolyzed) is more likely to bind with heat and longer time. Colour treated hair is likely to be quite damaged and therefore I can see why a protein heavy conditioner would be beneficial
Moni – It is definitely all about finding what works for your hair!
then what actually penetrates the hair to moisturize it? or do we just have to stick to moisturizing from the inside out?
Moisturising is less about penetration and more about keeping water in.
Water is very small and can freely enter and leave hair. If you are aiming to keep it in then you have to focus on forming a barrier on the outside.
The most effective methods of forming this barrier are
1. Oils
2. Humectants
3. Proteins
Noting that you do not need to use just one of these but can use a combination.
In my opinion, many people think that a deep conditioner will fix the issue of hair feeling dry but in truth it is what you do after you condition your hair that helps you (i.e the leave in you use, use of oils etc).
Skipping the leave in conditioner in my opinion is the reason why hair feels dry even if it might not be.
Hi Jc!
You’re spot on with your last point! It’s really what I do AFTER conditioning that helps me maintain moisture. Also, if you live in a city that is known for hard water, I can tell you that there is absolutely no deep conditioner in the world that will prevent your hair from feeling dry, lol! I had issues with this while at uni. Neither my hair nor my skin agreed with the water. Anywho, I have type “4b” hair with very coarse strands. While my hair loves the temporary softness of Aussie Moist, once I wash out the conditioner, it’s dry again. However, to combat the dryness I oil rinse with coconut oil following conditioning. It’s made detangling quite easy with Kinky Curly Knot Today! So yeah I don’t believe the hype about deep conditioning, lol.
Anyway, I have a question. Does water consumption also relate to hair dryness (i.e. not drinking enough water)?
Sorry I don’t have a direct answer to your question Lissie. It is not something that is well researched.
I do have a theory though. Hair usually experiences a change due to severe conditions for example due to malnutrition. However, even if your diet is not the best but there is sufficient protein in it, hair will grow in the same way as someone with a better diet. Hair does not require much to grow or to be of good quality.
In the same way, I would think unless you are dehydrated, I would not think that adding more water would improve hair dryness.
I think that the internal influence is limited for hair that we see outside our scalp. It is no longer being modelled or shaped, it is essentially dead (meaning nothing except decay can happen to it). In this sense it is unlikely that a water uptake would affect it, but it may affect the hair that is yet to come out inside the scalp to a limited degree.
It is all a theory though :)
Thank you Jc! <3 <3 <3
thank you so much!!! God bless :)
“In my opinion, many people think that a deep conditioner will fix the issue of hair feeling dry but in truth it is what you do after you condition your hair that helps you (i.e the leave in you use, use of oils etc).”
I agree!
I DC weekly but I only use natural products that I make myself. I have done research and only use herbs and oils that combat the problem I am having. I have dry very kinky curly hair so when I make my conditioners I use certified organic herbs and oils that are for dryness. Natural herbs and oils works wonders on my natural hair. My twist last longer and are more defined.
I usually dc for about 1 hr but I think the longer you can do it the more beneficial the results will be.
I started using my own natural products after I started reading the labels of many of these store brought brands and realized that the ingredients that are used like alcohol and mineral oil/ petrolatum had a drying effect on my hair.
Here is a link that have some very good tips on caring for African American hair
http://www.ehow.com/how_2059484_biracial-ethnic-hair-things-avoid.html
I always deep condition. I find that when I didn’t deep condition my hair would get dry during the week, however when I deep condition my hair doesn’t get dry and I don’t have to keep moisturizing throughout the week, which is vital because I don’t have the time during the week. I think that deep conditioning has also enabled me to retain length because my hair is well moisturized.
I deep condition whenever I shampoo. Its the difference between that sorta stripped feeling and ultra soft hair. I changed my shampoo to a less stripping one and that has helped but I still like to deep condition. I like to keep it in for around 20 to 30 minutes. It just sets my hair up for successful detangling the rest of the week.
I always deep condition with heat for 15 minutes. I have tried the overnight method as well as the 2 hour method. By this I mean applying conditioner with or without some added oil and the results were not as good as with heat. My DC mixture is Suave conditioner, coconut oil, this is a staple for me and honey. I use a store bought conditioner because it helps to smooth the hair surface (See Jc’s post above for more). Coconut oil is known to penetrate the hair and without it my hair does not feel as great. The coconut oil is also because I use shampoo to wash my hair, it helps to replenish some of the lost oils. Honey packs an extra punch, I’ve heard it’s a humectant, having it in my mix definitely ups the wow factor, especially in winter.
I dye my hair so I use Aphogee 2 step every 6 weeks and follow that with a deep moisture treatment. I also use lighter protein reconstructors in between the hard stuff like Ion reconstructor or Joico kpak.
Whenever my coils look blah I reach for the protein but I use as instructed meaning 10 minutes, no heat. Usually I’ll shave my legs, do a face mask… and by the time that’s done I’ll rinse and be done. However I won’t follow the lesser protein treatments with a moisture DC.
I used to baggy + wool cap my hair with a DC, sometimes I’d even warm it up with the blow dryer, then sit around for an hour or more. I never liked how my hair felt afterward. It always felt bare, yet totally covered in conditioner, like my hair didn’t soak anything up. (It also did nothing for defining my curls.) Now, I do everything in my shower. Oyin Honey Hemp & KC Knot Today are amazing conditioners to use in the shower after shampooing.
I DC once a week for at least an hour. It makes my hair very soft and moisturized after. Also, I color my hair, which is very drying. I think if you don’t use any chemicals or heat on your hair, DC may not be necessary.
I DC’d infrequently and my hair WAS healthy, it just had liars for products, Lol! I always doubted how much product penetrated my hair over 1-8 hours under a shower cap and towel, and wondered what I got other than wet-ish, weakened hair. Once I researched and adopted natural products, I discovered I got the most amazing results from steeping herbs like Blue Malva as a leave-in shower rinse. It softens, glossifies (Lol!), soothes, detangles and balances my hair and scalp. It leaves no residue, doesn’t require rinsing out and I can air dry. That’s my ‘DC’.
PS I don’t use heat outside of shower steam which may be a factor :)
Could you share the recipes for your herbal rinses, please?
Sure! Mine are hardly recipes though, Lol!
I filter infusions of 1 or 2 herbs in my coffeepot and voila! 1 regular to heaping spoonful per 16oz water. My BFF loves adding them to her coconut milk-rhassoul mix, I rarely do, but it’s nice.
Chamomile flower or Burdock Root – inflamed scalp
Blue Malva herb, Marshmallow Root, Irish Moss, Burdock Root – slip
Coltsfoot or White Willow Bark – build up
They all seem to work pretty much interchangeably though and I buy from Mountain Rose Herbs or Anita Grant if I do a haul from her.
Thanks!
I deep condition. It really improves the roughness/managability of my hair. I use ORS Olive Oil Replenishing conditioner or MJ’s Super Sweetback (which I bought on a lark) and use it in accordance with the package instructions (15-20 minutes under a steamer or dryer). The difference is substantial as far as elasticity, smoothness and curl definition. I’ve never been a “if the package says this, doing it seven times as much will be even better” sort of person; it strikes me as making things unnecessarily drawn out.
I also deep condition, but only if I’ve shampooed my hair.
My hair is extremely dry, but co-washing + protective styling helps keep moisture in enough, so DC’ing isn’t necessary for me. But when I have lots of product in my hair, I shampoo, which strips my strands no matter how gentle – I use Kinky Curly shampoo. DC’ing helps get the moisture back in there. Like others, I use Shea Moisture’s Masque.