By Jc of The Natural Haven
Could deep conditioning be a myth? I was watching QVC (uh huh), when a trichologist (hair scientist) was asked about leaving a conditioner in hair for longer for more of an effect and his reply was, ‘It is formulated to get to maximum potential in 5 minutes. You can leave it on for longer but not for added effect. ‘ At that point I really began to wonder why is it that my hairdresser at the time always recommended deep conditioning for 20 minutes at least once a week? Is it pointless?
In my search for an answer I came across a post on thebeautybrains.com which contained a letter from a trichologist Barry J Stevens who described deep conditioning as ‘wishful thinking’ . I don’t really know the authenticity of this letter but it made me even more interested to find out the fact from fiction.
First step, what really happens when you condition your hair?If you use shampoo, then what you first do is remove excess oils and grease from your hair leaving you with a clean shaft. What DOES NOT happen is ‘opening of the cuticle’. I thought I should draw some of this out, just incase people’s eyes start glazing over.
So, what can open up the cuticle? Commonly, chemical processing of hair such as relaxing or colour rely on alkaline products and these CAN open up the cuticle. Your average shampoo does not have the ability to do this. They are mostly mildly acidic to neutral (around pH 6-7 though 8 is considered ok) because cosmetic scientists need to consider that the shampoo can end up in your eyes, face and mouth, so it is safer to be close to neutral. See this site for some pH ranges of shampoo. Lisa Akbari also advertises a shampoo at pH 5. The pH of hair and skin is a range between 4.5 to 5.5.
Therefore, if your hair is natural, you most likely have a closed cuticle as has been seen scientifically (Khumalo et al, Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2000, pp 814-820).
This leads to the question, if the cuticle is closed then what can really get in? Well two things can,water and some oils.
What kind of oil can get into the hair cortex? The complex answer is many different oils to varying degrees. The simple answer is coconut oil and olive oil have been shown to penetrate hair quite well (Hornby et al, Int Journal of cosmetic science 2005 pg299-300).
This now leaves the question, what exactly is the purpose of conditioner? Well most conditioners do just work on the outside. They soften the hair, help smooth the cuticle, minimize static, sometimes help the water stay in the cortex. When rinsed off they do leave some conditioning agents behind which keep the hair feeling soft.
So why do so many people say that deep conditioning is good? Well maybe they just have a better procedure and can get more out of it.
1. Make sure you have sufficient water, make sure you wet your hair properly and make sure your chosen conditioner has coconut oil or olive oil. If it doesn’t, consider adding a teaspoon or so to it (portion out the part you are going to use and add the oil to that, do not put it into the main container).
2. Concentrate on applying the conditioner very well so as to cover your all your hair. Don’t plop the conditioner onto the middle of your head, back and sides. Take your time, part the hair and apply to small sections.
3. Do you need heat? It takes 15 min for hair to get saturated in pure water while steam takes 18 hours or more (Robbins, Chemical and Physical Behaviour of Human Hair, Springer). Water directly on your hair through wetting is probably more useful than steam or vapour.
4. Should you leave it on for longer? Well you can do so if you want to, but if you leave it just for the stipulated time, then you don’t need to worry too much.
So is deep conditioning a myth, what do you think?
Hmmm this is an interesting article. I am tempted to test this out for a month to see if i notice a difference in my hair.
i think this article in interesting, ironically though, all i have to say in comment form is i honestly believe beauticians ONLY say 20 minutes/30 minutes etc and leave you there is because it frees up their time to do other clients. Never in my life have I been to see a stylist who was only doing one client at a time (usually 2-3 clients while a 4th is in the waiting area) . Point is while he/she is telling you , you need a deep condition because its good for your hair and the longer its in the better is really to free up time to go wash someone else, begin a press on someone else etc.
lol…yes. you are on point with this. 20 minutes is rarely 20 minutes.
I agree with you! Lol… its funny you point that out. Ironically though one of the BEST stylist I know uses the Design Essentials Express Conditioner and only leaves it in for 3 minutes. She never overbooks, clients never wait long and she works quickly to get them in and out. Her clients have healthy beautiful hair. She has a long and growing clientele. However this is uncommon and many stylists will slop globs of condioner on your head and leave you under the dryer for 30 minutes. I am so glad women are finally peeping game. Anyway, deep conditioner has always been overrated and somewhat pointless to me. Especially when its done more than once a week. The conditioner helps with moisture but only gives your hair a better appearance and it doesn’t even do that for SOME. I HATE conditioner. It turns my hair to mush and I end up looking like a wet puppy. No ma’am! So… I opt for a leave in instead. My hair thrives this way. I think many women think those DCs are helping them but they have no clue why their hair looks like shredded whole wheat when its dry. They say “I deep condition twice a week”…. well stop it boo! Overkill! When will we learn that its what you put INSIDE your body that makes your hair healthy. All the deep conditioning in the world wont help your hair if you are scarfing down #2′s from McDonalds and eating potato chips! Tis all!
lmbo @ that last sentence! You make a good point though. I think its safe to say that DCing only helps with untangling, gives definition and shine (when done correctly)and for some people they may need to leave it on for longer periods of time,we call it deep conditoining. But it does provide additional strength to hair that is already damaged. I believe that’s wear moisturizing and sealing comes in). Rather it only helps preserve the hair you have. If that’s what you want for your hair then i say keep it going. It does help.
oops! meant to say *does not provide additional strength*
Willing to believe this is a myth because no matter how many DCs I have tried – none leave my hair soft once rinsed out without the aid of other products. I think Mikki’s reasoning is quite sound too. All this time we have believed that we had to deep condition due to our hair being afro textured, different to caucasian people’s and therefore requiring more conditioning time. It doesn’t make that much sense when you consider that all hair is dead, made of keratin and our only differences are that our hair can be more fragile and the natural oils we produce have a harder time being distributed down the hair shaft due to coiling. Also conditioner just coats the outer layer of the hair to offer some protection from wear and the elements so would it really take 20mins to 1hr for this process to be complete?
It seems that DCing is akin to the placebo effect. You psychologically believe that this lengthy condition has a greater effect than 5-10 minute conditioning even though it doesn’t.
I must say that moisture DCs seem to be the biggest con to me. Often overly expensive (especially from these natural lines) and consisting of little more than a nice scent, pretty packaging and a consistency that is thicker than the average rinseout which we were always taught were too thin for our hair and more appropriate for those of non afro textures.
I totally agree because I have tried several different hair conditioners and my hair is still never really soft. I used the braggs organic apple cider vinegar and it’s much softer.
Hi FireCracker
Does Braggs have a conditioner made with apple cider vinegar? pls tell me more…Genevieve
This goes back to doing what your hair says to do. Deep Conditoning has been lifted up as one of the essential things to do on a monthly basis, at least. i was on the bandwagon with this until i realized my hair wasnt any softer when i left it in for 10 minutes or 1 hr. It wasnt that the shampoo and conditioner I used were bad but there was nothing extra. Maybe I was using the wrong product but I’m out my product junkie stage at this point. I dont feel like experimenting anymore. the STRESS of doing/finding the right product and process can deter growth and hair health just as much as the wrong product or process. some people swear by dcing. do you.
I don’t relate deep conditioning to the products*, but the heat used and time spent with the conditioner on my hair strands. To me, it has made a difference. My hair is much softer through the week. I deep condition 1x a week with steam, but will increase it to 3x a week (during the week use my heat cap while watching TV) in the winter.
* I don’t really believe in deep conditioning products. I add oils/butters to my regular conditioners and they work just perfectly.
I stopped deep conditioning while ago. It made no difference in my hair–It just wasted time, money and product. What did make a difference was finding a good leave-in conditioner. For me, that means a water-based one with vegetable glycerin and oils/butters (Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque, Alba Botanica Leave-In Conditioner).
I think DCing is money-making thing. It’s a way to “repair” hair that has been harshly treated (too many chemical processes, too much heat, etc.) A way to “repair” hair that has a natural tendency to dryness and/or a naturally “course” texture. A way for hairdressers to free up time with other clients…
I wasn’t under the impression that shampoo raised the cuticule and conditioner closed it. I thought it was the temperature of the water.
I don’t think deep conditioning is a myth the way cutting your ends to make your hair grow is a myth. My conditioner says to leave it on for 15-20 min and wear a plastic cap. Generally it’s left in longer because I’m taking care of my kids or doing other things around the house.
As an aside, does this question the benefit of baggying now?
quote: “In my opinion any process referred to as ?deep conditioning? is wishful thinking. Conditioning hair usually starts and finishes with aiding the Cuticle to enclose the Cortex. There is no effective treatment yet available which will permanently repair damaged hair-shafts and I have seen no evidence to confirm that they benefit from exposure to steam.”
if you notice she said that it is her opinion. and that is exaclty what it is, her opinion. If you agree with it that is fine if you don’t that is also fine. It is true that you can’t permanently repair damaged hair, but you can protect it from damage. I think that is the purpose of deep conditioning not to really repair the hair shaft. I think her statements are full of half trues. I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on different treatments, but i do feel that deep conditioning works, in my opinion. And also, deep conditioning is not for softening, it is for strengthening. Most deep conditioning treatments you are suppose to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner.
Could you point me to where you lifted that quote? I can’t find it in the article…..
yea, it’s not in the article at all.
http://thebeautybrains.com/bbforum/discussion/646/x
As Ruth and Julia said, I did not write that section that you quoted. It was part of the quote from the trichologist.
As with all my posts, I always specify where I am giving opinion and where I am stating facts. This post did arise from someone else’s opinion but I did my own research to investigate if there is scientific proof in published journals.
Please do not place someone else’s words as my own. If you read this article, you will notice that it focuses on what penetrates into hair and what does not.
There are conditioners for both – protein for strength, moisture for softness.
True that their are deep conditioners for protein and moisture. However, moisturizing deep conditioners are not just to soften the hair. Hair needs a balance of moisture and protein to remain strong. It is not just for astetic purposes.
My hair has flourished w/ hour/s long DCs-it must not know it’s a myth Lol. Sssshhhh
The word “trichologist” is funny. Sound like some one who studies tricks…
(carry on with the serious hair conversation)
Haha!
I personally think they are just product pushers.
I leave my hair-to-toe amla/honey paste on too long in the tub because I go to lala land :) but don’t intentionally deep condish.
I always wanted some stylist to convince me of the science and cost of DCs and steams rather than parrot widely circulated information about their usefulness. In all, I didn’t expect nor recall seeing results. Some love it though. I like to think that as with skin, moisture mainly comes from the inside and is enhanced and maintained from the outside.
I used to deep condition under the dryer for 20 minutes with my Elasta QP (with added olive oil). I noticed after awhile my hair didn’t really feel any differently. Since then I’ve stopped deep conditioning all together. Although, I do a pre-poo each time before washing-so I guess this acts like my DC.
I don’t deep condition. I used to DC after my henna treatments, and then one day I was in a hurry, so I just left my regular conditioner in for a few minutes after henna-ing. The result in terms of how my hair felt was just as good, if not better, as when I used to DC. So I don’t bother with deep conditioning anymore, and my hair feels fine.
On the flipside, I like articles, hypotheses and folk remedies about hair practice and product. I consider, try and even adopt some. I’m always surprised at the limited amount of data and study by which a few trichologists, derms or other doctors and scientists use to indisputably prove, or even disprove as some do in the article, the efficacy of various hair practices and products their success for some and not for others. For me, not enough study has gone in to any one practice, ingredient, folk method or study (even penetrative oils) that can beat that it simply ‘works for me’. DCing doesn’t work for me but does for others.
I think deep conditioning is a myth, to a certain degree. I don’t think conditioning itself is a myth. I also think the best conditioners for my hair have always been leave-in. When I leave-in a conditioner, it is more likely to do good for my hair than not.
Also, I want deep conditioning to be a myth. For one, I don’t like this step and have not really used it very much regularly. Also, since the only thing that seems to get into the hair shaft are water and some oils, oil rinsing and hot oil treatments seem to make more sense.
Conditioning is really for remoisturizing the hair using a shampoo that strips it of moisture and oils. Other than that, and if you are lucky to have a shampoo that does not dry the hair, conditioner may be unnecessary. I usually deep treat my hair with something that will make it strong. Too much moisture can be bad for hair. All that water can lead to too soft, weak, fragile hair.
for me, deep conditioning is more for my scalp than my hair. when my scalp starts itching, i usually clarify and deep condition for a couple of hours to soothe my scalp. i’ve never been someone to deep condition weekly, but everyone is right by saying it’s an opinion. what works for one may not work for the other. at the end of the day, you need to go by what your hair needs and not by what others tell you about your hair.
http://msjanelle.blogspot.com
*reads comments*
Who knew deep conditioning would be so controversial……
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am confused, LOL! I have to view this site with my “we dont have to agree” sign on my desk because it gets rough sometimes, LOL!
I can either listen to scientists who tell me deep conditioning doesn’t work, or I can listen to my hair which acts a fool when I go too long without deep conditioning (I don’t use anything special, just leave my conditioner in for as long as possible with heat, and sometimes add honey and olive oil), and I know which one I’m going to go with.
I think you missed out a vital point. Nowhere in this post is there information that ‘deep conditioning does not work’. It only questions the validity of the statement that applying a conditioner for longer makes it work better.
Science and practice are two different things. There is no scientist in this world who would tell you that you should stop deep conditioning when you have found that your hair responds to it. You have technically carried out your own experiment and substantiated that deep conditioning works for you.
For others who find heat or no heat makes no difference or 5 mins or 35 mins also makes no difference, there is an explanation as to why this is the case.
ICAM
My hair loves a good deep condition…
I’m a fan of the occasional coconut oil DC. By occasional I mean whenever I feel like it. Sometimes I leave it on for 15 minutes…sometimes for an hour it depends on if my timing (a toddler and a baby at home).
I don’t think my mom ever DC’d my hair when I was growing up but I had some long, thick hair. *shoulder shrug*
Same!
I love a great hot oil pre-poo DC(if you want to call it that) with Olive oil and Coconut oil, and I did notice the longer I left it on with a bag over, the softer my hair was even after i shampooed and sealed in everything. Those DC that you buy, worthless on my hair, but my hot oil mixes, my hair has always and probably will always love them through and through. It also helps that I LOVE the smell of coconut oil!
I also never bother with protein, I have tried them, and never ever liked how my hair felt, yet noticed a difference when I upped the amount of meat and veg protein, and that a combo of both was ideal for my hair skin, and nails, so i would rather eat my protein(more fun) than slather it on my head. but hey, just like Jc said, that’s what works for me, so why tamper with perfection, even if it goes against the grain?
My deep conditioners are almost all protein-based with added oils, so I certainly am under the steamer or dryer for 20 minutes to allow them to penetrate. I use moisture DC’s as leave-in conditioners, especially since my hair is up 99% of the time so I don’t worry about my hair being too heavy or greasy.
As someone above said, it’s about doing what’s right for your head. When I tried to stop using protein conditioners a few years back, because “naturals don’t need as much protein,” my hair acted a H.A.M.! When I try to not use the aphogee 2-step (the super hard one), my hair gives me the stank eye. So I just roll with it, and part of that is weekly deep conditioning, but since my hair responds so well to it, I continue to do it.