How to Condition Your Hair
Condition after every shampoo., Use only as much as you need., Focus on the tips of your hair., Rinse thoroughly when you’re finished., Shampoo less often to keep your hair from drying out., Consider getting silicone-free conditioner., Look into...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Condition after every shampoo.
Shampoo is designed to cleanse the hair of dirt and oils.
Washing away the natural oils your scalp produces is necessary for your hair to look clean, but it can dry out your hair.
That’s where conditioner comes in.
Each time you shampoo, follow up by using conditioner that’s right for your hair type.
If you have very dry or damaged hair, choose a moisturizing conditioner that will restore its shine.
If you have fine, light hair, choose a lighter conditioner that won’t make your hair look limp. -
Step 2: Use only as much as you need.
When it comes to conditioner, you can definitely have too much of a good thing.
You should only use as much as you need for your hair type and length.
If you use a handful of conditioner your hair will end up looking dull and even greasy.
Use just enough to lightly coat your hair and make it easy to untangle the strands.
If you have short hair, you only need a dime-sized amount of conditioner.
If you have medium hair, use a quarter-sized amount.
For long hair, use a silver dollar-sized amount. , Since your scalp produces its own natural oil, your roots don’t need to be conditioned as much as your tips.
The tips dry out much more easily, leading to frayed and split ends.
When you condition your hair, work the conditioner between your palms and finger-comb it in starting at least an inch from your scalp.
Comb it down to the tips and gently rub it in.
Then go back and massage your scalp and roots with the tiny bit of conditioner that remains on your hands. , After rinsing there will still be a light coating of conditioner on your hair.
You want enough to provide moisture and a protective layer against the elements, but not enough to weigh your hair down or make it look greasy.
Finger-comb your hair as you rinse to make sure there are no areas with a lot of conditioner build up. , You shouldn’t have to shampoo and condition your hair more than twice a week, and three times tops.
When you shampoo, the natural oils your scalp produces get washed away, and no conditioner can really replace them when it comes to keep your hair healthy and shiny.
Plus, when you wash your hair too often the glands in your scalp go into overdrive to produce more oil, and your hair ends up looking greasy much faster.
When you first stop shampooing every day, your hair will look greasy pretty quickly.
Ride it out for as long as you can (hats are very helpful for this).
The next time you shampoo and condition your hair, it will take longer for your hair to look dirty. , If your hair tends to look dull even though the products you use claim they’ll make it look shiny and sleek, you may want to switch your products.
Silicones are an ingredient in commercial conditioners that do indeed make hair look shiny – at first.
After awhile, though, the silicones build up in your hair and cause it to lose its shine.
Look for conditioner that’s labeled “silicone-free” and you won’t have to worry about this problem.
You may also want to get sulfate-free shampoo.
Sulfates strip hair of its natural oils very effectively – too effectively.
If your hair is on the dry side, using shampoo with sulfates will dry it out even more, and no conditioner will be able to make it look healthy again.
Use a sulfate-free shampoo paired with a silicon-free conditioner. , This is a great choice for those with hair that tends to get dry and frizzy.
Rather than rinsing the conditioner out, you spray it on or comb it through your hair and leave it in as your hair dries.
If your hair is very fine or tends to get greasy easily, this may not be the best choice for you. -
Step 3: Focus on the tips of your hair.
-
Step 4: Rinse thoroughly when you’re finished.
-
Step 5: Shampoo less often to keep your hair from drying out.
-
Step 6: Consider getting silicone-free conditioner.
-
Step 7: Look into leave-in conditioner.
Detailed Guide
Shampoo is designed to cleanse the hair of dirt and oils.
Washing away the natural oils your scalp produces is necessary for your hair to look clean, but it can dry out your hair.
That’s where conditioner comes in.
Each time you shampoo, follow up by using conditioner that’s right for your hair type.
If you have very dry or damaged hair, choose a moisturizing conditioner that will restore its shine.
If you have fine, light hair, choose a lighter conditioner that won’t make your hair look limp.
When it comes to conditioner, you can definitely have too much of a good thing.
You should only use as much as you need for your hair type and length.
If you use a handful of conditioner your hair will end up looking dull and even greasy.
Use just enough to lightly coat your hair and make it easy to untangle the strands.
If you have short hair, you only need a dime-sized amount of conditioner.
If you have medium hair, use a quarter-sized amount.
For long hair, use a silver dollar-sized amount. , Since your scalp produces its own natural oil, your roots don’t need to be conditioned as much as your tips.
The tips dry out much more easily, leading to frayed and split ends.
When you condition your hair, work the conditioner between your palms and finger-comb it in starting at least an inch from your scalp.
Comb it down to the tips and gently rub it in.
Then go back and massage your scalp and roots with the tiny bit of conditioner that remains on your hands. , After rinsing there will still be a light coating of conditioner on your hair.
You want enough to provide moisture and a protective layer against the elements, but not enough to weigh your hair down or make it look greasy.
Finger-comb your hair as you rinse to make sure there are no areas with a lot of conditioner build up. , You shouldn’t have to shampoo and condition your hair more than twice a week, and three times tops.
When you shampoo, the natural oils your scalp produces get washed away, and no conditioner can really replace them when it comes to keep your hair healthy and shiny.
Plus, when you wash your hair too often the glands in your scalp go into overdrive to produce more oil, and your hair ends up looking greasy much faster.
When you first stop shampooing every day, your hair will look greasy pretty quickly.
Ride it out for as long as you can (hats are very helpful for this).
The next time you shampoo and condition your hair, it will take longer for your hair to look dirty. , If your hair tends to look dull even though the products you use claim they’ll make it look shiny and sleek, you may want to switch your products.
Silicones are an ingredient in commercial conditioners that do indeed make hair look shiny – at first.
After awhile, though, the silicones build up in your hair and cause it to lose its shine.
Look for conditioner that’s labeled “silicone-free” and you won’t have to worry about this problem.
You may also want to get sulfate-free shampoo.
Sulfates strip hair of its natural oils very effectively – too effectively.
If your hair is on the dry side, using shampoo with sulfates will dry it out even more, and no conditioner will be able to make it look healthy again.
Use a sulfate-free shampoo paired with a silicon-free conditioner. , This is a great choice for those with hair that tends to get dry and frizzy.
Rather than rinsing the conditioner out, you spray it on or comb it through your hair and leave it in as your hair dries.
If your hair is very fine or tends to get greasy easily, this may not be the best choice for you.
About the Author
Ronald Lewis
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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