A Deep Dive on Deep Conditioning
Deep Conditioning your hair is an ESSENTIAL part of keeping your hair healthy. It can add moisture, strength, and shine to otherwise lifeless hair.
I know for a fact you aren’t doing it enough, and you’re probably doing it wrong too. But that changes now, because your HAIRY Godmother is here to drop some knowledge.
Ok But How Often + Why Should I?
I want you to deep condition your hair EVERY. SINGLE. WEEK. I know, I know, you just don’t have the time. For the sake of compromise, let's start with every OTHER week. Before you fight me on that, just think about the beating your hair takes during those 14 days. Hot tools, hot water, hair ties, pulling, scalp scratching, SWEATING - sweat is just naturally produced salty water that is definitely drying your hair out. That combined with those tight ponytails you’re wearing to workout in and OOF that hair is just breakage waiting to happen.
Now that I’ve officially scared you, let me explain how we’re going to manage all that stress. Moisture. It’s as simple as that. A thick and creamy deep conditioner, once every or every other week is going to give your hair a little much needed TLC to keep it bouncy and shiny and healthy as hell.
What Kind?
At home hair treatments fall into two main categories: Moisturizing or Repairing.
Moisturizing deep conditioners add a boost of moisture and shine to dull or dry hair whether you wear it for five minutes, or let it marinate overnight before you wash it out the next morning!
My personal holy grail deep conditioner is Moroccan Oil’s Intense Hydration Mask. This product comes in two formulas: one for medium/thick hair (the brown lid), and one for thin/fine hair (the white lid). An awesome and more accessible option is Kristin Ess’s Deep Conditioner - available at Target.
Reparative treatments rebuild the keratin bonds of your hair to strengthen elasticity and prevent future breakage! These DO NOT add moisture and cannot be left on indefinitely or overused.
Please be sure to follow the instructions when using this type of treatment. The keywords “repair” or “restore” usually indicate proteins that, overtime, can cause the hair to become brittle from overuse. To avoid this, start off using it once a week, then move on to every other (and so on) when you see an improvement.
My go-to strengthening treatments are Moroccan Oil’s Restorative Hair Mask or the Olaplex #3 Hair Perfector.
How To?
There are a couple of ways to apply these products. Number one, read the label. ALWAYS READ YOUR LABELS. As I said before, some products - particularly those labeled “repairing” or “restorative” - will have specific time limits for how long you should keep the product in your hair.
That being said, you have two ways to apply these products: before you shampoo or after.
BEFORE: My personal favorite and the least time consuming. You can apply this directly onto dry hair, but if you dampen your hair a bit it will make it slightly easier by thinning the product out a bit. Let it sit on your hair while you do the dishes or catch up on The Bachelor then wash it out later.
Olaplex is a PRE shampoo treatment, therefore you can only apply this before you wash and leave it in for up to 10 minutes for it to deliver specific results.
AFTER: I suggest keeping a dry hand towel with you in the shower if you choose to apply after shampooing. Wring the excess water out of your hair with the towel, then apply your treatment. Let it work its magic while you shave your legs, then rinse.
Et voilà! You can check “deep condition hair” off your to-do list!