Facts About Hair Conditioners

Soft and silky hair is the desire of any woman and the conditioner is one item that can provide such results, if it is chosen with care. BLESSING UKEMENA writes with additional reports from WebMD.

The hair is the crown of a woman’s beauty, so it is highly important that you find the right conditioner for your hair. Conditioner on African hair is good, but care must be taken because some conditioners have been known to cause hair breakage on African hair. If not, then, it will be like washing a pure silk shirt with detergent that is meant for wool or cotton cloth.

Hair requires special care. “Some of us have strands similar to wool, and others are more like silk,” says internationally renowned stylist Sherri Jessee. “To have the most beautiful locks possible, it is very important to utilise the correct maintenance regimen.”

That means choosing the right conditioner for your hair type. Recognising the signs that you have the wrong one is sometimes more obvious than others. Speaking to hair stylist Lina Udeh within Abuja, she said: “Conditioner can do marvels for the hair, but there are some of my clients that do not use conditioners at all. They would rather just straighten it with a hot iron.”

Your conditioner doesn’t match your stylist’s advice: Your stylist is like your own personal guru - at least when it comes to hair care suggestions. That’s why Jessee’s number one tip is to ask for advice at the salon - then follow it and see if it really works for you! “Your professional stylist can help you pick the right product that is good for your hair type,” she says. “She’ll consider the texture of your hair and what chemical treatments you’ve had done to make a recommendation.”

Your hair is coloured, and you’re not using a colour-safe product: If you don’t use colour-safe conditioner and shampoo on colour-treated hair, then “what you’ve paid to put in there, you’re washing away,” Jessee says. It’s like watching your money go straight down the drain. Using the right colour-safe conditioner will keep blonde brighter and brunette bolder. You may get two more weeks out of your hair colour before you have to pay for another one.

Labels on colour-safe conditioners use terms like “colour extend,” “colour care,” and “sulfate-free.” They protect against the dulling effects of washing and over-styling - two of the main reasons hair colour fades, Jessee says. Products with “UVA/UVB protection” offer a layer of protection to prevent the sun from fading your colour, she says.

You’re using ‘volumizing’ conditioner on big, curly hair: Or, you’re using a smoothing one on flat, fine hair. When you use conditioner, “You’re doing one of two things to hair - you’re making it bigger, or you’re making it smaller,” Jessee says. If your hair has lots of volume, you need a conditioner heavy enough to give you the amount of smoothing you need to tame frizzles and fly-away and get hair back under your control, Jessee says.

If your hair is fine and flat, you need a lighter conditioner. “If somebody has fine hair, and they use a smoothing treatment, it’s going to feel oily, limp, and lifeless,” Jessee says. Use a lighter-weight product that won’t weigh down fine hair, she advises.

You have dry hair, and you’re using a strengthening shampoo: Extra strength won’t help dry hair. If you’re not getting enough moisture, then you’re not treating the true problem, Jessee says. “It’s kind of like eating a steak when you’re thirsty. Dry, damaged hair needs a rich, moisturising daily conditioner. At least once a week, revive parched hair with a deeper, leave-in conditioning treatment. Once a month, have it done at a salon.

You bought the most expensive conditioner: While you don’t want to buy the cheapest conditioner in the store, you also don’t need to spend so much. A conditioner that is five times more expensive won’t necessarily make your hair look five times better.

Some experts say that once you get past a certain range, you’re not adding much value to your hair. Once you get the best conditioner for you, use it right. Here are some steps to doing a proper conditioning on your hair.

1.  Shampoo the roots.

2.  Condition the ends. That’s where damage like split ends occurs.

3.  Only in rare cases do you need to deep condition the scalp.

4.  Use a wide-toothed comb to evenly distribute.