Hair Love - Winter Care - Deep Conditioners/Masques/Treatments

 SOME hair deep conditioners, masques and treatments

I always advocate loving your hair every day and it will certainly love you back - however - being the human that I am - life happens - and well, hair can get neglected.

With the change in seasons I thought I would share some things I found to be true and some things that I am learning (I learn every day) when it comes to amping things up for the care of your hair.

Conditioners overall can be or rather, ARE a lifeline for your hair - most hair - any hair. But this post is about: Deep Conditioning/Treating - going in DEEP!

Apart from using normal conditioner especially after shampooing, your hair would do well to have additional deep conditioning treatments - ESPECIALLY relaxed and colour treated hair. (the more damaged the hair the better it takes to the conditioner/masque/treatment). Deep conditioning or treating your hair does not have to be tedious or time consuming. Nothing is stopping you from doing something else whilst you let the deep conditioner/masque/treatment penetrate the hair shaft. Using normal conditioner (the standard one that is partnered with shampoo) may not necessarily deliver the same repair effects as a deep conditioner would (or will be very light/temporary) - it is not concentrated with enough of the required ingredients and when I think on it, it could lead to product built up - it is not made for the deep.

Why go into the deep with deep conditioners/masques/treatments - most offer a reconstruction element to them, most have moisture as well as enough protein to both temporary repair (treatments for long term repair) and to condition and further moisturise the hair - some bind with the moisture already present in the strand (water). Trying to maintain the moisture protein balance is one hurdle when it comes to hair retention BUT trying to maintain the moisture protein balance during winter can be an even harder struggle. For me, deep conditioning/treating alleviates the battles and fills-in the gaps/steps that may be insufficient during winter (yes, gaps in the hair strand but also in your hair care regimen).

 

 Before and after Treatment

Why do I say 'deep conditioner/masque/treatment' - some products out there are indeed a 'deep conditioning treatment' and then there are those products that are just deep conditioners and those that are just treatments. I believe you can use either or, or you can alternate between them all depending on the current condition of your hair and what you are looking for from the product, what do you want the product to do for your hair?
Always follow a pure protein treatment (or product with more protein than moisture) with a pure moisture one. Most products will have more of one than the other in them or be formulated with just one OR the other.

So how do you know it is a deep conditioner/masque/treatment - firstly, the conditioner must say deep or deep conditioning on it. The length of time for the product to be kept on the hair will be longer than 5minutes. For Masques (which to me, are like an inbetween deep conditioner and treatment) the time will vary. For treatments - time will vary - I know a few treatments that advise on less than 5 minutes - take note this would probably be a pure highly concentrated treatment -  Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor OR Aphogee Curlific Texture Treatment says leave on for one minute - the names of these products says it all. ORS Hair Mayonnaise Treatments says keep on for 15mins with heat, even a warm towel. Do note that for some products out there - the name can be deceiving so check the ingredients and read the guidance on the products (and quickly look up reviews if you can). In most cases the product container size for treatments is smaller than those for deep conditioners or masques - but all depends on the concentration and formulation etc so this is not a good tip to solely go on.

In Summary:
You may say Joan you are still confusing me - and yes I probably am so let me try to summarise what I am trying to say:
Yes, it is best to use a deep conditioner and/or treatment during winter regardless of the condition of your hair and yet still listening to your hair.
 Some differences between what is called a deep conditioner/masque and what is called a treatment:
1)The name can tell - it will say deep conditioner or will say masque or treatment - in most cases. (I do not mention home made treatments of which there are numerous in number and often called deep conditioning treatments)
2)The time to keep them on your hair - to start off with, stick to the times advised on the product bottle. Deep conditioners and masques give you leeway to keep them on longer than stated where as for treatments, its best to follow the instructions - one minute is one minute.
3) Most treatments are more concentrated than deep conditioners or masques (and yes some products are labelled using the two terms together) - they are basically a product to leave on the hair longer in order to penetrate and repair the hair where needed. Hot Oil treatment is a treatment with just oil.
4)Treatments offer a more lasting effect than deep conditioners - results are not only more visible straight away with a treatment but they can continue to work and remain in the hair even after your rinse as opposed to a deep conditioner.
5) You can use deep conditioners/masques more often than treatments - deep conditioners can be used once a week whereas treatments can be used once every month or more.

6) Wording on the product itself are a good guide (in most cases) - if you know nothing about ingredients then at least reading all the wording on the product bottle should be of help - most will say whats in it, how long to keep it in your hair and how often - this can sometimes give you a hint on whether its a pure treatment and if its protein based or moisture based.
7)Don't get caught up with all the jargon - assess the current state of your hair, decide what your are looking for e.g repair, softness, shine etc PICK ONE product and USE IT. There are many many products out there, home made ones included.

 

Before and after treatment - picture on the right is even before any styling product was added - see the shine, defined curls, increased elasticity

All in all go in the deep and treat your hair - everything in moderation and as always listen to your hair.

Keywords - DEEP, penetrate, reconstruct, repair, strengthen, boost, rich, concentrated, damaged hair, replenish, balance, moisturise, protein, rinse thoroughly, plastic, hooded dryer, steamer, heat.