Healthy, hydrated hair is on our minds, but this thought can often be overshadowed by dull hair – dry, damaged, and in desperate need of attention. When we think of the root causes of dull hair, we instantly think of excessive heat styling, bleaching and excessive hair washing. If you’re wanting to revitalise your locks, then deep conditioning might just be your new best friend. Trying out a deep conditioning treatment could help to retain moisture in your hair and get your hair back to its shiny, healthy self. So what are you waiting for? Start your journey to healthy hair today with the help of RUSH’s specialised expertise in haircare.
What is Deep Conditioning?
Deep conditioning is a rich hair treatment that restores protein and moisture, helping to repair the hair at the cuticle. Deep conditioning treatments are more powerful than regular conditioners, often coming in the form of hair masks and should stay on the hair longer than regular conditioner. It is recommended that you apply a deep conditioning mask once a week, leaving it in your hair for at least 20 minutes to give your hair some extra TLC.
What are the Benefits of Deep Conditioning
The main benefits of deep conditioning are its beneficial properties on the structure of the hair – nourishing and hydrating the hair. But deep conditioning treatments can have a host of other benefits that will aid you in your healthy hair journey.
- Detangles the Hair – Deep conditioning treatments are ideal for those who suffer from tangled hair, especially after showering. Applying a deep conditioning treatment before brushing your hair will untangle the hair, making it easier to brush and less prone to breakage.
- Decrease Frizz – These treatments are rich in ingredients which can help to decrease frizz. Ingredients like argan oil or macadamia oil are good to look out for if you’re trying to tame the frizz.
- Boost Shine – Deep conditioning masks are ideal for boosting shine and getting the hair back to looking its healthiest. Masks that contain protein can help to repair the hair, giving it that much shine and an extra oomph!
- Increase Smoothness – If you’re looking to smooth your hair with deep conditioning treatments, we’d recommend looking for treatments that are rich in proteins like keratin which promote the repair of the hair’s epidermis – meaning your hair stays smooth all day long.
Who is Deep Conditioning for?
Deep conditioning treatments work best for those who struggle with dry, damaged hair. This can be caused by excessive heat styling, diet, excessive use of harsh chemicals, or even just naturally unhealthy hair. Deep conditioning is a great way to restore the oils which are stripped away when washing, adding some nourishment back into the hair. If you have oily hair, or thin or fine hair, we’d recommend opting for a more lightweight deep conditioning treatment that will not weigh down the hair.
What is the difference between normal and deep conditioning?
Deep conditioning can be done at the salon or at home, often with the use of a thick deep conditioning mask. Everyday regular conditioner is often used at home when washing your hair in the shower, often being removed after 5 minutes. A deep conditioning treatment should be left on for 20 – 30 minutes depending on your desired results, and often contain more potent ingredients in comparison to regular conditioner.
Understanding Deep Conditioning Products
There are a variety of deep conditioning products on the market – all with different properties and benefits to help you achieve your desired results. Deep conditioning treatments often come in the forms of masks, but they can also come in the forms of oils and treatments. For those who are looking to restore moisture and give your hair an overall boost, we’d recommend using a mask that contains proteins that will help repair the hair at the cuticle.
If you suffer from oily hair, or thin or fine hair, we’d recommend opting for a more lightweight deep conditioning treatment that will not weigh down the hair – this could be in the form of an oil or treatment. We’d recommend looking for deep conditioning treatments that contain argan or macadamia oil to strengthen the hair, and make it less prone to breakage.
How to Deep Condition Your Hair
- Deep Conditioning Treatments are best used in the shower, after washing your hair. Shampoo will eliminate the build-up of dirt, oil, and products.
- Before reaching for your regular conditioner, reach for your deep conditioning treatment after towel-drying your hair.
- Work the deep conditioning treatment through your hair, focusing on your mid-lengths and ends.
- After this, we’d recommend using a hair cap and a gentle source of heat to allow the hair cuticles to open.
- We’d recommend leaving the mask on for a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Thoroughly rinse the hair afterwards, then style as required.
Quick Hacks to Improve Your Deep Conditioning Results
To maximise the effectiveness of deep conditioning treatment, we’d recommend using heat or steam after applying the product to open the hair cuticle. To extend the benefits of deep conditioning between treatments, we’d recommend limiting heat styling. The constant use of heat styling can negatively contribute to your hair’s overall health, weakening the hair over time, and ultimately leading to more breakage. We’d recommend leaving your hair to dry naturally instead of using heat styling tools, such as hair straighteners or hair dryers.
Within a week, you’ll notice a massive difference in the texture of your hair. We’d also recommend avoiding over-washing your hair. Over-washing the hair can strip the hair of its natural oils, which can cause the scalp to dry out. Unfortunately, over-washing also causes the scalp to naturally produce more oils to rehydrate it, meaning the hair can often be left feeling dirtier or oilier. We’d recommend challenging yourself to go longer between washes, slowly washing your hair less and less.
Do’s and Don’ts of Deep Conditioning
Do’s
Deep Condition Regularly – Regularly deep conditioning can have many beneficial effects on the overall structure of your hair and its health. These treatments will make your hair smoother, more manageable, and less prone to breakage. Your hair type will determine how frequently you should deep condition your hair, so listen to what it needs!
Use Heat – Heat will aid the deep conditioning treatment to seep into the cuticles and allow faster adsorption. By doing this, the hair will gain the fullest extent of the deep conditioning treatment’s properties.
Switch it Up! – To get the most out of deep conditioning treatments, we’d recommend switching it up in accordance with what your hair needs. Switching between a deep conditioning treatment that focuses on moisture and one that is more protein based that repairs the hair, this will be the perfect balance of keeping your hair both hydrated and soft, and healthy and strong!
Don’t
Don’t Over Do It – You may think the longer it stays on, the more beneficial this will be for your hair – but you’re actually wrong. Don’t leave a deep conditioning mask on for more than 40 minutes as this will weaken the structure of the hair, causing it more harm than good.
Don’t Focus on the Price – Deep conditioning treatments can be expensive! But that doesn’t mean that you should skip them on your health hair journey. Deep conditioning treatments have a multitude of beneficial properties for your hair, and are the key to taking your haircare routine to the next level. If you’re worried about the cost, why not opt for a DIY Deep Conditioning Hair mask.
Watch Out for Bacteria in DIY Treatments – Avoid leaving your DIY deep conditioners in storage for a long time as they don’t contain any preservative like store-bought conditioners. This makes them a breeding ground for bacterias which are harmful to your hair. We’d recommend storing them in a cool dry place, and discard after using.
DIY & Homemade Deep Conditioners
Homemade deep conditioning treatments can be made using ingredients found in your kitchen cupboard, like avocado, coconut oil, honey, yoghurt, and eggs! If you’re looking to make a homemade deep conditioning treatment, combining these ingredients is easy, with each ingredient having it’s own beneficial properties, whilst helping to restore and repair your hair’s health!
- Eggs: Eggs are known to restore protein it the hair whilst also restoring moisture in the hair. Try mixing a raw egg and leaving it on the hair for 30 minutes, then rinse and washing thoroughly.
- Coconut Oil: coconut oil is known for its deeply nourishing properties to the hair. If you use coconut oil in your DIY treatment, be sure to pay attention to the mid lengths and ends!
- Yoghurt: Yoghurt stimulates hair growth, leaving you with shiny and lustrous locks! If you suffer from dehydrated and damaged hair, adding yoghurt to your DIY treatment could be your answer.
- Honey: Whilst honey in your hair is very sticky, it can also restore moisture and add shine to dull hair. Be sure to thoroughly wash your hair afterwards to remove the excess.
- Avocado: Avocados contain natural oils that will help to restore moisture in the hair! They’re extremely beneficial if you suffer from dry, damaged, or dull hair!
Book Your Hair Appointment Now
Ready to start your healthy hair journey? Book your hair appointment with our skilled stylists at Rush.co.uk or find a hairdresser near you to embark on a personalised healthy hair journey. Our experts are here to bring your hair dreams to life.