Properly Deep Condition Relaxed Hair
Do you want to learn the proper steps to deep condition relaxed hair in order to achieve long, thick, healthy hair? This article will teach you how!
Steps
- Select the proper products for the deep conditioning of your relaxed hair. The most crucial step in the deep conditioning process is choosing the right product for your hair type.
- Make sure you read the label. If the product is a rinse out conditioner that coats the hair shaft without penetrating it, the directions will say to leave the product on for 2-5 minutes and rinse.
- If the product is a true deep conditioner, the directions will state to leave the product on for 15-20 minutes. The product, especially for women of color, should be extra moisturizing. Natural-based products penetrate the hair shaft which will keep your hair healthier for a longer period of time. Natural ingredients are always better.
- Use direct heat (with a hooded dryer/or heat cap) with either dry/wet hair, apply a plastic cap, and underneath the dryer until your hair feels moisturized.
- Use indirect-heat. Apply your deep conditioner to dry hair. Ultra moisturizing deep conditioners work wonders on hair. Apply a plastic cap, apply a turbie twist (or hair wrap to secure in place) and go to bed. The next morning, shampoo this product out. While you were sleeping, the heat from your scalp and body produced natural heat underneath the plastic cap. It’s a great way to save time and not spending your precious moments of free time underneath a noisy dryer.
- Determine the duration of time that you will spend on deep-conditioning your hair. Try doing this for about 15-20 minutes.
Tips
- All hair is unique, so why are standard directions marketed as "ideal" for everyone? Just because it is common (or the directions instruct you) to deep condition for 15 -30 minutes, doesn’t mean that is what your hair needs. You should deep condition until your hair tells gives you signs that it has absorbed enough moisture. Think of your hair’s moisture needs in terms of hunger. There are times our bodies our hungrier than other times, depending on if we just exercised, had a meal full of fiber, or maybe we skipped a meal or two. The fact of the matter is that our hunger and how much our body needs to eat varies. The same applies with how much moisture is needed for our hair.
- How do you know if you are properly conditioning? Does your hair feel like butter (literally) after a deep conditioning session and after your deep conditioner is rinsed out? Is your hair so moisturized after deep conditioning that you don’t need to add moisturizer for a few days? If so, congratulations. You’ve done it. You have found the proper products for your hair type and are utilizing the correct techniques (duration, environment) to apply the deep conditioner to your hair. If not, please read on. Don’t worry. If your hair currently does not feel silky smooth after deep conditioning, keep reading and in no time at all, you hair will begin to turn around.
- What trauma did your precious locks go through this week? Did you use the blow dryer a lot this week? Was the weather insanely frizzy so you had to use the flat iron a little more than you wanted? Does your hair feel excessively brittle? Each aforementioned scenario should be addressed differently when the time comes to deep condition.
- Think of your hair as a canvass-slightly worn, dry, and cracked. You can put as much paint (in our case products) on top of the canvass that you want, but without fixing the foundation, you will still see the cracks and splits from underneath the paint. What I’m trying to say ladies, is don’t expect your hair to look the you want without first deep conditioning your hair on a regular basis to get it into a healthy state. If I styled my hair without deep conditioning or without deep conditioning in the proper way (will address this later), then my hair would be one huge frizz ball that was also damaged, unhealthy, extensively dry and brittle with tons of breakage.
- Why is deep conditioning so important? Did you know the most important factor to obtaining long, healthy hair has very little to do with the leave-in products, heat protectants, or serums? Yes, ladies… deep conditioning is the common denominator to all of your questions regarding your hair.
- Adding coconut oil to the deep conditioning process does wonders to your hair.
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