Shampooing your hair every day can create dry and split ends—but that doesn't mean you should skip conditioning. Without it, your hair can become dried out, prone to frizz and breakage. Conditioners are supposed to add nutrients and shine to your hair.
Even if you feel like your hair is generally really healthy, shampoo is super drying, and lathering up without conditioner could leave your hair weak and brittle, and therefore more susceptible to damage.
yes, you need to use a conditioner! There's no denying that a great shampoo will not only clean your hair, but leave it fresh and smelling amazing. However, even with the absolute best shampoos, natural oils in your hair and scalp will be lost in the process.
The same way that you would consider going product free for about a day, you can consider skipping conditioner too—it will give your hair a chance to breathe and exist in its normal state (sans conditioner for those of you who have forgotten).
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends using rinse-out conditioner after every wash, ideally a few times per week. However, if you have very oily or fine hair, you may want to condition less frequently because it can weigh your hair down.
How often should you condition your hair? The answer to this is that you should condition your hair every time you wash it, without a doubt. When we wash our hair, we're cleansing it of dirt and impurities. Shampoo opens the hair's cuticle as it cleanses, while conditioner seals the hair's cuticle to lock in nutrients.
Unlike shampoo, conditioner can be used everyday, as it re-hydrates hair and replenishes nutrients. You might also want to consider conditioning on the days you don't shampoo (remember, keep that to two or three days a week). It'll help rinse away grime on the non-shampoo days, and re-hydrate following a shampoo.
Fine hair is susceptible to knots and tangles, which is why it's essential to use conditioner. The trick is to use conditioner only on the bottom half of hair, from mid-lengths to ends, and skip the roots.
Rossi generally tells his patients they should wash their hair once or twice per week. But if you've had chemical treatments that can make your hair drier — such as bleach, perms or relaxers — you might want to wash it less than once weekly to avoid breaking or brittle hair or split ends, he said.
Your Hair Might Look Shinier
It sounds counterintuitive, but buildup is the biggest culprit of dull-looking locks. Less conditioner means less of the stuff sitting on your hair--which, in turn, equals more shine for you.
Applying conditioner at your roots can weigh down your hair and cause your roots to appear greasy, even right after you've washed your hair. To avoid both, it's best to only apply conditioner on your lengths and ends.
Your roots don't actually need any conditioner, since your scalp produces sebum, a natural oil. What's more, your roots have much less damage than the ends of the hair shaft. "Your roots are the youngest, healthiest part of the hair shaft," says Nick Arrojo, master stylist and founder of Arrojo salons in New York City.
When your hair is allowed to relax and settle into its natural state, it has some oils and a little dirt in it. This might not sound good, but it actually is. These things don't harm your hair, but they do add volume and texture that make your hair easier to style and holds the style longer.
However, no research suggests using conditioner causes hair loss. It's likely that the rumor that conditioner causes hair loss is linked to normal hair shedding, which is more apparent after a hair wash. But hair shedding is actually a normal part of the hair growth cycle.
Benefits of Co-Washing
The conditioner acts as a gentle cleanser as you work your natural oils into your roots. Unlike shampoo, you can condition your hair more than once a week and not worry about dryness or damage. Co-washing is also very cost-efficient.
Can I Skip Conditioner? All three experts agree: Conditioner is pretty much always a good idea. While Gaunitz notes that you can theoretically skip conditioner if you want, over time it will break down the firm layer of the cuticle and create an even more unmanageable hair situation.
If you have fine and thin hair, it's important not to skip conditioner, as you can still enjoy the benefits of such a product. The right formula detangles, reduces static electricity, prevents flyaways, adds volume, and may even keep your hair looking cleaner.
Here's the hard truth: Little can be done to permanently change the diameter of individual hair strands. Thickening products can do wonders to temporarily plump hair strands, but when it comes down to it, fine hair is genetic and can't be changed.
For hair health
You can also try applying a small amount onto the ends of your hair each day to potentially prevent breakage. Some people swear by Vaseline hair masks for healthier looking locks. You can try applying Vaseline and leaving on overnight or for just a few hours.
While shampoo opens the hair's cuticles to cleanse the dirt and impurities, a conditioner seals them to lock in the moisture. These two essential hair care products complement each other to give you healthy, strong, and moisturised tresses. You may notice a difference in your hair's texture from the first wash itself.
Yes, you can wet natural hair everyday, and it is actually advised to do so to maintain moisture. Let's be clear though: by wetting your hair, we don't meanwashing it. We simply mean rinsing natural hair either in the shower or spritzing water over your hair.
Don't apply conditioner to your scalp. Run your fingers or a wide-tooth comb through the ends of your hair to work in the conditioner. Let it stay on your hair for a moment, following instructions on the label. This is typically 1 minute.