Hair Conditioner FAQs
What Does Conditioner Do To Hair?
Hair conditioners reintroduce moisture back to your hair after you’ve stripped out the oils and impurities with shampoo. Every time you shampoo, hair conditioner should be applied, left on for a few minutes, then rinsed out thoroughly – this helps avoid greasy build-up and scalp irritation.
Using a hair conditioner will help to smooth your hair, ensuring it stays shiny, soft and healthy while avoiding split ends and breakages. Like face moisturiser, hair conditioners create a protective coating, supporting your hair follicles to promote hair growth.
What Are The Types Of Hair Conditioners?
There are four main types of hair conditioner:
- Daily hair conditioner – Can be used as often as you shampoo to provide support for your hair. It should only be left in for a few minutes at most.
- Leave-in conditioner – Leave-in conditioner is meant to be left in and not rinsed out. It is particularly suited for those with dry hair, in order to apply moisture in between washes. You might use a leave-in conditioner once a week.
- Deep hair conditioner – A rich hair conditioner that can be used about once a week to deeply moisturise your hair. It should be left in for longer than daily conditioner and rinsed out after use.
- Hot oil conditioner – A hair care treatment that can be beneficial for dry, frizzy or damaged hair. It involves applying warm natural oil to the hair for 20-30 mins before being rinsed out. It should only be used every 1-2 months.
Hair conditioner is also available in other forms for particular hair care needs, in addition to the four main types.
DO I NEED TO USE HAIR CONDITIONER EVERY TIME I SHAMPOO?
Yes, you should use a hair conditioner every time you shampoo. Shampoos are often quite harsh and will strip natural oils that protect your hair, so you will need to replenish moisture with conditioner. Remember that the purpose of a shampoo is to thoroughly cleanse your hair not only of natural sebum build-up but the unseen dirt and grime we come into contact with each day, like smoke and dust. Once you've thoroughly removed these impurities, you need to protect your hair and restore its hydration with a hair conditioner.
SHOULD I USE A HAIR CONDITIONER WHEN DETANGLING MY HAIR?
Yes – you can use a hair conditioner to help ease knots out of your hair. You should ideally give your hair a brush and detangle it before you get in the shower, as this will help to limit breakage. Use a wide tooth comb and hair oil, or place some conditioner on the comb or brush as you work through your hair.
SHOULD I AVOID PUTTING HAIR CONDITIONERS ON MY SCALP?
If you have fine or oily hair, you should only apply hair conditioners to the ends of your hair, or it will become limp and look greasy, even after washing, because of oil-build-up. If you have a dry scalp however, using a conditioner will help restore any moisture that has been stripped out during washing.
CAN HAIR CONDITIONERS CAUSE SPOTS ON MY BACK?
If you are using very rich and intensive hair conditioners, these can cause bacne if you don't properly rinse your skin, as it will clog pores. Rinse your hair and your back very well after rinsing out your conditioner, to ensure that your skin is clean, and to avoid spots. Use a back scrub regularly, as this will greatly reduce the chances of you getting back spots from your conditioner.