If you have ever looked for general haircare advice, you have likely come across the idea that washing your hair with shampoo every day is a bad idea. The risk of doing this is that you will strip away the natural oils that your body produces, which are vital for keeping your hair healthy. When these oils are depleted, the scalp often dries out, which increases the chance of skin becoming irritated and damaged. But does the same hold true for conditioner?
How Much Conditioner Should You Use?
Mark Mena is a professional hair stylist who serves a number of celebrities. If anyone knows about keeping hair looking its absolute best, it is Mark Mena. He has observed that many of the clients who pass through his salon aren’t using enough conditioner. Of those who do regularly use conditioner, many are being too conservative with the amount that they use and are, therefore, not getting the full benefits.
Mark thinks that this is due to misconceptions about the effects of using a lot of shampoo on your hair. While many people are concerned that overuse of conditioner will leave their hair oily and add considerable weight, these concerns are largely unfounded. Using relatively large amounts of hair conditioner shouldn’t seriously negatively affect your hair, although it will end up costing you a lot more.
Mark says that the best way of applying conditioner, in order to get the most effect from the least product, is to run a small amount through your hair until you have covered most of your hair. You can then use a comb in order to distribute the conditioner more evenly through your hair.
How Often to Use It?
As with most haircare considerations, the answer to how often you should condition your hair will depend on the type of hair that you have. However, it should be noted that the advice for using conditioner is different to that for shampoo. You should ideally use conditioner every time you shampoo your hair unless you have a hair type that requires some special considerations.
Other Considerations
For hair that is naturally thin, you should look for a volumizing product. These products will add volume to your hair. This will leave it looking thicker, and often healthier. Some people find that applying the conditioner from the middle of their hair to the tips gives it a better shape than conditioning the full length.
Meanwhile, those who have particularly thick hair will already be used to using lots of product to manage their hair. Using a clarifying shampoo will help to remove excess product and will also brighten up dull hair. Use this before your conditioner and you won’t have to worry about overdoing it.
If your hair has been damaged and is still recovering, hydration will be your priority. Conditioners that contain organic butter, or natural oils, will be able to hydrate your hair much more efficiently and effectively.
Hopefully, that’s enough information to put your mind at ease when it comes to managing your hair. Finding the right conditioner, and the right hair care routine, can involve a degree of trial and error, but this should give you an idea of where to start your search.