Deep
Conditioners
Deep
Conditioners are used to help retain and restore moisture
to dry, and sometimes brittle hair. Be careful while deep
conditioning because there is such a thing of "over conditioning"
your hair. Two major signs of over conditioned hair is the
hair feeling weak and very limp, which can lead to breakage.
In this case, too much of a good thing can definitely be a
bad thing.
An
important thing to note is that not all conditioners are not
created equally. Some may think if you put any conditioner
on your hair and leave it on for an hour that you are deep
conditioning. This is incorrect because those "instant"
conditioner only coat the top layer of the hair strand. They
do not contain ingredients that penetrate into the hair to
help minimize damage.
So
you ask "how do I know a conditioner is indeed a deep
conditioner". When choosing a deep conditioner, look
for these hints:
- If
the instructions says to leave the product on your hair
for 15-20 minutes and to use heat or a plastic cap, chances
are it is a deep conditioner. The length of time and using
a little heat helps to penetrate into the hair better. If
it stays on less than 5 minutes, it's probably not a deep
conditioner.
Those
were basic examples, but remember that all products vary. Here
is a list of deep conditioners you could use:
- Crème
of Nature Nourishing Conditioner
- Elasta
QP DPR-11
- Herbal
Essences Replenishing Conditioner
- Nexxus
Humectress
- Kenra
Moisturizing Conditioner
- Dove
Intense Moisture
- Neutrogena
Triple Moisture Daily Conditioner
- Elucence
Moisture Balancing Conditioner
- Curls
Ecstasy Hair Mask
- Mizani
Moisturefuse
FAQ's
How
often should I use a deep conditioner?
The frequency will depend on your lifestyle and if
you use heat and chemicals on your hair. I would recommend at
least one a month. Try it on your hair to see how it reacts.
How
long should I deep condition my hair?
Many deep conditioning instructions suggest at least 15 minutes.
This is to ensure the product get penetrated deep within the
hair shaft. If you can go longer like for an hour or so, that
would be great! I personally deep condition my hair while I
can cleaning my house with a jerri curl cap. Not a pretty look,
but it gets the job done! lol
What
should I use to deep condition with?
Please refer to the extensive list above. I loveeeeee Elasta
QP DRP-11 and it has been my staple for years now. You can also
mix olive oil, honey and even molasses with your deep conditioner.
-------------------------------------
Reconstructors
This
is a treatment used on damaged hair or after chemical services.
When properly used, they help repair and restore the hair into
a healthier state. Some reconstructors are strong than others.
You have to experiment and to find the tolerance of your hair
because it will vary from person to person. I strongly recommend
doing a patch test before using a treatment just to make sure
you won't have an allergic reaction. Better safe than sorry
right?
Tips:
- Every
time you use a reconstruction treatment you must follow
it up with a moisturizing or deep conditioner. This is
very important to bring the "balance" back to
your hair.
- Try
to clarify before using a treatment so that the hair is
clean of any buildup. Also the product has a better chance
to actually work on the hair as well.
- Since
these are treatments, some items can be pricey.
- Read
the instructions. If it says to the leave the product
on for 5 minutes - don't leave it on for an hour.
- Make
sure you rinse the treatment out your hair THROUGHLY.
Here
is a list of Reconstructors/Treatments:
- Nexxus
Emergencee
- Elucence
Extended Moisture Repair
- Aphogee
2 Min Keratin Reconstructor
- Aphogee
Treatment for Damaged Hair
- LeKair
Cholesterol
- Dudley’s
DRC
- Motions
CPR
- ORS
Mayo
- KeraCare
5-n-1
- Joico
K-Pac
- Dudley's
DRC 28,
- Joico
K-Pak (or Sally's generic formula),
- ION
Reconstructor (at Sally's),
- Affirm
5 in 1 Reconstructor
- Aveda
Deep Penetrating Hair Revitalizer
- Nexxus
Emergencee
- Tigi
Chocolate head
- Vitale
INTENSE Treatment
- Sebastian
Ion Reconstructor
FAQ's
Since
I don't use heat or chemicals, should I use one of these treatments?
Chances are no, however I don't know your hair and
what else you have been doing (or not doing) to it. If you want
to use one, I would recommend using a light treatment such as
Aphogee 2 Minute Reconstructor and observe your hair to see
how it reacts because you may not need a treatment at all.
In
closing, knowing the differences between a Deep Conditioner
and a Reconstructor is vital for your hair's health. Have fun
giving your hair that TLC it deserves! |
