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Many people get confused between a normal conditioner that we use after shampooing our hair and a hair conditioning treatment. These are not the same and although they are both called conditioners, they work in different ways.
A conditioner that is applied after shampooing and then rinsed out is really only used to make the hair easier to comb, to provide the hair with a protective coating which will to minimise damage to the hair and to make the hair look shiny and feel soft and silky. A hair conditioning treatment on the other hand will do all this and more.
Not everyone needs to use a conditioner or a hair conditioning treatment. If your hair his particularly oily for example, and is healthy looking and manageable then there's no need to apply a conditioner or a hair conditioning treatment. In fact doing so could have the opposite effect on the look of the hair and end up weighing it down making it look flat and even oilier.
However, for dry hair or even hair that is partly dry (combination hair type), using a conditioner after shampooing is important and for damaged hair a regular conditioning treatment on top of normal conditioning is essential if you want your hair to look as good as it can.
What will a conditioning treatment do?
A conditioning treatment is designed to penetrate deeply into the hair shaft and to smooth down the cuticles. When the cuticles are raised, the hair can appear dry and frizzy and when the cuticles are flattened out, the hair appears silky and soft. The main difference between a normal hair conditioner and a hair conditioning treatment is that a normal hair conditioner will only work on the surface of the hair by leaving a fine film over the hair shaft whereas a hair conditioning treatment will get right inside the hair shaft and attempt to repair damage.
An important misconception here surrounding damaged hair is that no hair conditioning treatment is ever going to fully repair damaged hair but it will go a long way to minimising any further damage and to disguising damage that is already there. There is really no solution to severely damaged hair other than to cut the hair and make sure that the hair is cared for in future to prevent that damage happening again.
What causes damage to the hair?
Normal every day life will take its toll on the hair which is why a good hair care regime using mild protein enriched products and a good conditioner is important. The following represents a list of just some of the things that without a good hair care routine could over time turn a beautiful head of hair into hair that looks dry, dull and completely lifeless.
Frequent shampooing
Overuse of hairdryers, curling tongs, hair straighteners and heated rollers
Exposure to wind and sun
Extreme changes of temperature
Chemicals in hair products such as bleaches, perming lotions, relaxers and hair dyes
Tugging and pulling at the hair when trying to comb the hair
Using elastic bands to tie the hair up
A diet lacking in essential nutrients required for healthy hair
The solution of course is fairly obvious. Avoid as much as possible anything that is going to damage the hair further and make sure that loss of moisture is replaced by a good conditioner and a regular conditioning treatment.
How to apply a hot oil hair conditioning treatment
If you want to give your hair a regular deep hair conditioning treatment then look for a good quality product that is suitable for your particular hair type or hair problem or consider making your own.
You can use vegetable oils such as Jojoba which acts in much the same way that sebum works, which is the body's own natural moisturiser, or olive oil, sunflower oil or coconut oil and add a few of drops of your favourite essential oil. Rosemary, Lavender and Chamomile are all popular and can be found in many hair products due to the beneficial effect that these oils can have on the hair.
After shampooing your hair gently heat the oil treatment either by following the instructions on the package or heating your own blend on the stove. Be very careful to check the temperature of the oil before you apply it to the hair as oil can become extremely hot very quickly. When the oil is warm, follow the instructions on the product package or if you're using your own blend, apply the oil to your towel dried hair carefully making sure that each hair strand is covered. Wrap your hair up in a towel and leave the oil on for 20 minutes or so or even longer before gently washing out the oil treatment.
