Deep conditioning is a critical part of a hair regimen. It helps to improve the elasticity and moisture in your hair and it’s essential to prevent breakage.
It’s one thing to deep condition and another thing to give your hair the right type of conditioning treatment it needs. Did you know that there are two types of deep conditioners? Yes, they are protein and moisture conditioners. We break it down for you in simple terms below:
Protein Conditioners
Protein conditioners strengthen the hair and fortify it against breakage and manipulation. They also help to increase the elasticity of the hair and keep the hair in a healthier condition
You need a protein conditioner if your hair is over-processed from relaxer treatments or damaged from colour treatments. Also if you regularly use heat styling tools (straighteners, dryers, curlers) a protein conditioner is absolutely necessary to prevent heat damage.
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Moisture Conditioners
Moisture conditioners impart moisture deep into the hair follicles. Black hair needs a lot of moisture to thrive because it dries out easily. So moisture conditioners are necessary to replenish the moisture levels if you want healthy hair. Most rinse-out conditioners are moisture conditioners but they won’t penetrate into your hair follicles. They only condition your hair on the surface so the effects are very superficial.
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Why we need both?
Your hair needs a balance of both protein and moisture conditioners to remain healthy. Too much protein can cause an overload which is actually a problem because the hair will begin to break. Likewise, saturating your hair with only moisture conditioners could cause it to break.
What you can do is alternate between your protein and moisture conditioners. So you can use your protein conditioner after two uses of your moisture conditioner. You’ll need to assess your hair after conditioning each time to be sure. If your hair breaks after protein treatments, you might be over-loading from protein. If this happens, postpone your protein treatments for a while.
Also, check out this regimen you need for healthy hair.
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