How to Deep Condition Hair

Wondering how to deep condition your hair? Deep conditioning can prevent breakage, improve texture, and promote elasticity to strengthen your strands. To learn about deep conditioning, follow our step by step guide to doing it the right way for your hair.

 

What is deep conditioning?

Deep conditioning is a treatment in which your hair is thoroughly coated using super nourishing products. It restores your hair's moisture, strengthens strands, and reduces any damage caused by chemicals, heat tools and harsh styling products.

 

Should I deep condition my hair?

Everyone's hair suffers from damage inflicted from daily styling, hot tools, chemicals, sun exposure, and more. It can feel overwhelming knowing how many factors (some beyond our control) can ultimately damage your hair.


But here's a pro tip: Even if your hair doesn’t feel damaged, deep conditioning is a great preventative tool to maintain healthy looking (and feeling) hair. If you already have healthy strands, you might wonder if it’s necessary to deep condition them—but all hair needs regular deep conditioning in order to stay healthy.


Either way, your hair will ultimately benefit from the nurturing and hydrating ingredients that deep conditioning products like a hair mask offer. Every time you deep condition, your strands will look shinier and healthier, feel softer and silkier, and be easier to manage.

Benefits of Deep Conditioning

So, what does deep conditioning actually do? The ingredients in deep conditioning products are designed to hydrate and soften hair damaged by chemical processing (like coloring, perming or chemical straightening), heat exposure (like curling irons, flat irons and the sun’s damaging effect), and any other factors.


Deep conditioning also helps improve hair elasticity by restoring moisture that allows the hair to better resist tension. Think of your hair like a rubber band: the more elasticity (or flexibility enabled by proper hydration) it has, the longer it can resist tension or stretching before it breaks.


In addition to making hair look healthier and feel softer, deep conditioning products are essential for preventing and combating hair breakage. The hydrating ingredients are intended to mend and nourish your hair, so you'll need to leave the product in your hair a bit longer than a traditional conditioner before rinsing so that it can really penetrate the strands.

 

How often should I deep condition my hair?

Everyone has different needs depending on their hair type or level of damage—but most people will deep condition 2-4 times per month. If your hair is severely damaged or dry, you should do a deep conditioning treatment (again, like a hair mask) once a week.

 

Deep conditioning your hair: step by step

Here, we’ll take you through the process of how to use a deep conditioner. To make it easy, we broke it down into steps. Read on for what to do:

 

Step 1: Wash Your Hair

Is it best to deep condition before or after shampoo? Deep conditioning treatments work best when applied to clean hair after cleansing. First, wash your hair and cleanse your scalp, so it’s free of excess oil and dirt. Use a lightweight, non-stripping shampoo that still leaves behind your hair’s natural, healthy oils.

 

Step 2: Apply the deep conditioner

Now, carefully apply the deep conditioning treatment to your hair, starting at the ends and working your way up. Ensure that the ends of your hair are well coated, and if you need extra moisture, you can apply any excess to your scalp. Use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute it throughout your strands.

 

Step 3: Leave it to work

How long do you deep condition your hair? Leave the deep conditioning treatment in for 5-30 minutes, or even as long as overnight. However, different products come with different leave-in instructions, so make sure you follow the directions that come with the product.

Step 4: Rinse with cool water

Finally, rinse your hair with cold water to seal in moisture and close the hair cuticles. Let your hair air dry naturally for best results. Ideally, to maintain hair health, you can deep condition your hair weekly.

Extra tips for deep conditioning your hair

Generally, leaving a deep conditioning treatment on for 5-10 minutes (depending on the condition of your hair) should give your hair ample time to absorb the nutrients and hydration that the product provides. There are a few different ways you can deep condition your hair:

- Deep condition in the shower: It's best to apply it and leave it on while you wash your body.

- Another way would be applying to your hair and covering it with a shower cap while you leave it to soak in.

- Always shampoo hair first, deep conditioning works best on clean hair.

- Apply condition starting at the ends, and work up toward the scalp.

- Don't over apply, you only need a small amount in order to not weigh strands down.

- Rinse off with cold water. This helps close the hair cuticle, locking in moisture and leaving behind your natural, healthy oils.

- Try sleeping with a deep conditioner when your hair needs some extra love. Just make sure to use some sort of plastic hair wrap to protect your pillowcase.

It’s crucial to incorporate a deep conditioning treatment into your hair care routine. Even with regular conditioning, your hair will still benefit from a deep treatment. Strands that have been damaged from harsh chemicals need extra attention from a deep conditioner to restore their health. They’ll look and feel soft, shiny, improve strength and manageability, and prevent breakage.