Deep Conditioning Your Hair

The DC Demystified…

Many Naturals will testify that one of the greatest issues we have with our hair is dryness. It gives our hair many funny textures from straw, to paper to plastic, none of which is very nice! Dryness also leads to excessive shedding and breakage which can be very embarrassing, and means your hair won’t retain length.

Of course the opposite of dryness is moisture. The best moisturizer is water, but because water dries, (and seeing as you can’t have wet hair all the time, lol!) the need for a longer term moisture solution arises. So hello deep conditioning! Deep conditioning restores hair moisture and allows it to resist the stress of manipulation, weather, etc. It also makes your hair shinier and softer, and more manageable. Of course by doing this, it helps minimize breakage during styling.

There are many different opinions on the way Deep Conditioning should be done, but here are a few tips on the essentials;

• Always shampoo your hair first. This is because shampoo contains elements which make your hair more responsive to deep conditioning, and will give you better results. (Remember to you use a Sulfate-free Shampoo, and don’t forget to rinse)
• Apply the Deep Conditioner to your hair strands alone, avoiding your scalp as much as possible because a build up of the the Deep Conditioner could interfere with your scalp’s secretion of natural oils and cause dandruff.
• You can choose to use a store bought Deep Conditioner, or use a home made one. There are many recipes to choose from like the hot oil treatment or the yoghurt and honey mask. 
• Wrap your hair up in a towel or plastic cap/bag to trap your body heat as this opens up the hair shaft allowing it to absorb more moisture and nutrients from the DC ingredients.

Method

1. Prepare your Conditioning Treatment.
2. Wet your hair, and part into 4 or more sections.
3. Apply the Conditioner to each section from root to end thoroughly raking it through your strands.
4. Cover your hair in a shower cap.
5. Leave it on for 1 hour, but if you have a dryer, then you can sit under it for 15-20 minutes.

Some people do a DC every 2-3 days, while others do their’s monthly. I try to DC once a week. Before you complain about your weekends being crazy busy, try doing your DC on a weekday with a night shower. Please share your Deep Conditioning stories, Ciao!