Deep Conditioning Series: Part Two

HOW TO PROPERLY DEEP CONDITION YOUR HAIR

What you will need:

Time — About an hour. I usually deep condition in the late evening or weekends when I don’t have to be anywhere anytime soon. Sometimes I will leave it on my hair for hours after the heating process when I want to give my hair some extra pampering. 

A Deep Conditioner — I really believe that you should invest in a high-quality (not necessarily expensive) deep conditioner. There are so many to choose from. Visit www.curlmart.com for a range of great and hard to find DCs. I personally love, love, love Spiral Solution's Deeply Decadent Conditioner, and Shea Moisture's Deep Treatment Mask , which I also love. Drug Store Brands like Suave’s Professional Shea Butter & Almond Conditioner and Suave Professional's Humectant are absolutely awesome in my opinion if you working on a tight budget.

Plastic Cap 

Heating Unit — Hooded Dryer, Hot towel, Heating Pad, Blow Dryer Cap, or a Micro Heat Wrap

How to Deep Condition your hair:

1. If you wish, you can wash your hair first...or like many you can apply to dry hair. I always detangle then braid my hair in 4 sections, before I wash and DC. This minimizes tangles drastically, reduce combing, and I see much less hair in the comb with this method. Saves my precious hair and time!

2. Generously apply your deep conditioner to the hair, and focus on the ends ( this is the oldest and driest part of the hair. Work through with your fingers, or use a wide toothed comb to work through your hair. I would also encourage you to add additional oils to your DC...Extra virgin Coconut Oil, Extra Virgin Olive oil and Jamaican black Castor oil are among my favs. To simplify I have been using Carol's Daughter's Lisa's Hair Elixir to incorporate several different oils in one go. This really enhances the deep conditioning for me.

3. Place the shower cap over hair, and then put the heating device on your head for at least a full 15 minutes ( I personally never go under  30 mins...that's why setting aside time for a DC is critical for me). You need to at minimum allow 15 minutes so the hair cuticle can open fully, and let the conditioner completely permeate and feed your hair. After 15+ minutes or longer, (you could leave the conditioner on at this point, even all night after heating), take off your cap and let your hair cool for at least 5 minutes. This allows your hair shaft to close again.

4. Rinse hair with warm water until about 80% of the conditioner is rinsed out.

5. Do a final rinse with the coldest water you can stand. This is important to seal your hair shaft and get all the benefits of your deep conditioning treatment.

6. Apply a leave-on conditioner (and oil to seal  if you choose) and allow your hair to air dry.

7. Do not wash your hair the next day. Give your hair a break after a deep conditioning for at least 24 hours. 

I suggest deep conditioning at least once weekly. Sunday evenings are the best for me. By doing this, your hair can become healthier, stronger and shinier. It will regain its softness and elasticity. Moisture-robbed hair is more subject to breakage and unmanageability. Remember, deep conditioning regularly is a key step in retaining your length.