Hair Conditioners Improve Hair Health

Hair conditioners act as a supplement and instantly impact your hair; transforming its texture from rough and unmanageable to soft, smooth and almost silk like. Conditioners are designed to add luster to all kind of hair, dry and frizzy hair in particular stand to benefit the most.

How does hair benefit from a good hair conditioner?

The scalp has oil glands that secrete sebum, a natural oil that nourishes the hair. Sebum is an oily substance that helps hair to maintain its shine. However, in some people the oil glands are overly active producing too much sebum making the hair excessively oily, while in some people production of sebum is scant, leaving the hair dull and dry.

A lot of factors are responsible for this, including genes, environment, diet, stress, medication, hormones etc. Lack of oil secretion or a hyperactive oil gland should not come in the way of how your hair feels. And this is why conditioners become important.

It is a myth that only people with dry, frizzy, unmanageable hair need to condition their hair. The fact is that conditioning of hair is essential for all hair types. You may have curly, wavy or straight hair, colored or permed hair – the quality and state of your tresses is decided by the amount of moisture it holds.

Hair is adversely affected by excessive hair treatments such as bleaching, straightening, perming and coloring. Other things that harm hair include improper diet, excessive exposure to sunlight, spending long hours in air-conditioned environment. Conditioners lock in moisture on each strand of hair and helps hair to retain the same. This results in softer and smoother hair. Hair becomes easier to manage and looks healthy.

How often must hair be conditioned?

You probably neglect your hair and don’t even know it. It’s not just different treatments like coloring, straightening etc that affect hair adversely, the environment we live in can also cause hair damage. Pollutants in the air, the sun, our unhealthy lifestyle etc all play havoc on our hair, causing it to weaken, become dry and develop split ends.

Keeping all these factors in mind it is best that hair be conditioned once every two days, so it retains both oil and moisture. Hair should be conditioned after a shampoo, and doing this ensures that it maintains a lustrous sheen and natural bounce.

Different conditioners for different hair types

With conditioners one size doesn’t fit all. There are different conditioners for different hair types –

• Conditioner for dry hair – A protein conditioner is best suited for dry hair. Dry hair feels coarse, is frizzy and tends to split at the ends; a protein rich conditioner nourishes the hair and reverses the damage done to it.
• Conditioner for oily hair – People with greasy hair must use conditioners developed exclusively for oily hair. Such conditioners have a lighter texture and are generally water based. They control excessive oil in the hair. Only a wee bit of the conditioner should be applied on greasy hair.
• Conditioner for normal hair – Normal hair is naturally healthy and all types of conditioners work well on such hair. However, normal hair too needs to be conditioned as often as other hair to ensure that it retains its shine.
• Conditioner for combination hair – Some people have an oily scalp while the hair at the end is dry. It is best to use a conditioner meant for dry hair, so the dry ends receive nourishment. Avoid applying too much conditioner closer to the scalp.
• Conditioner for long hair – The body’s natural hair does not reach the ends for people with long hair. This causes split ends and the hair is inclined to excessive dryness. Splatter more conditioner on the ends.

Tips on picking a hair conditioner

With a variety of brands and types of products in the market the best of us can get confused on which conditioner to pick. Learn to read the labels and look for ingredients that are best for your hair type –

1. For moisturizing hair - If you have dry hair that tends to split you need a product that will bind in the moisture, so the hair doesn't remain dry. Look for products with panthenol and collagen or egg protein.
2. Product for damaged hair - Hair that has been exposed to harsh treatments and the elements can be strengthened with a conditioner rich in keratin protein. A keratin rich conditioner strengthens the hair shaft, so it doesn't break easily. Regular use will bring back the natural bounce to the hair.
3. Conditioner for frizzy hair - A conditioner that has balsam extract is ideal for frizzy hair. Balsam has special properties that softens the hair. The presence of Stearalkomium cholride in a conditioner will ensure that frizz is a thing of the past. Your hair will feel softer, smoother and be tangle free.