Did you know these advantages & affects of conditioner?

Use of conditioner

Today the shampoos we use are composed of harsh chemicals that are harmful to our hair and scalp as well. On the other hand, cleaning the hair with shampoo makes the hair dull, dry, and loose which is not quite possible to style it.

Conditioners compose of alcohol and oils that tend to make dull hair soft and flexible to style. Few conditioners consist of protein that protects from split ends and makes the hair look denser. So, hair conditioning is a must, and its proper usage is crucial.

Hair conditioner vs shampoo

Shampoos are cleansing agents with added fragrance and detergents that help remove dirt, sweat, pollution, and oils on the hair and scalp.

While Conditioner, on the other hand, contains oils and natural proteins that make hair softer, give a shiny texture, and make it denser and smooth too. They form a thin layer on the hair follicle to protect hair from potential damage.

Benefits of using conditioner

1. Protects the cuticles

The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair strand. Usually, cuticles act as a protective layer to the hair follicle as they are cell-like structures that are overlapped on one another and form the protective layer.

But this cuticle is affected because of the various chemicals we put on our skin, pollution, sun exposure, medical conditions, etc. And when the cuticle is damaged the hair looks frizzy, thin, and dry. Conditioner plays a key role in protecting this cuticle as it forms another thin layer that shields the cuticle and makes the hair look smooth and frizzle free.

2. Brings shine to hair

Our hair follicles tend to shine when they are hydrated and properly moisturised. Dryness and split ends are the reason for the messy appearance of the hair. Applying conditioner to these cases can make your hair a smooth texture, detangle hair, and minimise all the frizz on the hair. Conditioners contain proteins and oil that provide intense hydration to the hair making it shine.

3. Helps prevent hair breakage

Hair gets damaged due to various reasons, when exposed to pollution, UV rays, and harsh chemicals, the hair gets damaged which leads to split ends and hair breakage. Regular conditioning of the hair can protect it from hair breakage and gets you healthy silky hair.

4. Repair damaged hair

As mentioned earlier, hair gets damaged due to various reasons, mostly it’s due to the styling agents we use on our hair and scalp. These chemicals make our hair weaker, dehydrate them, have a messy look, and dandruff and also a reason for hair thinning.

Using conditioners regularly can make the hair hydrated in no time, helps fight dandruff, makes the scalp hydrated, and gives thick hair making it denser.

5. Keeps the hair moisturised

It is not possible to keep our hair away from shampooing, because shampoo helps remove dirt and cleanses the hair. But then it also clears the natural oils extracted by our skin and makes the skin dry. To gain the natural moisture back takes some time, and meanwhile, it can form dandruff and hair damage. So, applying conditioner can keep the skin moisturised and hydrated and also helps fight hair fall.

When to use conditioner before or after shampoo

The general way to clean our hair is to shampoo our hair first. As the shampoo is a cleansing agent and contains surfactants and detergents that help clean and remove the sweat, oil, pollution, and dirt that got built up on the hair and scalp.

As the shampoo washes away everything, including the natural oil that keeps the hair moisturized a conditioner is applied to bring back the moisture to the hair and protect it from other harm.

The regular process of conditioner is after shampooing the hair, the other way around is also tried, where the hair is conditioned first and then shampooed. There are no studies or proof that it benefits or harms the hair or the scalp. So, people go with the ones that actually suit their hair. But the actual procedure is to clean your hair using shampoo and bring the hydration back using conditioner.

Is conditioner necessary for hair?

The answer is yes, our hair accumulates lots of dirt and dust, and that is the sole reason we shampoo it, every once in a while. But shampooing not only removes the dirt from our hair but also removes the useful and natural oils produced by our scalp to give our hair a texture and protect it from potential damage. So conditioning right after shampooing helps form a protective layer on the cuticle and keeps our hair moisturised and hydrated.

Side effects of hair conditioner

Apart from all this help, there are disadvantages of using a conditioner too.

1. Not all conditioners are for you:

There are tons of conditioners out there in the market. It is not guaranteed that conditioners suit every skin type. Some conditioners consist of harmful chemicals that instead of hydrating your hair, in return they affect the hair’s health.

2. Makes it greasy:

As mentioned earlier, not every conditioner suits your hair. So, if we use the wrong one, instead of doing good they damage the hair more. They spoil the texture, make the hair ruff, and may bring grey hair, dandruff, hair fall, hair thinning, and more.

3. Hair Shedding:

The composition in the conditioner might not suit our hair and skin type, as a result, it can affect hair health leading to massive hair fall. Improper usage can also lead to this problem, hair conditioning should be done right after shampooing, and rinsed off after three to four minutes properly. If proper care isn’t taken it can lead to chemical composition on the scalp and fatal hair loss.

Take Away

Not every product out there in the market suits us or our skin type. Talk to your dermatologist before considering using a product. Coconut is the best natural conditioner one can use with no possible side effects. The only disadvantage one can find is it makes hair look more weight and flattens the hair. Apart from that, it has no harm to our skin or hair.

FAQs

Is it okay to use a hair conditioner every day?

No, conditioning hair every day can make the skin tissues weaker and they lose their natural ability to produce oils. And applying regularly can make hair look greasy.

Is it better to shampoo or condition hair?

It is always the combination of both. Doing only one of them never yields the best results. Conditioning right after shampooing is best recommended.

Should we put conditioner on wet hair or dry hair?

Hair conditioning is best recommended on wet hair and that too right after shampooing.

References:

How to use a hair conditioner? By Healthline, Oct 24, 2019.

Harmful effects of conditioner. By Leaf. tv.