Over-Conditioning Hair? Causes, Effects & How to Fix It

You have been doing it wrong.

It is important to make sure that you condition after every hair wash. It is even more important to do it right. Over conditioning is possible and you have probably been doing it. Too much of anything is bad. Period.

What Does a Conditioner Essentially Do?

A conditioner is mainly used to protective your hair and give it some added moisture and nourishment. A conditioner creates a layer on the hair shafts and helps to nourish and hydrate the hair in turn. This layer is what gives it a shine and texture that is indicative of healthy hair.

Each time that you apply a conditioner after you have shampooed your hair, a layer of product build-up forms on the hair. As this layer keeps building up, the hair’s ability to react to other products reduces. So next time when you oil your hair, or use a new product, the hair will not react to them in a way you would want them to. For these products are deposited on many layers of conditioner and doesn’t reach the shaft of the hair.

Simply put, excessive conditioning forms a layer on the hair, so much so that any other products that you use are not able to penetrate this layer to reach the hair.

How Will You Know if Your Hair Has Been Over Conditioned?

If you have used the conditioner too much, you will soon start noticing signs that are easy to spot. Here are some of the most common signs that your hair has been over conditioned.

• Your hair will feel limp
• It will lack volume and may also feel heavy.
• The hair will be difficult to manage and style.
• If you make an up do hair style, as in a bun, the hair will just slide off from under the pins.

How to Properly Condition Hair?

• Most of us end up using a conditioner the wrong way, without ever realizing so.
• Use a conditioner after every shampoo
• Make sure you do not leave the conditioner on your hair for more than a minute.
• Also, avoid putting the conditioner on the scalp
• Apply only from the mid length of the hair till the tip

How to Avoid Over Conditioning Your Hair:

• Whatever damage may have happened till now, it is easy to avoid it further.
• Once a month, rinse your hair with a 1:2 concoction of apple cider vinegar and water
• This should be 1 part apple cider vinegar and 2 parts water
• Alternatively, you can also use a clarifying shampoo.
• The most important thing to remember here is that you need to shampoo in the right manner.
• This will help to wash off any residues and product build up from the hair
• It will also give you shiny, healthy hair.

Do condition your hair, but make sure you do it the right way to get lustrous shiny and smooth hair. Finding the right number of times and right amount of conditioner used is the best way to go about it.

Do let us know if this article has made to catch your errors. Comment!