Illegal fireworks asks…I have really dry curly hair. Will It damage my hair if i condition it everyday?
The Right Brain responds:
The answer depends on HOW you condition your hair. Rinse out conditioners are the worst – not because the conditioner itself does any damage but because of the processes of washing, rinsing and drying.
Three ways conditioning is bad
First, if you used any shampoo prior to conditioning you may be stripping your hair of moisturizing oils.
Second, just wetting and drying your hair (even without shampoo) causes the cuticle to expand and contract which can be weakening because it creates radial cracks in the outer cuticle layers.
Third, towel drying your hair always involves some degree of frictional abrasion that can crack and scrape off even more cuticle.
Leave in conditioners can be less damaging
If you’re not washing and wetting your hair, leave in conditioners are just fine. At most they require just a little combing to smooth them through your hair.
If you’re washing your hair anyway (or at least getting it wet for some reason) it’s better to go ahead and condition. But if you can skip a shampoo-wet-dry cycle and use a leave in conditioner instead, you’ll avoid opportunities for damage.
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Now I feel like I can’t wash my hair, lol.
Is there a good way to “treat” hair so it’s not gross but doesn’t get all wrecked?
I have very curly hair and the best thing I have found is a line of products called DevaCurl. When I wash my hair, which is about twice a week, I use their sulfate free shampoo and at least once a week I do an intense deep condition. I also leave a lot of conditioner in my hair and use that as my styling product with a very small amount of gel.
@Tiffany: You can try dry shampoos but at some point you’ll still have to wash your hair. Just treat it tenderly when you do.
Dry shampoo definitely, water is v drying esp in London!
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