Deep Conditioning For Curly Hair – What, When, How

If there is one tip stressed often in the natural hair world, it is this – Deep Conditioning curly hair.

WHAT IS IT?

Think of it as a hydration boost with lots of essential nutrients penetrating your hair making them softer & healthier!

Consistently deep conditioning your hair once a week or once every two weeks, will help reduce frizz, roughness and dryness over time and restore your hair’s health.

The ‘Hair Spa’ that is doing the rounds in salons these days is nothing but deep conditioning. Once you figure out what goes into it, you can do it on your own, at home, and at a fraction of the cost!

DO YOU NEED IT?

I cannot stress enough how important this step is for curly hair, especially heat & chemically damaged hair. It’s the first thing I ask any reader to incorporate in their routine. Deep conditioning is also beneficial if you swim often or spend a lot of time outside, exposing your hair to harsh weather conditions.

The best way to see if your hair needs DC is to pay attention to it. If it is drier than normal, gets tangled and breaks easily, dive right into it. If it already feels moisturized, then skip it. Don’t get carried away and over-condition. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

HOW TO DO IT

To deep condition, you can use homemade hair masks like I’ve made & shown in my video below. All you need is things from your kitchen, making it a budget-friendly option too.

If you’re short on time and patience just get a store-bought mask. (Matrix Hydrasource Biolage, Sheamoisture Raw Shea Butter Intensive Treatment, etc)

As always, if you’re following a CG friendly routine, make sure your deep conditioner does not have silicone.

The conditioner works better when applied on wet hair which is then exposed to some heat. Steam opens hair follicles and helps in absorption. A hot towel works well for this. Alternatively, you can look for a cholesterol cap or just blow hot hair of your dryer all over your shower cap.

HOW I DO IT

So here are 3 ways I deep condition my curls:

1. I apply it on wet hair after I have shampooed, conditioned & de-tangled and rinsed my hair

Tangle-free hair makes the deep conditioner easy to apply & comb through. I apply from mid-length, giving special attention to the ends as they are driest & leave it on for anything between 15 minutes to 4 hours depending on how much time I have. I tie it into a loose bun or plait and keep it under a shower cap. I then rinse it out & style as normal with my leave-in conditioner and gel.

2. I use it as a conditioner after shampooing & leave it in for the same time.

Often when I’m busy, I DC at night & leave it on to rinse it the next morning. Other times, I deep condition with this method in the morning, tie it into a loose bun and go about my day. I rinse in the evening & style as normal.
This is a great method if your hair is very tangled as most hair masks are super creamy with more slip than a regular conditioner.

3. I use it as a pre-shampoo mask.

I do this especially when I have to use a medicated shampoo for dandruff which is great for hair otherwise but makes my scalp really clean but uncomfortably dry. So I apply my product on the length of my hair as a protective coating, leaving the scalp. Then once I apply the shampoo and rinse it off, it does not dry out the length of my hair. You can also do this with a normal conditioner.

Still confused? Check out my video tutorial below & don’t forget to subscribe after if you liked it!

Please note that if your hair feels too soft & the curls are losing shape, you might need a protein treatment instead of moisture. More on this in another post!

You can also check out the review of my favourite hair mask here.

I hope I’ve convinced you to try! If you have any doubts or comments or want me to recommend products to you, DM me on Instagram or drop a comment here!