Goodbye, Dry Hair: Here's How To Deep Condition At Home Like A Pro

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Goodbye, Dry Hair: Here's How to Deep Condition at Home Like a Pro

Medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP — Written by Colleen de Bellefonds on April 14, 2021

Why your hair is dry
What deep conditioners are
Benefits
Who needs them
How to use
DIY recipes
Store-bought products
Precautions
Takeaway

A deep conditioning treatment can add moisture to your hair and reduce moisture loss. Experts may recommend deep conditioning weekly for many people, but it can depend on your hair texture.

If you have dry hair, deep conditioning may be your ticket to softer, more manageable hair.

“Dry hair lacks moisture from external sources and internal sebum, or oil, production,” says Deanne Mraz Robinson, MD, FAAD, the president and co-founder of Modern Dermatology and an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Yale New Haven Hospital.

Here’s what you need to know to choose the right deep conditioner and keep your hair moisturized.

What makes hair dry

Your hair’s moisture levels depend on how much sebum is produced by the sebaceous glands located in your hair follicles. Sebum is an oil that lubricates the skin, scalp, and hair.

The amount of sebum the scalp produces varies from person to person and fluctuates throughout life. It’s impacted by your age, hormones, stress, and environmental triggers, Mraz Robinson explains.

Your hair may also feel drier if you lighten it, since the bleaching process opens up strands to destroy melanin (pigment).

“This can leave strands dry, porous, and brittle,” Mraz Robinson says.

Heat styling’s another factor that can dry out your hair – so if you constantly reach for your blow-dryer or the curling iron, you may want to add deep conditioning to your hair care routine.

What are deep conditioners?

All conditioners contain a couple of key ingredients:

Humectants. These bind to water and add moisture to hair.
Emollients. Sometimes just called moisturizers, these are substances that soften hair and reduce moisture loss by creating a protective film around strands.

Deep conditioners contain higher concentrations of emollient and humectant ingredients than daily conditioners, Mraz Robinson says. They’re also left in the hair for much longer: 20 to 30 minutes instead of just 2 or 3 minutes.

“Deep conditioners will have a thicker, heavier concentration,” Mraz Robinson says. “They may also continue working for days after use, as they are formulated to penetrate the strand more deeply than surface-smoothing daily conditioners.”

The benefits of deep conditioning

Both regular conditioners and deep conditioners improve hair’s appearance. But deep conditioners have a more noticeable impact. They can:

detangle hair
decrease frizz
boost shine
increase smoothness

Who needs a deep conditioner?

Because shampoo also removes sebum, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a quick rinse-out conditioner every time after washing hair.

Unless you have especially oily hair, you can likely benefit from also using a deep conditioner, Mraz Robinson says.

How often you should deep condition really depends on your hair texture and how often you wash and heat style it, she adds.

In general, once per week is a good rule of thumb for most people, as Mraz Robinson says using it too frequently could lead to product buildup.

Since sebum travels most easily down the hair to lubricate straight and loose curled strands, people with tight curls may find they need to deep condition more often.

It’s also a good idea to deep condition your hair before you get it chemically treated (i.e., lightened, straightened, or permed).

How to deep condition at home

Mraz Robinson suggests the following steps:

Shampoo first, only if necessary. “If your scalp isn’t dirty or oily, then you can rinse and skip the shampoo before your deep conditioner,” she says.
Apply based on your hair type. If you have dry hair or tight curls, you’ll likely benefit from applying deep conditioner very close, if not all the way, to the root. If your hair is oilier, use deep conditioner from the mid-shaft to the ends of hair, and use your regular conditioner closer to your scalp.
Comb it out. Comb the product through with your fingers or a wide tooth comb to coat all your strands. “Most people will want to apply on the lower part of hair, concentrating on the ends,” she notes.
Follow the instructions. They vary, so read the packaging. “On average, I’d say [to leave it on for] about 20 to 30 minutes,” she says.
Rinse with cool water. “This will help seal the goodies into the hair shaft.”

DIY deep conditioning recipes

Avocado, egg, and olive oil are the ideal ingredients for a homemade conditioner, because they’re “rich in omega-3 fatty acids to repair and strengthen strands,” Mraz Robinson says.

These recipes use some of her favorite ingredients.

Recipe #1

Ingredients

1/2 an avocado
1 egg
1 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Mix the ingredients together using a fork or whisk
Apply to hair, and rinse out after 20 to 30 minutes with cool water.

Recipe #2

Ingredients

1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 an avocado
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. honey

Directions

Blend all the ingredients together.
Apply to hair, and rinse out after 20 to 30 minutes with cool water.

Deep conditioning products

Mraz Robinson suggests looking for the following emollient ingredients in a store-bought deep conditioner:

honey
avocado oil
shea butter
coconut oil

Don’t shy away from synthetic emollients. Research suggests they’re actually more effective than natural oils. Examples include:

dimethicone
dimethiconol
amodimethicone
cyclomethicone

Mraz Robinson recommends the following products:

Kristin Ess Weightless Hydration Daily Scalp + Hair Mask. “It’s pretty weightless and great for thinner, oily hair,” she says.
Kerastase Resistance Masque Extentioniste. “This one is a cult classic, even though a hair mask or conditioner isn’t going to make your hair grow any longer,” she says. “What it does is condition the ends, so that you can go longer in between haircuts.”
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 Repairing Treatment. For colored hair, this treatment gets rave reviews, she notes.

A note of caution

Use caution if you have sensitive skin on your scalp, and especially if you have eczema or psoriasis.

“Many of these treatments are heavily fragranced and may trigger a flare-up of your condition,” Mraz Robinson says.

If you’re acne-prone, be sure to keep freshly conditioned strands away from your face and change your pillowcase regularly, she adds.

The bottom line

Deep conditioners have more concentrated emollient and humectant ingredients and are left on the hair longer than daily conditioners.

Most people can use a deep conditioner once per week. Comb through from the mid-shaft to the ends, leave on for 20 minutes, and rinse with cool water.

Look for ingredients, like avocado oil, shea butter, and coconut oil.

Colleen de Bellefonds is a Paris-based health and wellness journalist with over a decade of experience regularly writing and editing for publications including WhatToExpect.com, Women’s Health, WebMD, Healthgrades.com, and CleanPlates.com. Find her on Twitter.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHistoryHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

10 hair-care habits that can damage your hair. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/habits-that-damage-hair
D’Souza P, et al. (2015). Shampoo and conditioners: What a dermatologist should know?https://www.e-ijd.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5154;year=2015;volume=60;issue=3;spage=248;epage=254;aulast=D%27Souza
Gavazzoni Dias MF, et al. (2015). Hair cosmetics: An overview.https://www.ijtrichology.com/article.asp?issn=0974-7753;year=2015;volume=7;issue=1;spage=2;epage=15;aulast=Gavazzoni
Mraz Robinson D. (2021). Personal interview.
Tips for healthy hair. (n.d.).https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/hair-scalp-care/hair/healthy-hair-tips

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Medically reviewed by Cynthia Cobb, DNP, APRN, WHNP-BC, FAANP — Written by Colleen de Bellefonds on April 14, 2021

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What makes hair dry

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The benefits of deep conditioning

Who needs a deep conditioner?

How to deep condition at home

DIY deep conditioning recipes

Recipe #1

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe #2

Ingredients

Directions

Deep conditioning products

A note of caution

The bottom line

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