How Often Should You Deep Condition Your Hair
How Often Should You Deep Condition Your Hair

How Often Should You Deep Condition Your Hair

How Often Should You Deep Condition Your Hair? I prefer to deep condition weekly. This is the maximum period that I can go without washing my hair. This definitely depends on how much moisture my hair needs and what I have put my hair through.

When I am using permanent color or using a lit of heat on my hair I will deep condition my hair anywhere from once a week to twice a month and do a protein treatment in between.

Finding the right balance of protein and moisture is important and unfortunately sometimes people will use protein and leave it on too long causing more damage, deep conditioning is just that (deep conditioning) it will make your hair feel softer and smoother.

I deep condition my hair after pre-pooing/co-washing my hair. I expound on pre-pooing in this YouTube video here Co-washing is the process of using a conditioner rather than a shampoo to wash your hair.

When and Why I Started Deep Conditioning

Deep conditioning is a necessary component of healthy hair care, and while it should be completed during every wash day, it is not the end of the world if skipped.

There is several reasons why someone may occasionally skip this step just like there reasons why you need to do them, especially if using a clarifying shampoo.

Conditioners close the hair’s cuticle layer that was opened by shampoo for optimal hydration, frizz free, and stronger hair.

Deep conditioners are thicker conditioners with ingredients that penetrate the hair shaft. They are intended to temporarily repair and nourish between the hair cuticles with its higher viscosity.

They are heavier and need to be left on the hair longer to fully penetrate the hair shaft. Applying with heat allows for it to penetrate easier and better and these conditioners have penetrating oils and other ingredients that fight frizz, dryness, and damaged strands.

You should deep condition after every wash but for some that is a huge time commitment and it may not be necessary. Washing your hair more than once or twice a week may be too often.

Too much conditioning can create over-moisturized hair and disrupt the proper balance of moisture and protein that hair needs.

Deep conditioning once or twice a week is more than enough, anything more than that may be overdoing it. Your hair will let you know.

What is Deep Conditioning?

Deep Conditioning refers to the process of treating (healing/restoring) your hair with a moisturizing or protein-based conditioner.

The conditioning product that is applied to your hair might be specially formulated for deep treatment or it might even be simply a “boosted” regular conditioner or even a DIY concoction!

Deep Conditioning adds extra moisture or protein to our strands so as to ensure that they are strong and healthy! Yuuummm!

How should I apply my Deep Conditioner?

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With natural hair, it’s best to apply all your products from tip to root/scalp. This is because the hair that is brushing on our shoulders is the oldest, and the most prone to damage.

When applying your Deep Conditioner, begin by sectioning off your hair.

Then, on each section, use the smoothing method. Don’t forget to saturate your hair with your products! Also, remember to lather some of that good stuff on your scalp!

How do I ensure that I get the maximum benefits from Deep Conditioning?

Well, firstly, to have healthy long hair, we must be on a consistent hair regimen. We can’t deep condition weekly for one month then fall off the bandwagon for three months!

Consistency is key when it comes to growing your best head of hair! This means coming up with a deep conditioning cycle/hair regimen and sticking to it!

What products should I use for Deep Conditioning?

If you have thick wavy, curly, or coily hair, then you know that great hair starts with a quality wash day routine.

While shampooing and regular conditioning is a good start, trust us when we tell you that subbing in a deep conditioner regularly can help natural hair reach its full potential.

The best deep conditioners make it easier to manage hair, offer increased elasticity, and an improved overall look, feel, and texture.

Deep conditioners can be especially beneficial for hair that’s been relaxed, colored, or chemically treated. Experts recommend deep conditioning a minimum of twice a month, and more often for extra dry or damaged hair. 

Best Overall: Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner

The Camille Rose Algae Renew Deep Conditioner is packed with 65 vitamins to give you stronger hair to retain length.

Biotin extracted from algae is paired with cocoa and mango butter to stimulate growth and promote soft, manageable hair. 

You’ll especially love the ingredient list full of names that you can say 10 times fast and (more importantly) trust.

Best for Frizzy Hair: Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask

The Curls Blueberry Bliss Reparative Hair Mask works exceptionally well for frizzy curls. With blueberry extract, aloe leaf juice, and chamomile extract, you bet this product smells amazing

and—better yet—it’s clinically proven to restore and repair your curls. Your hair will feel soft and easier to detangle, resulting in curls that are more defined.

Runner-Up, Best for Frizzy Hair: Aunt Jackie’s Conditioning Masque

When you have tight hair textures you learn to live with frizz and shrinkage, but if you’re looking to break that cycle, reach for this hair mask.

Carrier oils deliver nutrients to the hair shaft and flaxseed smoothes frizzy strands in just 10 minutes. Users boast that they notice results almost immediately. Just note that a little goes a long way.

Best for Split Ends: Coco & Eve Like A Virgin Hair Masque

People of all hair textures are raving about this hair mask. The coconut and fig formula transforms hair, leaving it shiny and hydrated.

Users say that this product gives them instant results, including taming frizz, treating split ends, and improving texture. Best of all, this mask comes with a complimentary detangling brush to help prevent hair breakage.

Best for Detangling: Mixed Chicks Detangling Deep Conditioner

Mixed Chicks was founded by two multicultural women who struggled to find products for their curly hair, so their entire collection is full of just what tangle-prone hair needs.

The Detangling Deep Conditioner is super moisturizing with safflower seed oil that gives it a slippery texture to help you manage and style your hair with minimal breakage.

Best Budget: Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner

Whether you wear your hair straight or curly, the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Moist Deep Conditioner will bring your dull hair back to life in just three minutes.

Year after year, this product receives praise for leaving users with shiny, moisturized hair in no time flat, and without breaking the bank.

Best Drugstore: Mielle Organics Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner

Mielle Organics is an organic hair care line that is made with ingredients you know and love. The Babassu Oil Mint Deep Conditioner has become a fan favorite for its quick-penetrating formula and drugstore-friendly price point.

Even those with low-porosity hair rave that the babassu oil helps to smooth brittle ends and reduce breakage.

Best for Color-Treated Hair: SheaMoisture Strength & Color Care Masque

Color-treated hair has its own unique set of needs to feel healthy, and this mask can be part of the solution. Use it regularly to replace dull, straw-like hair with brighter, more radiant-looking strands.

The purple rice water inside helps do just that and diminish warm, brassy undertones (so your hair can look more vibrant for longer), while wild orchid and sweet violet envelop hair with moisture. 

Best for Loose Curls: Naturalicious Moroccan Rhassoul 5-in-1 Clay Treatment

When they say 5-in1, they mean it. This formula promises to cleanse, condition, detangle, deep condition, and treat your hair for a simplified routine.

This particular formula is made specifically for those with waves and loose curls so that you can tame frizz without being weighed down by greasy hair.

The secret is ancient Rhassoul clay, which (fun fact) Cleopatra used on her own iconic hair.

Best for 4C Hair: As I Am Hydration Elation Intensive Conditioner

Beautiful kinky coils are often prone to breakage, and that’s why you’ll need a conditioner that strengthens as it moisturizes, like As I Am Hydration Elation.

This deep-down treatment promotes healthy hair growth from the follicular level and repairs weak hair, leaving curls more manageable and noticeably stronger.

Best for Very Dry Hair: NaturAll Club Fresh Avocado Deep Conditioner

With ingredients like coconut oil and avocados, you might mistake this deep conditioner for a kitchen staple. In fact, the ingredients are so fresh that the brand recommends keeping the product frozen between uses to improve shelf life. (If you don’t want to freeze it, you have up to two weeks to finish it.)

We love the way this formula blends fresh fruit and powerful natural oils to repair dry hair so it feels immediately more moisturized and shiny. With consistent use, reviewers boast that their hair is more manageable and easier to style.

Runner-Up, Best for Very Dry Hair: Taliah Waajid Apple Cider Deep Conditioner

This deep conditioner balances the PH of your hair and scalp for moisture and hair health from root to tip. It also eliminates frizz, defines curls, and improves elasticity to reduce breakage.

Reviewers rave that unlike many other deep conditioners, this formula penetrates rather quickly, leaving hair that feels soft and smooth without making your wash day even longer.

Wash Day Routine – Products I use and in what steps.

  • I wash my hair once a week.
  • I prepare my hair for shampooing using coconut oil
  • I apply the microwave-heated coconut oil to my dry matutas (three strand twists), put on a plastic cap and leave on overnight.
  • Remember, water repels oil. So to ensure you get the most out of your pre poo, your hair needs to be dry. Also, coconut oil is absorbed into your hair strand and as such strengthens your hair shaft by preventing hygral fatigue (the weakening of the strand due to swelling during the uptake of water). 
  • I shampoo my hair using a Shea Moisture or Mielle Organics Shampoo.
  • I then condition my hair with a Shea Moisture or Design Essentials Conditioner
  • I deep condition my hair using Shea Moisture Manuka Honey OR Curls Cashmere & Caviar Hair Masque. I add 1 tspn of honey and 1 tsp of olive oil to my mix. Hydration galore! I then go to my local salon for a 45 minute steaming session. 
  • I then rinse off the DC with warm water and do an Apple Cider Vinegar rinse to restore my hair’s pH to put it on for 4-5 mins.
  • I then rinse off my hair with cool water. Cool water keeps your cuticles flat while hot water lifts them and let’s all the moisture we’ve worked so hard to capture, escape!! 
  • My last and final rinse is done with ice cold water!! Yep! I’m a brave heart! Hahaha!
  • I then wrap my hair in an old cotton t-shirt or leso. Cotton t-shirts prevent mechanical damage caused by rubbing your hair with a towel.
  •  I then let my hair air dry till it is 70% dry.
  • I apply my leave-in conditioning mix: 1 tspn of Aloe Vera Juice, followed by a coin size amount of Kinky Curly Knot Today, Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Hold and Shine Moisture Mist, and Shea Moisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl and Style Mix (I didn’t know it had such a long name till I had to type it out! Smmmh!), and some olive oil. 
  • Seal with olive oil/coconut oil on my ends and castor oil on roots the of my hair. 
  • Lock it all in Apply Shea Butter and Karen’s Body Beautiful to the ends of my hair. 

Voila! 

The process takes me 5 or so hours from start to finish, as my hair is always in three strand braids/two strand twists to prevent breakage from matting and over manipulation. 

Watch this YouTube Video on how I prepoo my hair!)

How Often You Should Be Deep Conditioning Your Hair

I wash my hair and re-do my wash and go once per week. I deep condition every time I do that (I try to, but sometimes, life gets in the way). 

My recommendation is to deep condition once a week.

If your hair is really dry and you’re just starting out, maybe even twice a week.

But to maintain hydration levels, I think once a week is optimal. Sometimes you may miss a session and that’s totally fine, but try to get at least two deep conditioning sessions in per month.

Once a month

  • I apply Henna once a month as a strengthening treatment.
  • I also take a Daily Women’s multivitamin with Biotin and Zinc.

At night

I wear my Craving Yellow Satin Bonnet over my two strand twists or moisturize my hair using the Green House Method.

Deep Conditioning is Therapeutic!

I know I don’t only speak for myself when I say deep conditioning is therapeutic

Well, I’m sure some people actually view deep conditioning as a chore. But if you know the benefits of deep conditioning, you’ll stop looking at it as a chore! Every time you deep condition, providing you do it the right way and with products that work well with your hair, you’re treating yourself.

I view deep conditioning as a part of my regular self care regimen. It feels good to do something for yourself! And I think that’s how we should all view our deep conditioning sessions. You’re showing your hair some love and by extension, yourself.

If you think of the benefits you’ll gain from deep conditioning, you’ll want to deep condition almost all the time (LOL). 

More hair tips & tricks

Thanks for reading my blog post about How Often Should You Deep Condition Your Hair, Please feel free to read my other blog posts with hair tips about How To Get Looser Curls Black Male as well as follow me on all my social media platforms, where I share lots of hair care tips to help you on your journey!

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