Why does conditioner always make my hair flat, and greasy, and no body to it?

[onegiantleap]

Hi.
First of all, im a guy with rather short hair. All hairdressers always tell me to use conditioner.

Whenever i try it out, my hair becomes completely flat, and greasy. When it dries it becomes dull. I cant do anything with it (hair wax wont do any use), and it doesnt matter if i rinse it forever or if i use shampoo afterwards.
It gets a little better with shampoo, but still my haircut wont hold and it all becomes a flat mess.

Could it be that my hair becomes worse of conditioner? I have fine, thin hair and i usually style it with wax.

This is probably a newbie question but its hard to find answers if you're a guy. I guess most guys dont use conditioner and i suppose i should be one of them.

[Nique1202]

Conditioner only belongs on a scalp if your hair doesn't get greasy between washes, in my experience. Some people have very dry scalps that benefit greatly from conditioner, but most of us just plain don't. Also, hairdressers will tell you literally anything to sell you a product off their shelves. It's better to do your own research pretty much 99% of the time than to listen to a hairdresser's recommendations.

If your hair is shorter than your earlobes, then you can drop the conditioner altogether from your routine. (If you shave, it makes a great shaving cream if you want to use up the rest of it, or you can condition old scratchy sweaters or scarves in your sink to soften them.) If your hair is to your shoulders or longer, then just apply a little bit of conditioner to everything below your earlobes.

[Nini]

Conditioners aren't for everyone. I have thigh length hair, and I don't use condish. Only if I occationally get around to doing a deep treatment or something.

[lapushka]

Conditioner shouldn't go on your scalp if you have oily hair (ears down only). If you have short hair, and oily hair, I really wouldn't use it.

[cat11]

Hi.
First of all, im a guy with rather short hair. All hairdressers always tell me to use conditioner.

Whenever i try it out, my hair becomes completely flat, and greasy. When it dries it becomes dull. I cant do anything with it (hair wax wont do any use), and it doesnt matter if i rinse it forever or if i use shampoo afterwards.
It gets a little better with shampoo, but still my haircut wont hold and it all becomes a flat mess.

Could it be that my hair becomes worse of conditioner? I have fine, thin hair and i usually style it with wax.

This is probably a newbie question but its hard to find answers if you're a guy. I guess most guys dont use conditioner and i suppose i should be one of them.
this! its all great advice. Especially if you use wax on your hair too, I dont think you need conditioner. My brothers both hsve short hair (one is a long buzz and the other has about 2 inches or so) and they dont use conditioner

[Arctic]

My ex-fiance once tried my conditioner - first time in his life - and hated the way it made his hair slippery. He felt as it the conditioner wouldn't have rinsed off, and spent the next 20 minutes in the shower trying to get rid of the slippery, seaweed-y feeling. Needless to say, to my knowledge he has never tried it again since. He also has short hair.

I personally have always used conditioner even on short hair, but only a little.

Anyway, hairtypes vary a lot, and even with-in a hairtype (on several different people) same hair care routines and products might give very different results. Sounds like your hair does well without conditioner. If you are not growing it longer, to super lenghts, if you aren't doing any horribly damaging things to it (bleaching, relaxing, etc - and even if you would, at very shorts lengths the hair is so young it probably takes a lot of damage to start looking bad), and if you like your hair better without, then listen to your hair :)

[TR]

Consider using a clarifying shampoo sometimes as well. Since you use wax to style and your hair gets weighted down with conditioner, you might have some buildup. If your regular shampoo is on the harsh side (look for sulfates in the first few ingredients: sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, and/or ammonium laureth sulfate) you might not need clarifying, but it's just a thought.

[Spinder]

Hmm, well what kind of conditioner do you use? The conditioners you typically see in the drug store almost always contain silicone, which could be the problem - silicone does not work well for many people, as it can build up and weigh down hair very easily. A silicone free conditioner is usually a better choice.

Conditioner should only be applied to the length of your hair, avoiding your scalp. Your scalp is where most of your hair's natural oils collect, so unless yours is very dry, it really doesn't need any conditioning, doing so will provide no benefit and generally just make it greasy.

Though if your hair is short, you probably do not need conditioner at all - if it doesn't fall past your chin then usually your scalp's own oils will be able to do the job on their own. It would probably good to use a strong clarifying shampoo too, since wax is quite heavy and can create a lot of buildup.

[CatsAndCoffee]

I agree with pretty much everything said above. ^

Your hair just might be too short to use conditioner, or you might be using too much for your hair length. When I had a pixie cut (~3-4" long on top, less than 1" on the sides), I used about a quarter-sized amount of conditioner just on the very tips of longest parts. Instead of conditioner, try getting a wood or boar bristle hair brush to help distribute your hair's natural oils to the ends to keep them healthy and moisturized.

A tip for when your hair does get longer, or if you find you do need conditioner, is to use conditioner first. It's backwards from everything you've heard about conditioner, but I started doing it and my hair has a ton more bounce and volume. I have really fine hair that gets oily quickly and doing conditioner, then shampoo allowed me to start going 2-3 days between washes without getting super limp, oily, or "ropey" hair.

[onegiantleap]

Thanks so much for the great response here!

I guess i will from now on dismiss the conditioner.

Right now my hair is so dull and lifeless from using conditioner yesterday - what can i do to get it back to "normal" state? Shampoo several times? Just wait for some days?

[Nique1202]

Thanks so much for the great response here!

I guess i will from now on dismiss the conditioner.

Right now my hair is so dull and lifeless from using conditioner yesterday - what can i do to get it back to "normal" state? Shampoo several times? Just wait for some days?

Yeah, you should be able to just shampoo a couple of times, but I'd really work it in and massage it around to make sure it strips as much of the conditioner as possible.

[TR]

You can also try this: work the shampoo into your scalp and hair really well, then leave it on for 3-5 minutes while you do all your other shower stuff, then add a little water and scrub the suds again before rinsing. Sometimes the extra time allows the shampoo to dissolve more oils and waxes.

[Arctic]

You've gotten good advice here. I wanted to point something that I think wasn't already mentioned: firstly, the hair salons will gladly try to sell all kinds of stuff to their customers , because, well, they make a living that way. And secondly, the stuff they sell is often very heavy on "conditioning" ingredients, things that will coat the hair strands. Things like silicone (but there are many others too).

It's likely that these ingredients, maybe combined with your styling products are what's now become problematic for your hair. Like was already said, one or few good shampooings (really lathering well, and make sure your shampoo isn't very conditioning either) should remove the coating.

Then one more thing. You said you have fine hair. It is very typical for fine hair, especially if it's not super thick and it is straight, to become weighted down easily. You hair might also be, what we call, low porosity hair, which can lead to situation where the ingredients just sit on your hair, coat it and make it feel/look just like you describe. If you do want to use conditioner at some point, it might be best to find a lightest possible, with no (or very little) coating agents (that is, silicone free, oil free, etc). Also, as was suggested, using the conditioner before shampooing might help.

[onegiantleap]

Hi again.
Just to experiment a bit i tried another brand of conditioner today.
It seems some conditioner instead makes my hair super hard, and crunchy. Im totally unable to rinse it out.

Shouldnt conditioner make hair softer?
Maybe my hair cant stand protein and therefore becomes hard and crunchy?
This is just out of pure interest im asking this question.

[FineMiracle]

Hmmm I'm a newbie in haircare as well, but I think that means you are out of balance with protein and moisture. I think in order to fix that, you need to add in moisture to your hair. Maybe try adding a bit of argan oil, shea butter, or jojoba? I could be wrong though, so wait for someone to confirm this before doing anything lol

[lapushka]

What conditioner are you using, exactly?

[mellsss91]

I use the conditioner from L'Oréal with no sulfates. There is rosemary in it and makes my hair volumines and soft!!

[Anje]

To me, it sounds like you're using a heavy conditioner. Not everyone needs one at all, but if you want to use one (e.g. hairdresser says your hair is dry), you might do better with something thin and lightweight, like the really cheap VO5 you'll see at discount stores. I'm usually happier with those light ones, and so is my husband, who likes conditioner on his short but curly hair.


Thanks so much for the great response here!

I guess i will from now on dismiss the conditioner.

Right now my hair is so dull and lifeless from using conditioner yesterday - what can i do to get it back to "normal" state? Shampoo several times? Just wait for some days?

Shampooing just once should probably do it. If it doesn't, it lends credit to the idea that your conditioner is far too heavy for your hair. Shampoo should remove it easily.


Hi again.
Just to experiment a bit i tried another brand of conditioner today.
It seems some conditioner instead makes my hair super hard, and crunchy. Im totally unable to rinse it out.

Shouldnt conditioner make hair softer?
Maybe my hair cant stand protein and therefore becomes hard and crunchy?
This is just out of pure interest im asking this question.

I have had issues with too much protein in my conditioner making my hair hard and crunchy. So that definitely can be a thing, and you don't want that. I avoid conditioners that contain protein as my day-to-day conditioner to prevent this. Some people need it. I don't.

[lithostoic]

I would never ever put conditioner on my hair if it were that short. Fine hair doesn't need it! I only started using it at APL (armpit length).

[emptyque]

Silicons conditioners make my hair really greasy, but I've had luck with other types of conditioners. The very cheapest usually don't use silicon. But like others said, I don't think conditioner does much for short hair. It can prevent damage, but if you are getting it cut regularly it, all the hair will be young and undamaged anyway.

It should go back to normal after you wash it.

[Dark40]

You can try a clarifying shampoo to keep it from looking flat and dull. I would look for a shampoo and a conditioner that it made for oily hair, and that should get your hair back to "normal."

[cassidy_2711]

I hate the feeling of conditioner in my hair and I feel that it makes it dull so I condition first, then shampoo. My hair is still soft but it doesn't have that nasty coated feeling.

[onegiantleap]

So it has happened again.
I tried conditioner 2 weeks ago for some reason - and my hair has been a greasy mess ever since.
I have tried to rinse it out for 5 minutes without luck.
I have been shampooing 25-30 times to get rid of the slippery, greasy, unclean feeling but nothing helps...

Is this normal?
Im almost thinking about shaving my hair off since nothing helps and i look like a wet cat in my hair.

[Glitch]

So it has happened again.
I tried conditioner 2 weeks ago for some reason - and my hair has been a greasy mess ever since.
I have tried to rinse it out for 5 minutes without luck.
I have been shampooing 25-30 times to get rid of the slippery, greasy, unclean feeling but nothing helps...

Is this normal?
Im almost thinking about shaving my hair off since nothing helps and i look like a wet cat in my hair.

I would try using an actual clarifying shampoo to get it out (some conditioners have very stubborn silicone ingredients and such), instead of a regular sulphate shampoo. I tried getting a particular oil out for weeks, and only a strong, clarifying one finally worked! And no, it's not normal at all for products to hang around that long, and can really wreck havoc on the hair. Luckily, this means your hair hasn't gone wild, it's just a lot of 'strong' build up and can be fixed. I clarified twice and got everything out - really recommend trying it :)

ETA: Remember that if you do try this, to not use any oily stuff after, at all. Just let the hair be :p

[waff]

I use Redken cleansing cream to clarify and it does an amazing job to remove all the gunk from my hair without stripping.

[lapushka]

So it has happened again.
I tried conditioner 2 weeks ago for some reason - and my hair has been a greasy mess ever since.
I have tried to rinse it out for 5 minutes without luck.
I have been shampooing 25-30 times to get rid of the slippery, greasy, unclean feeling but nothing helps...

Is this normal?
Im almost thinking about shaving my hair off since nothing helps and i look like a wet cat in my hair.

Did you wash with a sulfate or sulfate-free shampoo? You might actually need a sulfate shampoo. Try the Neutrogena clarifying one, maybe? I'm not sure what country you are from, so I'm guessing US, since you made no mention of anything else, and in the US that should be readily available.

[cjk]

Turn the question around. Why are you using conditioners? Is there a reason, some deficit you're trying to address? ORis it just because that's what other people do?

Conditioner. Fancy word. All it is, really, is a chemical carrier for some hair oil. So you're adding oil or moisture of some sort to your hair.

Is your hair oily without the conditioner?

Have you tried different conditioners? The ingredients will vary, and your hair will likely respond to them differently.

[Deborah]

You probably just don't need conditioner. Some people don't. I haven't used any for years.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

Short hair really doesn't need conditioner.

[embee]

I found the same kind of thing and was so frustrated, because only conditioner made it so I could comb out my hair without innumerable knots. But the downside was a flat/greasy look.

Skip the conditioner. Dilute the shampoo really well, there will likely be enough of your very own sebum/oil that you don't need any other oil or conditioner.

[leayellena]

Hi

Hi.
First of all, im a guy with rather short hair. All hairdressers always tell me to use conditioner.
I don't know why you need conditioner on short hair if you are going to cut it back in a year. Unless of course you want to grow your hair long. Or your hairdresser told you such stuff on marketing purposes ;)
On short hair you either don't need conditioner because your hair is short enough and the natural oils reaches the ends easier than on long hair or you just have oily scalp. My hair gets oily and weighed down in a day so it doesn't matter if I use silicone, sulfates or natural products. My hair looks the same in literally 2 days. I just prefer no sulfates because sulfates kill the ends.

Whenever i try it out, my hair becomes completely flat, and greasy. When it dries it becomes dull. I cant do anything with it (hair wax wont do any use), and it doesnt matter if i rinse it forever or if i use shampoo afterwards.
It gets a little better with shampoo, but still my haircut wont hold and it all becomes a flat mess.
Ok there are many types of conditioners:
Try to find one without any silicones. Silicones weigh down hair, creates build-up and therefore your hair looks and feels greasy.
I personally change between Coneys and cone-free conditioners whenever I feel like it. If you feel your hair is oily try screatching. Be careful and not hurt your scalp though. The humidity, the oils on your scalp and the lack of volume because of ponytails or buns make your hair look greasy. It's actually the volume people tend to look for instead of some basic human body facts.

Could it be that my hair becomes worse of conditioner? I have fine, thin hair and i usually style it with wax.
Haha I tried some bad conditioners since I joined LHC. R. I. P. Hair.
This is probably a newbie question but its hard to find answers if you're a guy. I guess most guys dont use conditioner and i suppose i should be one of them.
Some lhcers don't use conditioner, but oils instead...

[Obsidian]

So it has happened again.
I tried conditioner 2 weeks ago for some reason - and my hair has been a greasy mess ever since.
I have tried to rinse it out for 5 minutes without luck.
I have been shampooing 25-30 times to get rid of the slippery, greasy, unclean feeling but nothing helps...

Is this normal?
Im almost thinking about shaving my hair off since nothing helps and i look like a wet cat in my hair.


If regular clarifying shampoo isn't working, bring out the big guns and try some dawn dish soap. It should easily remove any oil and build up.

[Glitch]

If regular clarifying shampoo isn't working, bring out the big guns and try some dawn dish soap. It should easily remove any oil and build up.

Actually this is a really good last resort. I haven’t tried it myself (haven’t needed to, clarifying worked, but if it hadn’t, I would have tried this route). Here’s a good video on it (http://youtube.com/watch?v=dBN2OD3Qfvw). Again, I would only do this as a last option, if nothing else helps. It does yield silky results, but is still a harsh process, IMO.

[cjk]

Or if you have it around, Zote soap is great!

[onegiantleap]

Sorry, nothing of the above has helped. Claryfying, dish soap etc.. nothing!!
My hair is COMPLETELY lifeless, dull, and greasy. Also dry at the same time...
I look like ****!!
Hair wax just doesnt work.

Think im going to cut my hair today, and let this be a memory to NEVER use conditioner anymore, since it completely destroys my hair and it cannot be washed out at all.

[Glitch]

Sorry, nothing of the above has helped. Claryfying, dish soap etc.. nothing!!
My hair is COMPLETELY lifeless, dull, and greasy. Also dry at the same time...
I look like ****!!
Hair wax just doesnt work.

Think im going to cut my hair today, and let this be a memory to NEVER use conditioner anymore, since it completely destroys my hair and it cannot be washed out at all.

Oh gosh, I’m so sorry to hear that! I’ve never heard of products being this stubborn before, what a strange and frustrating reaction :/ And yeah, I wouldn’t use conditioner again, some really don’t need it! At least you know for sure now to simply avoid them - wishing your hair a speedy recovery :grouphug:

[lapushka]

Sorry, nothing of the above has helped. Claryfying, dish soap etc.. nothing!!
My hair is COMPLETELY lifeless, dull, and greasy. Also dry at the same time...
I look like ****!!
Hair wax just doesnt work.

Think im going to cut my hair today, and let this be a memory to NEVER use conditioner anymore, since it completely destroys my hair and it cannot be washed out at all.

Hang on, don't do anything rash!!!

Do you have oily hair of your own?
How long is your hair currently?

Did you try a shampoo out that specifically said "clarifying" on the label?

[EdG]

Sorry, nothing of the above has helped. Claryfying, dish soap etc.. nothing!!
My hair is COMPLETELY lifeless, dull, and greasy. Also dry at the same time...
I look like ****!!
Hair wax just doesnt work.

Think im going to cut my hair today, and let this be a memory to NEVER use conditioner anymore, since it completely destroys my hair and it cannot be washed out at all.Conditioners contain silicone. They coat the hair, but they will come out over time.

I think you need to give this more time. The advice about using conditioner does not work for everyone. You may have better results using water-only washing. This does not remove the body's natural conditioner (sebum), which I find works better than silicone.
Ed

[onegiantleap]

So i did some more "trial and error". It seems at first, my hair becomes greasy out of the shower.
But when it completely dries it becomes really hard and crunchy. And EXTREMELY dry, dull and lifeless.
It almost looks like hay. When i try to apply wax it just doesnt work.
My hair just becomes stiff.

I guess its the proteins and/or the silicons.
At least this brand was easier to wash out, it seems.

Thanks for all you replies. I had almost given up. Seems some brands of conditioner are almost impossible to wash out.

[Glitch]

So i did some more "trial and error". It seems at first, my hair becomes greasy out of the shower.
But when it completely dries it becomes really hard and crunchy. And EXTREMELY dry, dull and lifeless.
It almost looks like hay. When i try to apply wax it just doesnt work.
My hair just becomes stiff.

I guess its the proteins and/or the silicons.
At least this brand was easier to wash out, it seems.

Thanks for all you replies. I had almost given up. Seems some brands of conditioner are almost impossible to wash out.

Yay!! Thank goodness it’s finally over with! And your hair does sound like how mine gets when there is too much of a protein overload. Keep experimenting and finding our more about your hair, don’t give up :flower: I know it took me many years (like half my life) to quit ignoring my hair and simply frying it. I wished I had learned everything I know now, all that time ago. Best of luck and always keep asking your questions!

[renia22]

Not sure which ingredients are causing the problem, but you might want to check out this article, and try one of the shampoos suggested. I’ve personally tried the Kinky Curly Come Clean, and it was strong, but did work better on removing product build up than other clarifying shampoos. C14-16 olefin sulfonate is some strong stuff:

http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.com/2016/07/shampoos-which-remove-product-build-up.html?m=1

[Natashap]

Some ppl just cannot use grease anywhere near scalp.Most conditioners are greasy .Find ultra -light version for fine hair ,that might solve your troubles.

[fhairyqueen]

MU hair feels like this and now I’m starting to wonder if I should try dropping the conditioner , my hair is Apl though

[onegiantleap]

Yay!! Thank goodness it’s finally over with! And your hair does sound like how mine gets when there is too much of a protein overload. Keep experimenting and finding our more about your hair, don’t give up :flower: I know it took me many years (like half my life) to quit ignoring my hair and simply frying it. I wished I had learned everything I know now, all that time ago. Best of luck and always keep asking your questions!

Seems like there was still some build up / reside left in my hair as it looked worse today.
So i tried to conditioner again just to experiment. And yes, it becomes really dry and stiff instantly. And at the same time a bit sticky. Maybe greasy was not the right word to use. But yes it becomes a bit greasy as well. But mostly hard, crunchy and dry. If i use was it becomes very stiff and hard. And if not, it lies dull and flat.
Anyway... now i definately know that i MUST skip the conditioner.
And the only thing that really helps is TIME not using it and eventually it will return to normal.
Schampo cannot get rid of it entirely.. only for the moment, it seems.

Anyway.. its a good feeling to know that i only need schampoo, and by only using that i will return to my old good looks :)

Thanks for all responses.

[AlbanyV]

Your hairdresser is right, you should absolutely be using conditioner even on short hair as it keeps hair and scalp hydrated. What you may be struggling with is the conditioner you are actually using. Some formulas are very heavy and thick, and can really weigh down finer hair textures.
You need to make sure you're using a lightweight conditioner so as not to weigh your hair down or make it too greasy. There are some with caffeine that can also help thicken out the hair too!
Also, be sure that you're rinsing the conditioner out completely as leaving residue can add to the greasy effect. Try and use it sparingly, a dime-sized amount should be more than enough.

[Margarita]

When i originally wash, shampoo then conditioner etc, everythings fine. From now, i stopped co-washing for good, it makes my hair roots greasy and i cant comb it with my fingers, ugh. Just try to add conditioner only on your hair ends, and everything will be fine. Only very dry and damaged hair should get conditioner on the top.

[Glitch]

Seems like there was still some build up / reside left in my hair as it looked worse today.
So i tried to conditioner again just to experiment. And yes, it becomes really dry and stiff instantly. And at the same time a bit sticky. Maybe greasy was not the right word to use. But yes it becomes a bit greasy as well. But mostly hard, crunchy and dry. If i use was it becomes very stiff and hard. And if not, it lies dull and flat.
Anyway... now i definately know that i MUST skip the conditioner.
And the only thing that really helps is TIME not using it and eventually it will return to normal.
Schampo cannot get rid of it entirely.. only for the moment, it seems.

Anyway.. its a good feeling to know that i only need schampoo, and by only using that i will return to my old good looks :)

Thanks for all responses.

I'm glad you finally know the culprit for sure now, and that time is really what it takes for the silicones and whatever else to evaporate off the hair :) I agree, it seems your hair is just fine with shampoo only!


Your hairdresser is right, you should absolutely be using conditioner even on short hair as it keeps hair and scalp hydrated. What you may be struggling with is the conditioner you are actually using. Some formulas are very heavy and thick, and can really weigh down finer hair textures.
You need to make sure you're using a lightweight conditioner so as not to weigh your hair down or make it too greasy. There are some with caffeine that can also help thicken out the hair too!
Also, be sure that you're rinsing the conditioner out completely as leaving residue can add to the greasy effect. Try and use it sparingly, a dime-sized amount should be more than enough.

I respectfully disagree :flower: Stylists aren't always the best with hair health :p Plenty of people, myself as well, never condition the top for example, as it would weigh down or grease up the naturally very oily roots (lightweight conditioners included). I also know that some of my guys friends never use conditioner at all, and they really don't need to or should, with their already sleeky and super slippery, naturally moisturized hair. My brother's hair doesn't suit conditioner either, and I myself never needed it when growing up as a kid with undamaged soft hair. Also, many conditioners are often designed to not fully wash off in the shower, as they're meant to stay present in the hair afterwards.

OP's hair clearly reacts negatively to it, and has reacted this way to it for years now. In this case, I would leave the conditioner alone, personally :o

[lapushka]

Your hairdresser is right, you should absolutely be using conditioner even on short hair as it keeps hair and scalp hydrated. What you may be struggling with is the conditioner you are actually using. Some formulas are very heavy and thick, and can really weigh down finer hair textures.
You need to make sure you're using a lightweight conditioner so as not to weigh your hair down or make it too greasy. There are some with caffeine that can also help thicken out the hair too!
Also, be sure that you're rinsing the conditioner out completely as leaving residue can add to the greasy effect. Try and use it sparingly, a dime-sized amount should be more than enough.

I didn't use conditioner until about APL. It is not a necessity. Hairdressers aren't always right. ;) I never use conditioner on my scalp as it would turn my scalp to mush with the SD, seborrheic dermatitis that I have. I can't stand oils on the scalp for that reason either.

Some people just fare a lot better without conditioner; it is a very much YMMV thing.

[Dark40]

If you have an oily scalp you really don't need any conditioner. Especially, if you have short hair. But if your is shoulder length or longer than yes, use conditioner from the ears down not on the scalp.

[RubberDucky]

When I had a pixie cut I never used conditioner. Now that my hair is longer I only use it on length, never on scalp.

[Zindell]

My hair is mid back length and I stopped using conditioners. I tried several different ones, but the result is always flat, boring hair.
My hair is so much fuller without conditioner.

(That's what works for me. Might not be the same for others of course.)