Deep treatments

[calmyogi]

I was wondering what you all would recommend for my hair type and deep conditioning treatments?

my hair doesn't get overly dry if I only wash a couple times a week, but some times I just like washing more often and that's when the length starts getting dryer.

[reilly0167]

My curly hair is naturally dry... My favorite deep treatment is olive oil and honey...I do this once a week...I mix the two in a applicator bottle and work it in apply to hair put on a plaatic cap and leave on for a hour or more depending my fancy...I even add a bit of conditioner to thicken it up because it can be a bit drippy. Hope this helps...happy growing

[lapushka]

I always double condition after washing, which helps with the harsh sulfates I (have to) use. It's called WCC (link in signature for more info).

[meteor]

To give specific advice, it would help to know more details on your hair and what you are trying to achieve. :) Some hair (usually virgin) doesn't seem to need or like any deep treatments at all. ;) Have you done the "stretch" test on dry and wet hair, to get an idea if your hair is "balanced" or needs more moisture (humectants, emollients, occlusives) or more strength/structure (proteins)?

If your hair dries out a bit from washing, I'd recommend trying a pre-poo oiling and adding a bit of oil in conditioner or leave-in (LOC). No need to get anything fancy, you could just try out cooking oils in your kitchen first and see how your hair responds and then experiment from there.

There are a couple studies I recommend on coconut oil pre-wash: Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf (or quick summary here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094), and this one: Effect of coconut oil on prevention of hair damage, Part I - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1999/cc050n06/p00327-p00339.pdf The former shows how coconut oil reduces damage (measured by protein loss) from washing and grooming, as opposed to sunflower and mineral oils, and the latter measures how coconut oil significantly reduces damage on chemically (bleached) and thermally (treated with boiling water) damaged hair - breaking down the effects on straight, wavy, curly hair. Needless to say, I'm pretty impressed with coconut oil based on these (and a couple other) studies.

Also, doing a honey + oil pack pre-wash is extremely moisturizing (humectant + occlusive), something to try if the hair is really parched.

Another thing that might be worth trying, especially for distressed, damaged hair or fine hair (but not only!) is hydrolyzed protein (always followed with moisture treatments) once in a while. And if you want to try a DIY protein mask, check out gelatin: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html
My favorite way of using gelatin is: 1 Knox packet of gelatin (~ 1 tbsp) + 1/4 cup hot water + 1/2 cup conditioner (or enough conditioner to make mixture easy to apply) + 1/2 to 1 tsp of your oil of choice + 1 tsp of honey
Adding honey and oil make this mask more moisturizing.

And, obviously, there are tons of great commercial deep treatments out there, for example, some excellent protein treatments to consider (e.g. super-powerful Aphogee 2-Step, milder Joico K-Pak Reconstruct, Redken CAT, Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser...). With deep treatments like that, it's important to use them only when needed, since they can build up a lot and start being counter-productive. I think it's best not to overdo it, to avoid the whole build-up/clarify cycle. ;)

[Robi-Bird]

My hair is naturally oily but is now at the length and is chemically treated so the ends do well with some loving once in a while. I've found 1/4 oil to 3/4 liquid (aloe, tea, floral water) left on for 30mins to 1hr is a nice treat without having to wash my hair 4 times.

[calmyogi]

To give specific advice, it would help to know more details on your hair and what you are trying to achieve. :) Some hair (usually virgin) doesn't seem to need or like any deep treatments at all. ;) Have you done the "stretch" test on dry and wet hair, to get an idea if your hair is "balanced" or needs more moisture (humectants, emollients, occlusives) or more strength/structure (proteins)?

If your hair dries out a bit from washing, I'd recommend trying a pre-poo oiling and adding a bit of oil in conditioner or leave-in (LOC). No need to get anything fancy, you could just try out cooking oils in your kitchen first and see how your hair responds and then experiment from there.

There are a couple studies I recommend on coconut oil pre-wash: Effect of mineral oil, sunflower oil, and coconut oil on prevention of hair damage. - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc2003/cc054n02/p00175-p00192.pdf (or quick summary here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12715094), and this one: Effect of coconut oil on prevention of hair damage, Part I - http://journal.scconline.org/pdf/cc1999/cc050n06/p00327-p00339.pdf The former shows how coconut oil reduces damage (measured by protein loss) from washing and grooming, as opposed to sunflower and mineral oils, and the latter measures how coconut oil significantly reduces damage on chemically (bleached) and thermally (treated with boiling water) damaged hair - breaking down the effects on straight, wavy, curly hair. Needless to say, I'm pretty impressed with coconut oil based on these (and a couple other) studies.

Also, doing a honey + oil pack pre-wash is extremely moisturizing (humectant + occlusive), something to try if the hair is really parched.

Another thing that might be worth trying, especially for distressed, damaged hair or fine hair (but not only!) is hydrolyzed protein (always followed with moisture treatments) once in a while. And if you want to try a DIY protein mask, check out gelatin: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2014/04/gelatin-protein-treatment-recipe-update.html
My favorite way of using gelatin is: 1 Knox packet of gelatin (~ 1 tbsp) + 1/4 cup hot water + 1/2 cup conditioner (or enough conditioner to make mixture easy to apply) + 1/2 to 1 tsp of your oil of choice + 1 tsp of honey
Adding honey and oil make this mask more moisturizing.

And, obviously, there are tons of great commercial deep treatments out there, for example, some excellent protein treatments to consider (e.g. super-powerful Aphogee 2-Step, milder Joico K-Pak Reconstruct, Redken CAT, Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser...). With deep treatments like that, it's important to use them only when needed, since they can build up a lot and start being counter-productive. I think it's best not to overdo it, to avoid the whole build-up/clarify cycle. ;)

Thank you meteor, my hair gets a little dry if I'm washing more often. I probably think it's dry when it's not though. I suppose I have this expectation that my hair should be silky soft right down to the bottom ends. It's not damaged at all and I really don't have splits. I do get little tangles, but usually only when I don't use cones.

[mermaid lullaby]

I think as long as you don't have split ends and your hair doesn't feel crunchy. You have moisturized hair :)

I have coarse hair and so I thought it was ideal to have silkey hair. My fine haired sister has shiney and silkey hair because that's her texture. My coarse hair has a different texture. It feels wirey but not dry and crunchy.

The most important thing to remember is that, you are the judge and know what works best.

My biggest advice is to use conditioner and leav-in then a drop of oil to seal.

[curlysamantha]

I personally love olive oil and cayenne or olive oil and rosemary eo as a pre-wash treatment. After washing I put in a mix of coconut and argan oil.