Stretch Your Hair Conditioners

Introduction - Stretch Your Hair Conditioners

One of the best hair products which help protect and extend the life of your tresses are hair conditioners.  Whether you prefer to condition before, during or after your hair cleansing, there are lots of tricks to stretch your hair conditioners to get the biggest bang for your buck.

Also, stretching your conditioners properly will provide you with the very best coverage for your tresses.

If you can stretch your hair conditioners to get the best use possible, you might even feel like you can afford to splurge on a higher quality option for even better results.

Listed below are some great tips to stretch your hair conditioners:

1.  Pre-shampoo conditioners - If your hair is seriously damaged due to chemical abuses (color, relaxers, retexturizing or hair loss issues) or other issues, you may not need to pre-treat your hair.

Extremely dry strands can result not only from known hair abuses, but also from build-up from hair products, hard water or similar issues.

When the cuticle is raised due to damage, pre-shampoo treatment may be what the hair doctor ordered.

Stretch your pre-shampoo treatment by applying to completely detangled tresses.  Depending on your preference you can apply to dry tresses, pop on a sleep cap and allow conditioner to soak into the cuticles all night long.

If time is of the essence, you can apply a pre-shampoo conditioner to damp (not dripping wet) strands, sit under a hood dryer for heat benefits and then cleanse.

2.  Rinse-out conditioners - After cleansing hair with the products designed for your hair type, texture and condition, rinse well.  Before applying a rinse out conditioner, use fingers to gently squeeze out excess water.  This is an important step many people skip.  When you apply rinse-out conditioner to soaking wet hair, the effect of the conditioner is diluted.

This is because the hair is so full of water there's no room for the conditioner to soak down into the cuticle.  Also, when the water in the hair makes contact with the conditioner, it instantly dilutes it.

Before applying your rinse-out conditioner, make sure your newly rinsed hair has been gently squeezed to remove as much excess dripping water as possible.

When applying a rinse-out conditioner make sure not to over apply.  Squeeze a small amount into the palms of your hands and focus the application of the conditioner to the areas of your hair which need it the most.

Avoid Wasting Product

Some people just glop on a ton of conditioner without focusing the application.  Not only does this waste conditioner which winds up being washed down the drain but the hair doesn't receive the very best conditioning treatment.

Be sure to leave the rinse-out conditioner in your hair for the recommended time.  When possible, use a hair-friendly wide-tooth comb to detangle small sections of hair from the ends to the roots to prevent pulling or tangling.

Detangling damp strands while the conditioner is still applied will help push the product deeper into the cuticle while preventing post-cleansing tangles, snarls and rips.

3.  Leave-in conditioners - There is no right or wrong way to condition strands.  Some people with fine/thin strands may wish to skip any the of hair conditioning treatments which may soften strands which removes some desired volume.

Other hair consumers with damaged strands may wish to combine a series of conditioning treatments including applying a leave-in conditioner after a rinse-out product.  Ultimately your budget and the needs of your strands should determine your conditioning regime.

To maximize the benefit of leave-in conditioners be sure to towel blot strands completely before applying.  Wait until all excess moisture has been removed before applying your leave-in conditioner.

Remember to never brush wet strands since they are at their most fragile point.

Focus the leave-in conditioner or the sections of the hair which need the most moisturizing treatment.  If you need a heat protection product you may do better to apply a separate product after utilizing a leave-in product.

Sometimes it's more cost effective to utilize one hair product which addresses a multitude of needs including softening, moisturizing, protecting and smoothing.

4.  Deep conditioners - One of the best ways to stretch deep conditioning treatments is to select the best products for your hair type, texture and condition.  It's also important to avoid over-conditioning hair since it can lead to product build-up over time.

Always apply deep conditioners to damp (not dripping wet) strands.  Applying deep conditioners when the hair is damp allows the product to work by lifting the cuticle and allowing the conditioning ingredients to be deposited into the cuticle.

Stretch your deep conditioning budget by avoiding the urge to over-apply product.  Deep conditioners often have fabulous aromas and feel wonderful when applied to damp strands.  As a result, some people love to glop on a lot of product.  It's definitely true that a little bit goes a very long way.  Especially when applied to the areas most in need.

Other Hair Conditioning Tips

By simply squeezing out excess moisture from your strands it's possible to stretch your hair conditioners.  Not only will they do a much better job by being able to penetrate more efficiently, you may use a lot less product.

Other ways to stretch your hair conditioners is to be mindful of how often you condition, making sure to focus product application to the desired sections of hair and be frugal with product application.

Avoid allowing hair to become overly moisturized.  This can actually have a negative impact.  Studies have shown that hair which is overly moisturized or allowed to remain wet for extended periods of time may actually weaken.

The reason for this is due to the fact that water may break some of the structural protein bonds in the hair.  It can also swell the hair cuticle which is known as hygral fatigue.

One last tip to stretch your hair conditioners is to shop carefully making sure to find the best deals online or through your salon.  Both your checkbook and your hair will love your for it.