Don't Get Weighed Down: Condition In Reverse

Sometimes, the conflicting needs of our hair can leave us in a dilemma.

Having fine, easily weighed down strands that are also fragile, damaged and in need of protection, is one of them.

Is there a way to get your strands the conditioning they deserve, without the weight?

Too conditioning to be true?

Why is it that the richest conditioners, the ones that are best able to protect and smooth your hair, tend to be the ones with the most weight? Lighter conditioners tend not to pack the punch, and sometimes even they are too heavy for the most feather-light of manes.

With tresses that are splitting and breaking on the one hand, but prone to flatness, lack of movement, and even greasiness at the slightest hint of conditioner, on the other, it seems like a no-win situation.

When what your hair needs most – emolliency, protection, smoothing – is also what it most vehemently rejects, your tresses inevitably lose out. And there are other going-ons at the conditioner party that your hair is missing: static reduction, detangling slip, shine, heat protection. . . Not being able to take part in this process, which millions benefit from everyday without second thought, can really do a number on your hair.

 
So what can you do? A clever solution is to condition in reverse. Instead of shampooing and then conditioning your hair, condition it first. Allow the conditioner to soak in for a few minutes – at least doubling the time it's supposed to be left on should work. Then, simply shampoo it out. And, in all but the most extreme oil slick cases, forego that last word of the shampoo label template of yore; lather, then rinse, no need to repeat.



Getting it backwards?

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Conditioning in reverse might seem counterintuitive, even wasteful, but the secret is in the way most modern shampoos are made. Gone are the days when 2-in-1 shampoos, that cleansed while they conditioned, were a unique product type.

These days, most shampoos are doubling up. And while this double act tends not to be enough for the neediest, most moisture-loving hair, it offers special perks for those caught between body and frazzle, on the one hand, and conditioning and oil slick on the other.

It turns out that shampoos, which leave behind conditioning agents of their own, are designed not to take every last bit of oil or moisture out of your hair. Were they to do so, they'd end up disappearing down the drain with the goods they themselves were designed to deposit. Though their built-in conditioners are seldom sufficient for hair that needs that lil' extra bit of of tender loving care, the modern, gentler formulas means you can keep some of the benefits of the conditioner you apply first, with none of the weight.

Hair that is damaged all the way through. .  .

What if your hair is damaged and dried out from root to tip, but you fear the unctuous consequences of applying the conditioner everywhere it's needed? Flipping the traditional wash and conditioning routine has an extra plus just for this mane situation.

When you condition in reverse, you can gleefully slather your hair in the stuff (in moderation, of course) from mid-length to ends first, then hit the roots, knowing that thanks to the shampoo to come, your hair will get the gloss and the bounce, without a hint of the grease.

Aside from the liberties you can now take in how you apply, one of the greatest things about conditioning in reverse is the freedom it allows you in terms of product choice. Suddenly, you're not limited to the watered down formulations that barely make an impact on the feel of your hair – and which tend not to be that fun to use, either.

Now, you can experiment and luxuriate in the most lavish formulas, sampling a whole world of conditioning treats, from kitchen-top blends that read like a shopping list of the most exotic oils, to the sumptuous, tropical emulsions of Dominican superconditioners.

All with a headful of super-shiny, super-bouncy, super-healthy tresses to show for it. And not a flat strand in the bunch.

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The deepest conditioning comes first. . .

If you want an even more intense effect then try using a treatment, as opposed to regular, rinseout conditioner – apply the richest deep conditioner to your hair, fingercomb it through or use a wide tooth comb and cover with your choice of treatment cap: foil or plastic, depending on your hair's needs.

Leave it in for 15-30 minutes – enough time to make sure your hair is fully saturated. Then, rinse partially with warm water, and apply shampoo, with some of the treatment still in your hair. That way, you get to sneak in a little more conditioning as you shampoo. This amped up version can be too much weight for super-fine hair types, so test drive it first and see what your tresses prefer.

To get the super, ultra experience in conditioning in reverse, opt for an overnight pretreatment that gets scrupulously shampooed off in the morning.

Conditioning in the long run. . .

Conditioning in reverse means that if your hair needs conditioning from root to tip, and volume, there's no longer any reason to choose between the two. The difference will be clear from the first try, with dividends really paying out over the weeks, months and years to come. With just a little bit of rearranging, you'll see you don't have to sacrifice one hair goal to enjoy the other.

                 
                 Image Credits

                        |Little Lexis |Helga Weber| Fabrice Rose|