Conditioning: is longer always better?

[goldensensation]

Like many of you, I leave my conditioners on my hair for much longer (at least 45 minutes, at most a few hours) than the product instructions say to. But is it really all that much better?

Example: Keracare Humecto says to leave the product on for about 20 minutes. Am I really doing that much more to my hair by leaving it on for an hour or two?

Is my hair already supersaturated after the 20 minutes? What do you all think?

 

[Starian]

I never listen to conditioning instructions on the bottle. Especially for non-protien deep conditioners. I leave that stuff on for 2 days sometimes, and my hair doesn't suffer from it.

But with protien based conditioners, I only leave on for up to an hour. I don't sleep in it. Last time I tried that, it took me 2 hours to detangle my hard, brittle strands and that was in the shower under running water.

Of course, it is possible to over condition your hair (it gets "mushy" I've heard it said), but that's never happened to me.

ETA: I just saw that I really didn't answer the original question...to answer that, my hair does seem to do better when I leave a deep conditioner for a longer period of time. Never less than 30 minutes for me.

 

[pink_flower]

I learned from here(Supergirl) that after 10 minutes the conditioner is going to do all it's suppose to do so anything over is just extra. I think this only applies if you use heat though. I generally follow this rule. Besides, I can't see myself sitting with conditioner for hours, especially since I rollerset

 

[CandiceC]

I learned from here(Supergirl) that after 10 minutes the conditioner is going to do all it's suppose to do so anything over is just extra. I think this only applies if you use heat though. I generally follow this rule. Besides, I can't see myself sitting with conditioner for hours, especially since I rollerset

Aww man. I usually leave conditioner on my hair all day due to laziness. I was hoping I was getting some extra benefit from it.

 

[baglady215]

Aww man. I usually leave conditioner on my hair all day due to laziness. I was hoping I was getting some extra benefit from it.

Me too. Oh well, can't hurt.

 

[myco]

I think it depends. If I'm using heat, I usually leave it on for less time ~15-20minutes. But if I don't use heat, it might stay on my hair anywhere from a couple of hours to overnight.

Also the type of conditioner plays a role too. Protein conditioners usually no more than 30 minutes, because I follow up with a moisturizing conditioner. If I'm using a conditioner that I find to be extra heavy and thick, I leave it on longer because I feel that it needs more time for my body heat to help it loosen up and penetrate.

 

[JenniferMD]

Good question. I've often wondered the same thing.

 

[sweetascocoa]

30 minutes. the only treatment i keep in my hair for 4 hours is henna

 

[morehairplease]

Good question. I've often wondered the same thing.

me too JenniferMD!

 

[*ElleB]

My cousin and I had this conversation. She said a guy in the beauty industry said that leaving it on the hair for too long is not good. He said it somehow ends up damaging the hair in the long run.

We didn't get into details but, he didn't give any.

When I condition I'm usually antsy to get it out anyway....

 

[CurliDiva]

I think if you are washing more often (water is the ultimate), then you don't need to leave your condition er on for longer periods.

But I LOVE to deep conditon with my heat bonnet, so I tend to leave my conditioner on for 30-60 minutes at least twice per week.

This is part of my ME time to think about my (growing) hair and relax!

 

[leleepop]

I think 15-20 minutes under heat is long enough. I dont like dealing with wet hair all day.

 

[onepraying]

Me too. Oh well, can't hurt.

Me too and longer!...

Thanks for bringing this up goldensensation. I've been known to keep my (low protein treats) in for days. Simply because my schedule is so tight. This last time I left it on for a week and go lots of shedding.. it wasn't alarming, but is was noticable to me...so I'll not do that again. The longest I'll do that is one day...

 

[MizaniMami]

I learned from here(Supergirl) that after 10 minutes the conditioner is going to do all it's suppose to do so anything over is just extra. I think this only applies if you use heat though. I generally follow this rule. Besides, I can't see myself sitting with conditioner for hours, especially since I rollerset

From what I hear it is 20 minutes. That hair doesn't absorb after 20 minutes. But I always leave my conditioners on no less than 20 minutes and 30 minutes at the most. I DO believe that more is better when it comes to conditioning.

 

[simplycee]

For deep cons I do 20 mins with heat (unless its Aphogee or Emergencee) and up to an hour without heat.

 

[LadyJay114]

i think it depends on the hair type and the kind of conditioner treatment.

i tend to have dry, brittle hair so I usually set the regular conditioner in for 20-30 mins, rinse, and set the leave in for another 20 mins.

i do a deep protein cond every 2-3 weeks, but i only leave that in for about 15 mins. if i leave it in any longer, my hair will harden

 

[MizAvalon]

I frequently leave my conditioner on overnight and haven't had any problems. Whether or not it's actually better than leaving it on for a shorter amount of time? I don't know. But it doesn't hurt, so I just go for it.

 

[Victorian]

If I'm using heat 20 minutes will usually do it. If I'm not (which is most of the time), I'll leave it in with a plastic cap for longer. I'm usually deep conditioning while I'm doing something else so I don't always time it. I can't stand going overnight with a plastic cap on my head so I usually avoid overnight treatments unless I have a good reason to suffer through it

 

[NeeSee]

I learned from here(Supergirl) that after 10 minutes the conditioner is going to do all it's suppose to do so anything over is just extra. I think this only applies if you use heat though. I generally follow this rule. Besides, I can't see myself sitting with conditioner for hours, especially since I rollerset

I think that it depends on the person because me sitting under the dryer for just 10 minutes is not going to cut it.

 

[Neroli]

Like everyone else, I think it really depends on the condition of your hair. If you have natural, strong, well mosturized hair that is not expose to heat regularly and hair is in optimum condition, then 10 minutes will probably be enough. However, if you relax, color, and apply heat regularly, then uhmmm, you probably need more than 10 minutes. This REALLY depends on the condition of the hair and I just don't think a "general rule" will work here . . .

 

[Arcadian]

If I use regular conditioner, 5 minutes maybe? I do wet my hair a lot though. deep conditioners can differ because sometimes I'll put it on and its on for 45 minutes to an hour. if my hair is dry during the winter, I'll do a ORS Pak overnight.


But if I just have to rinse my hair after working out then 3-5 minutes because I have things to do.

-A

 

[Isis]

I think it depends on the condition of the hair and whether it's relaxed or natural. I feel that relaxed hair tends to be drier and leaving the conditioner longer than the 3 minutes or so it says on the label is a good thing.

I deep condition no longer than 30-45 minutes under a plastic cap.

 

[DigitalRain]

I find that some conditioners work best if I follow the instructions on the bottle.Some of the light conditioners like Nexxus Humectress actually does better if I only leave it on 5 minutes and rinse. My hair is more shiny with more body. The only ones I leave on longer are the deep protein conditioners.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

I never listen to conditioning instructions on the bottle. Especially for non-protien deep conditioners. I leave that stuff on for 2 days sometimes, and my hair doesn't suffer from it.

But with protien based conditioners, I only leave on for up to an hour. I don't sleep in it. Last time I tried that, it took me 2 hours to detangle my hard, brittle strands and that was in the shower under running water.

Of course, it is possible to over condition your hair (it gets "mushy" I've heard it said), but that's never happened to me.

ETA: I just saw that I really didn't answer the original question...to answer that, my hair does seem to do better when I leave a deep conditioner for a longer period of time. Never less than 30 minutes for me.

I've heard that too! You know, I wonder if maybe this is happening to me.

I usually condition for 30 minutes (sometimes 2 hours if I'm lazy/watching a favorite tv show), and I've noticed that when I deep condition for a LOOONG time, my hair tends to come out reeeaaally soft, but also really "mushy". Almost...too soft. When my hair dries, it's limp, can't hold a curl, and tangles/breaks easily.

My hair is naturally fine to begin with, so maybe my limit for deep conditioning should be about 20 min.

I'll try conditioning for 10-20 min instead of 30+ and see if that helps.

 

[HairQueen]

When I leave my ORS mayo on overnight I find my hair is much thicker and bouncier. I love it!

 

[brownsugarflyygirl]

Reading responses always makes me more confused....not less!! I use my Motions CPR overnight with a plastic cap which I am told is a medium protein...I have had good results with it...

My conclusion is if I am bunning/protective styles the extra time is good...because it makes my hair softer=more managable...but not mushy...

But I am going to try to just sit with it under the dryer for twenty minutes this weekend and see how it goes...

 

[sassyhair]

If I am not deep conditioning, I will leave the conditioner on while I am washing up in the shower. When I finish washing up then I rinse it out because I like to only wash my hair while in the shower due to the ease of detangling. By rinsing in the shower I eliminate having to jump back in, which I have dont before and found it to not really make sense.

 

[Candy_C]

GoldenSensation this is what i was thinking a few days back. Humecto for me is pointless after 30 mins. it works for me within 30 mins and any longer i feel i'm wasting my time.

 

[Syrah]

While conditioning instructions on the bottle tend to be bogus - 5 minutes (remember...they're trying to sell a product so the more you use and the less you get out of it, the more you have to use it)...there is a point where you can OVERCONDITION your hair. This leads to limp hair that won't curl or hold styles. Overconditioning can also cause split ends.

Like most of the stuff we do, hair care really depends on you and CONSISTENCY. It's like the heat/no heat questions - is it to say that folks who do or do not use heat will NOT grow their hair? Nah...but if you are going to use heat consistently, you also need to find products that protect your hair from the heat and use these consistently.

Me? I deep condition for at most 20 minutes. Sometimes only 10. Why? Cuz I'm lazy and impatient. But my hair seems to like it.

I do want to try and be more consistent with the "hot towel" method though...my hair LOVED that.

 

[Jewell]

The only time I condition for a prolonged period is after a touch-up. I do 15 mins of protein under the dryer, then 15 mins of moisture under there. Ordinarily I shampoo and condition twice a week not leaving Aubrey's GPB in for more than 3-5 mins and Nexxus Humectress (original) for about 2-3 mins. I don't want to stay in the shower forever waiting to rinse conditioner out.