DCing or Rinse Out

chelleypie810

Well-Known Member
Has anyone had the experience that DCing for 15-1hr or rinsing out the conditioner in about 5 minutes give you the same results? I've been dcing for yyyeeeeaaarrsss, but recently I've just been leaving my condish in for about 5 mins. and my hair feels nice, moisturized, and conditioned.

One time I overnight Dc'd and yep my hair felt about the same. I will probably just start leaving my condish in for 5 mins..esp on those days I'm not using direct heat. I just don't see the point.
 
hmm my hair feels the same, looks the same, but over time dc'ing has made a huge difference in my hair. you may be onto something, like i think dc'ing for 30 mins will not be much different from dcing for 3 hrs, there is only so much your strands can take. but i just cant give up dcing, i have seen the difference !
 
I'm guessing if you are dcing regularly then doing a quicky 5 min will give you the same results.
 
I'm guessing if you are dcing regularly then doing a quicky 5 min will give you the same results.

this is what I was also about to say. I think if your hair is in good condition you can get away with it.

However I would interchange your 5 min DC's every so often with 30 - 45 min DC's or just DC for 10 - 15 mins each time with a heat source. Esp if you have fine hair.

HTH's
 
I've learned to follow timed instructions on the container as closely as possible. Discovered leaving for too much longer may result in serious shrinkage and tangling.
 
I am seriously thinking about DCing 2x a month and just using a regular rinse out the other 2x. So are you saying my hair is possibly in good condition!? I'm shocked at the thought! :lachen:
 
^^^ CP Possibly bc if your hair is not suffering adversely from the quick 5 min rinses i.e. not mushy, dry, no posority issues etc then you could either DC less and rinse out in-between.

However for the sake of not messing up a good thing I would be inclined to DC for 15 minutes each time and be done with it. The little and often principle always works as opposed to firefighting tragedy each time. At the end of the day only you can assess what your hair needs but if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

HTH's
 
I don't know..I deep condition everytime I wash my hair because when I don't even if my hair feels the same, I start to feel guilty and by midweek my hair starts to feel dry. I would just continue to DC because as PositivelyRadiant said if it ain't broke don't fix it.
 
I've learned to follow timed instructions on the container as closely as possible. Discovered leaving for too much longer may result in serious shrinkage and tangling.

I agree. I just follow the time on the bottle. If it says to keep on up to 15 minutes and it's considered a DC then that's what I do. I just don't see the point in leaving something in my head all day when the job is done in 15 minutes.
 
I actually read this article on The Natural Haven. It's called "Is DC a myth?" Check it out. http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-myths-can-you-really-deep.html
It actually says that we only need to leave conditioner on for the recommended time and anything beyond that isn't necessary.

I read this article too and haven't been "DC'ing" for over a year now with no adverse affects. I usually don't leave a conditioner on for more than 10-15 mins and my hair looks and feels great. Like the article said, all conditioner is for is to soften and make your hair pliable so you can comb through it, that's it really. Besides after about 10 minutes, your hair has absorbed what its going to. After that, you're leaving it on soley for you b/c leaving it on longer wont give any additional benefits.
 
See here's the thing, sometimes people start taking care of their hair that may or may not be damaged. They start DCing regularly and their hair is healthy and in good condition and the DCing probably had something to do with that. Then they don't DC and they say, omg is DCing really necessary? The purpose of rinse out conditioners is to replenish and maintain moisture in your hair. If your hair is not healthy then a rinse out won't do anything. A DC is supposed to give your hair mosture (or strength or both depending on the conditioner) that it doesn't have already. So if your hair is in good condition, then yes the rinse out conditioner will maintain that. This causes some people to say that DCing isn't necessary, when in fact, DCing may have brought their hair to that healthy state.
I'm not sure if DCing even when one doesn't "need" it hurts though.
And I don't agree with the natural haven article. I think I've read it before. It was linked in another thread. DC is definitely NOT a myth lol. Maybe not necessary for everyone all the time, but not a myth, absolutely not.

OP, do what works for you. DCing 2x a month sounds good to me.
 
I actually read this article on The Natural Haven. It's called "Is DC a myth?" Check it out. http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/03/monday-myths-can-you-really-deep.html
It actually says that we only need to leave conditioner on for the recommended time and anything beyond that isn't necessary.


I've been thinking the same thing as of late, I'll see some ladies post that they left their DC on for hours or even slept with it overnight and in my mind I just know...waste of time. The hair can only absorb so much, heat is what helps it take a little more in but once you get past the realistic amount of time a product should be left on your head it's pretty much just sitting there not doing anything anymore.

That's also something I wonder about baggying though I know that has different ideas behind it.
 
I'm such a lazy bum when it comes to having to jump out of the shower, then go back in, then get back out again. I get so irritated..but I think I will just stop being lazy and keep dcing for at least. 2-3x a month..I'll give myself a pass on the other times I wash. Thanks for the input ladies. Alls I know is that I will never,ever overnight dc again. It was uncomfortable as heck.
 
My regular conditioning is about 5-8 mins in the shower. DCs I try to do weekly, but is usually biweekly and lasts anywhere from 30 mins under heat to 1/2 the day with heat intermittently.

I think I could get away with doing less/shorter, but I enjoy it and love how soft my hair feels.
 
I read this article too and haven't been "DC'ing" for over a year now with no adverse affects. I usually don't leave a conditioner on for more than 10-15 mins and my hair looks and feels great. Like the article said, all conditioner is for is to soften and make your hair pliable so you can comb through it, that's it really. Besides after about 10 minutes, your hair has absorbed what its going to. After that, you're leaving it on soley for you b/c leaving it on longer wont give any additional benefits.

ITA. The article makes perfect sense. If you consider a strand of hair and its diameter, it's hard for me to understand how it can continue to absorb for hours on end.
I stopped "DCing" and haven't had ill effects. i do, however apply coconut oil overnight before wash day, based on reading this at Natural Haven:

How to get the best from coconut oil


1. Time, time, time is key. The oil needs time to penetrate into the hair. Studies usually copy the overnight method used by Indian women. One study suggests applying the oil atleast 14 hours before washing.
2. It is best as both a pre-wash and post-wash treatment to help reduce
protein loss (cuticle damage during combing).
3. As a
prewash treatment it will later limit the amount of water entering the hair and stop the hair from swelling excessively.

http://thenaturalhaven.blogspot.com/2009/10/guide-to-using-ingredients-coconut-oil.html

By the way, love your blog AGCM! :yep:
 
I read this article too and haven't been "DC'ing" for over a year now with no adverse affects. I usually don't leave a conditioner on for more than 10-15 mins and my hair looks and feels great. Like the article said, all conditioner is for is to soften and make your hair pliable so you can comb through it, that's it really. Besides after about 10 minutes, your hair has absorbed what its going to. After that, you're leaving it on soley for you b/c leaving it on longer wont give any additional benefits.

There are conditioners that do more than make hair "soft and pliable". Here's an article that talks about the different types of conditioners: http://www.articlealley.com/article_555477_23.html

A moisturizing conditioner would be to make hair soft and pliable, but what about protein conditioners? Reconstructors? Volumizing conditioners?
 
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