Conditioning is an important part in your showering routine, but most people including myself have been applying the conditioner wrong.
Have you ever wondered whether to put shampoo on the scalp or the hair. Where you put your conditioner on, can make a huge difference in your hair.
The conditioner must be applied from the ends of the hair strands to the mid section of the hair which is exposed to the outside and prone to damage. The conditioner should not be applied to the scalp and the hair roots. This can make a huge difference to your hair.
This article will show you why you should not put your conditioner on your scalp, so that you can clearly see why it should only be applied to the hair.
What is the purpose of using conditioner
Conditioner as the name says, serves the purpose of moisturizing your hair. The conditioner will act as a layer protection to the damaged hair.
The hair cuticles are the outermost layer of a hair strand which is made up of dead cells and forms a protective layer for the hair strands [1].
When the cuticles get damaged due to pollution, lack of moisture etc. it gets scaly. This would allow outside forces like dust and dirt to damage your hair.
What the conditioner does is, it binds to your hair cuticles and forms a protective layer so that the dust and dirt will not enter inside the hair strand. This protective layer makes your hair look shiny and moisturized. Conditioners are also used to reduce the detangling of the hair caused by lack of moisture.
Where should you apply conditioner
The conditioner must be applied from the mid section of the hair to the ends of the hair strand (Outermost end), which is the area exposed more to the outside and gets damaged.
Our hair grows every day. Therefore the hair which is close to the scalp is fresher than the outermost hair. The outermost hair gets more exposed to the sun rays and pollution, therefore the outermost hair gets more damaged.
Further, longer the hair is, less nutrition is received to the ends of the hair strand. This can damage the hair in different ways. The cuticle in the hair can get scaly and cause brittles in the hair. Therefore the hair which gets more damaged needs a layer of protection.
This is where the conditioner comes in for help. It forms a layer of protection over the damaged hair and smoothes the scaled cuticles thereby minimizing the hair brittles.
Why shouldn’t you apply conditioner to the scalp
The conditioners contain chemicals including types of silicone which adds a layer of coating which could block the pores in your scalp and can cause skin irritations.
Conditioner is not a natural moisturizer. It contains chemicals which will form a coating that covers the scaled cuticle. Therefore it is not the hair which looks moisturized and shiny to the outside but the protective layer covering the hair strands.
As a matter of fact the conditioner is engineered so that it remains on the hair even after washing it. Therefore if you apply conditioner to the scalp, it will form the coating layer in the scalp and could affect the hair growth process and reduce the moisture received to the scalp.
This can lead to skin irritations and negatively affect the health of the scalp in the long run.
What should you do if conditioner touches your scalp
The conditioner will not do any serious harm if it touches your scalp, but it must be washed away thoroughly in that instance itself from running cold or normal water.
This is a common problem mostly faced by men with short hair like me, or women with short hair. If you have long hair you can conditioner to the appropriate area with ease. But if you have short hair, then you would have to be careful.
Conditioner is engineered so that it remains as a layer on the surface. Therefore it can be difficult to wash it away. However, if the conditioner touches your scalp you must wash it thoroughly with running water.
If you have been showering in warm water before applying conditioner, then wash the scalp thoroughly with warm water and then give a gentle cold water rinse.
This is since warm water will open up the pores in your scalp and if the conditioner touches while they are open, the pores could get clogged up.
If you have been showering cold water, then you can wash off the conditioner with cold water alone.
Conclusion
The conditioner must be applied to your hair strands instead of the scalp. You could start applying conditioner from the middle section of the hair to the outermost end.
I hope that I have clarified any doubt that you had regarding this.