How important is it to follow up a shampoo with conditioner? My hair is not damaged, but is color treated, and it is VERY short. I don't want that weighed down feel, but my stylist claims it closes the cuticle.

The only thing I have found that I like is Infusium 23's leave in conditioner. Makes hair feel healthy and not heavy at all. Anyone care to comment?

I personally don't think that we need conditioners. When I was a kid we had cream rinse, which didn't so much condition as it detangled. I have very damaged hair and do use conditioner, but when my hair was in good shape there was no such thing as a detangler without a conditioner. I would recommend one of the kids detanglers that they have now. Johnsons and Johnsons makes a good spray in one. It detangles without weighing the hair down.

Until they came up with the kids detanglers we were using adult conditioner in my 3 yr old daughter's hair because it was so tangled after a bath and you couldn't but anything else.

If I didn't use a conditioner, I'd never get a comb thru my hair, it would feel like straw & wouldn't be very managable.
But thats my hair, some people can do without it.
Everyone is different
Corissa

I think conditioner is important to keep your hair healthy. Many shampoos strip your hair of vitamins while they cleanse. Shampoos can help your hair look healthier and give shine.
Infusium is great - you could also try a light, non build up conditioner if you're worried about your hair getting weighed down.
Just my opinion!

My hair used to be a couple of feet long. Stylists were amazed at how healthy it looked. The secret? I have always used a conditioner after every shampoo my entire life.

You do have to rotate them; however, because most will build up on your hair shaft and cause it to look dull or weighed down. You can get around that too though by using a clarifying shampoo every couple of days.

Long or short, I would never skip the conditioning step, even with oily hair.

you're right pom and if you feel like it's weighing you down just apply it to the ends not your whole head of hair

Hi. I'm new. I just wanted to say that at www.naturallycurly.com (http://www.naturallycurly.com) they tell you to ONLY use conditioner, because shampoo can dry out your hair. It says to only use a clarifying shampoo once a week or something like that.

People with short hair may be able to get by without using a conditioner each time they wash their hair, but i'd say people with longer hair would at least need the conditioner to help detangle hair while it's wet and you are attempting to comb it out.

My hair is very fine, silky,gets oily quickly, is just about down to my waist and i only apply a light conditioner to the end bits for ease of combing. I only leave the condition in for about 30 seconds, i rarely if ever use a deep conditioning treatment, wash my hair every 2nd day and i have no split ends and it's still shiny.

I'd say it boils down to each persons hair type, length and what they hope to get out of a conditioner. You still can't beat a healthy diet and drinking lots of water too.

[This message has been edited by Audrey-B (edited 05-09-2003).]

Thanks for all the great responses , but I was hoping you guys could throw some other brand names into this topic to share with each other....thanks, D-

Personally, YES YES YES.... I have naturally curly hair that would be so dry if I didn't condition it. Unfortunately, I can't help you with name brands because anything I would use would be way too heavy for you.

It's true, though, that since my mother has gotten older and gone through hormone changes and been wearing her hair short, it has seemed to lose alot of volume when she's using conditioner, but like you, her hairdresser insists on it. She complains that it's just been limp lately. So, I don't have any answers for you, but if you find something that works well, I'd love for you to let me know because I'm sure my mom would really like to know!

As for conditioner brands.....i don't ever stick to one brand and if you dont want it to way your hair down stay away from the very creamy ones. The lighter the consistency the livelier my hair is and i just buy one from the supermarket.

I can see what your problem is though, having short hair it would be difficult keeping the conditioner away from your scalp and the hair at your scalp just ends up sitting flat with no fullness or body.

Schwartzkopf have some great products which i've tried over the years. There is one which looks kind of like mousse when it comes out of the can and you just rub it between yor hands and then gently run your hands through the ends of your hair (don't know if they still make it or if the name has changed, but it's called Vitalising Creme and a big can lasts forever). It conditions and makes your hair shiny too. There is also one which you can spray at your ends which again gives condition, shine and leaves the hair at your scalp with body and not weighed down.

I found the easiest way to experiment without spending big $$ was each time i'd go to the hairdresser for a trim i'd get them to wash my hair and when they style it they would try a new product in my hair. I'd then see how my hair coped with it for the remainder of the day and if i was happy i'd buy it.

siren,
your mom might like the Infusium leave in conditioner..it is light and does make a difference....don't know what the heck is in this stuff, but results are seen immediately. It is like water you are putting on your hair..not creamy at all.

Audrey b, thanks for the super suggestions.

I have fine, thick hair and NEED conditioner to get thru my hair. There are lots of conditioners out there that are "light" that you could use. They do not weigh your hair down at all. Good luck!



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SARA :D

No, no, the question should be... do we *need* shampoo! I've been washing my hair with conditioner for the past two months now and I'm starting to think I may just never buy shampoo again. My hair is in much better and much more consistent condition now, believe it or not!

To Carroll - You don't use a shampoo? How does your hair get clean? I understand what you're saying, and I would be willing to try the conditioner-only also, but how do you get the hairspray or any other products out of your hair? I wouldn't think conditioner would clean things like that....would it?

Carroll....what type of hair and scalp do you have? My scalp tends to get oily quickly and due to my hair being so fine textured it seems to absorbe the oils rather quickly. If i was to wash it with conditioner it would never get dry in a million years. I have accidentally reached for the conditioner bottle a couple of times and thought i was shampooing my hair and wondered why it didnt foam up. The first time i was in too much of a hurry and just rinsed and combed it out and began blow drying. I wondered why it wouldn't dry, then realised. I had to rewash it and all was ok. So i'm thinking maybe it would depend on hair type.

[This message has been edited by Audrey-B (edited 05-15-2003).]

I didn't think it could ever work for me, either. My hair gets really greasy at the roots really fast, and it's really noticeable because I have blond hair... I *had* to wash my hair every day, or so I thought. But my ends were very, very dry. Since I've been conditioning only my scalp is less greasy and my ends are less dry... I don't really use very many products, but since I've just had a dramatic weather change recently here I have been using mousse and one of those shine sprays and the conditioner really seems to wash everything out. I actually massage the scalp really well with the conditioner and then rinse really, really well. I have very fine curly hair that before used to get really bushy and frizzy if I dared to try to brush it, but since I've been conditioning only I can brush it after it dries and I get nice smooth waves. I also can get away with not washing it everyday, it still looks and feels clean the next day... but I usually work out in the morning and my hair gets drenched from that so I end up washing it anyway.

that's really interesting, what conditioner are you using

Has anyone tried the new Dove line of shampoo and conditioner? I love it! So does my daughter who has waist length wavy/frizzy hair that tangles if you so much as breathe on it. It gives hair a nice shine, makes it more managable, and while the conditioner feels really thick, doesn't weigh your hair down.

I wash my hair daily so once a week or so, I do switch to a clarifying shampoo or whatever else happens to be in shower.

that dove cond. is really nice and smells really good

I tried the Dove cond. and it is very good. I have dry and thick hair and it made my hair smooth and shiny.

I have not tried any of the Dove products personally, but people in the nail salon I go to were saying how they like them as well. So far, I really have not heard any bad things about Dove. Maybe worth a try.

I also think seabell makes a good point about the importance of a clarifying shampoo once a week. I use a heavy pomade in my hair to spike it and I'm sure I am getting a build up from it.

ima stylist with 9 yrs experence.. conditioner does close the cuitcle... if left open u are exposeing ur hair to sun damage heat damage.. if ur current conditioner is weighting ur hair down try a lighter one.. and nothing with blasm... balsm stays in ur hair after its rinsed.. check ur lables...

Deep Shine cream (put a small dab on hands, rub together, and rub on hair) is a great conditioner to use on dry hair. Makes your hair shiny and not weighed down. Smells good too!

Just tried a sample of the new Dove shampoos /conditioners. Nice stuff indeed!