So what does conditioner do anyways?

[Kara]

I was at the drugstore today looking for some things and I came across the shampoo aisle. I looked closely at the shampoo I was going to buy and it recommended that conditioner be used in tandem with the shampoo. Except...I've never done that. What difference does it make, really?

[V M]

It does exactly what it says...It conditions your hair so that it is softer and easier to brush out. Some will add volume to your hair making it look more full  After you try it and notice the difference, you wont want to go without it 

[Kara]

It does exactly what it says...It conditions your hair so that it is softer and easier to brush out. Some will add volume to your hair making it look more full  After you try it and notice the difference, you wont want to go without it 

Okay thanks for the info. I might have to try that after all. 

[Flan]

It's mostly to reduce the damage shampoo tends to do to hair (as shampoo is mostly to clean the scalp, the chemicals to dig deep have the tendency to dry things out, causing breakage/split ends)

[sd]

If you have short hair, you really shouldn't need it.

[Kara]

If you have short hair, you really shouldn't need it.

I've been growing my hair out actually, so I can see I'm going to be spending a lot of money on hair products in the years ahead. 

[Nero]

what kind of hair do you have? thick, thin, straight, curly, flat, etc? that makes a huge difference on what kind you get and what it does. and do you have highlights or color in your hair?

[Kara]

what kind of hair do you have? thick, thin, straight, curly, flat, etc? that makes a huge difference on what kind you get and what it does. and do you have highlights or color in your hair?

My hair is semi-thick I guess. It's naturally curly, but not overly so. I'd say maybe half flat, half curly. A little bit like this guy's hair:



I don't color it or highlight though. I just let it grow, wash it everyday and pretty much leave it alone.

[Nero]

and what would you like it to do? straighten out, curl out, be more fluffy, etc?

[Kara]

and what would you like it to do? straighten out, curl out, be more fluffy, etc?

For the present, I just want it to grow faster. Once I have it as long as I'd like, then I'll make up my mind as to what I want then. 

[Nero]

ok. then you should get one that says it helps split ends.

[findingreason]

I've been growing my hair out actually, so I can see I'm going to be spending a lot of money on hair products in the years ahead. 

You can have really nice hair and stuff without breaking the bank on hair care products. I found Garnier Fructis works quite nicely, and keeps my hair looking good. Only $3 or so for a 13oz bottle of  shampoo or conditioner products. I have some leave-in conditioner I use occasionally....I forget exactly what it was, but it was like $6 or so.

[Kara]

You can have really nice hair and stuff without breaking the bank on hair care products. I found Garnier Fructis works quite nicely, and keeps my hair looking good. Only $3 or so for a 13oz bottle of  shampoo or conditioner products. I have some leave-in conditioner I use occasionally....I forget exactly what it was, but it was like $6 or so.

Hum yeah, maybe I'm overpaying on my stuff....I always use the Nexus Therappe stuff, which is like 20 dollars for a big bottle of shampoo. It's too bad, I just bought a new bottle today. 

[gothique11]

Yes, get conditioner. Depending on your hair, you might have different needs. The more you style it, dye it, and do things with it the more you need conditioner for your hair. With longer hair, you need conditioner to help your hair keep strong, and not all split-ended and breaking.

If you're growing it out, getting it cut and styled is a good idea. I know that that sounds counter productive, but it actually is good because it dispells split ends and your hair won't look unkempt as it grows out. If you tell your hair stylist that you're growing out your hair, he or she won't cut a lot off, but will style it with layers and even your hair out. This makes your hair look good through-out growing your hair longer.

I know too many people in the trans community that just try to grow their hair out without ever cutting it -- it starts looking bad pretty fast.

When I grew my hair out, I got it cut every couple of months or so (shorter hair, you need to get styled a little more often). As it got longer, I didn't need to get it styled as much. Even when it was long (I had long hair for 2 years) I still got cuts at least 2-3 times a year to get rid of aweful split ends, even out my hair and add layers (helps with volume, look and style). My hair looked great!

Last year, I shaved most of my head and just kept long bangs in the front (me being punk LOL). I've been growing it out since then, and now it's longer. I've had it cut a few times. Only twice, however, 'cause I cut my hair just before SRS and after SRS it took a while before my hair started growing again (in some people, after a major event or surgery, you can get affects like hair not growing). It's growing really fast now. But, still need to get it cut and styled and I need to take good care of it with a good shampoo and conditioner to make sure my hair is strong.

Well, styled and conditioned hair makes a huge difference.

[V M]

I have some leave-in conditioner I use occasionally....I forget exactly what it was, but it was like $6 or so.

I use one called Thermasilk. It's heat activated. Put some on and wear a hat awhile and my curly locks nearly de-tangle themselves. Plus it smells good and makes my hair shine 

[Eva Marie]

You can have really nice hair and stuff without breaking the bank on hair care products. I found Garnier Fructis works quite nicely, and keeps my hair looking good. Only $3 or so for a 13oz bottle of  shampoo or conditioner products. I have some leave-in conditioner I use occasionally....I forget exactly what it was, but it was like $6 or so.

Funny, just this week I bought some of that over the generic suave stuff i've been using. The difference is remarkable, my hair is a lot fuller now and I can do more with it. I would have never thought that shampoo would make that kind of difference. Haven't tried using conditioner yet.

[Alyssa M.]

You need consitioner specifically because shampoo removes the natural oils that coat your hair. Shampoo is specifically formulated to clean hair gently and not leave residue (that's what the sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium laureth sulfate is for), which is why you should use it instead of regular soap. You wouldn't need it if you never washed your hair, since the oils would remain there.

Try different kinds to find out what works best to keep your hair manaeable -- free of kinks and frizz, no split ends, easy to brush out. Ask some friends what works for them, especially friends with similar hair. You might also use a hair product for styling after you dry your hair to make it look the best. Many women do, because long hair tends to get unruly if you don't actively intervene. It's just not the same as having short hair.

Oh, and if your hair gets wavy when it dries, blow dry straight it with a brush.

[Naturally Blonde]

I was at the drugstore today looking for some things and I came across the shampoo aisle. I looked closely at the shampoo I was going to buy and it recommended that conditioner be used in tandem with the shampoo. Except...I've never done that. What difference does it make, really?

Are you serious? where do you live? shampoo conditioner has been out for the last 40 years!

[V M]

Are you serious? where do you live? shampoo conditioner has been out for the last 40 years!

Easy there now....Don't go throwing the Neanderthal thing on anybody just because they're looking for advise about something.

[Miniar]

Just a quick point here..

The hair is made of the same material as your nails.
That means, you can't "repair" split ends, or "repair" damage.

However, a good conditioner can make it less apparent, or reduce chances of damage/split ends to happen in the first place.