Not looking as natural unless I use conditioner?

[jackblack71]

I dont know if it's just me being paranoid, but when my hair is longer (in between haircuts) I dont feel my hair looks natural and if I don't use conditioner it looks "puffy"

 

Anyone else experience this?

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Jack,

 

The phenomenon you're describing with the conditioner is basically the reason conditioner was made in the first place and the mechanism behind how it works.

 

I'll ask you this: why do you think this occurs? Why do you think the hair looks "puffy" before you use the conditioner?

 

The answer is actually kind of interesting. I discuss it with patients during consultations from time-to-time.

[jackblack71]

Jack,

 

The phenomenon you're describing with the conditioner is basically the reason conditioner was made in the first place and the mechanism behind how it works.

 

I'll ask you this: why do you think this occurs? Why do you think the hair looks "puffy" before you use the conditioner?

 

The answer is actually kind of interesting. I discuss it with patients during consultations from time-to-time.

 

Thanks Dr! I have no idea other than my hair looks "puffy" and I feel like people are staring at my hair...:-) Looking forward to your answer.

 

Thanks!!

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

So here's how it works:

 

Hair shafts are essentially sponges that soak up oil. Your scalp naturally secretes oil, and almost everything our hair comes into contact with deposits oil on the hair or on the scalp -- which is then "soaked up" by the hair shafts. When the hair shafts are enriched with oil, they look thicker, fatter, and heavier. As I'm sure you've noticed, if you go a few days without washing your hair, it definitely looks "greasy" from the oils, but it's also heavier, fatter, and harder to style because of this. If you were to look at your hair shafts under a microscope during this phase, they would look very swollen or full.

 

When you wash your hair, you essentially wash these oils away with soap. Because the hair is no longer held down by the oil, it's lighter, easier to style or make stand up a bit, and it probably looks "puffier" all around.

 

What conditioner does is basically replace the bad oils you washed away with good oils. This allows the hair shafts to "drink up" these oils and look full and heavier again. But because these are oils specially used for cosmetic purposes, they aren't the type that give you the "greasy" look like the natural build-up oils do.

 

So your hair looks "puffier" without conditioner because it's likely clean and lacking the oils that make the hair shafts swollen and heavier. If you put conditioner on the scalp and leave it there for a bit, the shafts will soak up the oil, and boom!, the poofy look will subside.

 

Kind of cool, right? And totally normal. Nothing wrong with your hair specifically.

[jackblack71]

So here's how it works:

 

Hair shafts are essentially sponges that soak up oil. Your scalp naturally secretes oil, and almost everything our hair comes into contact with deposits oil on the hair or on the scalp -- which is then "soaked up" by the hair shafts. When the hair shafts are enriched with oil, they look thicker, fatter, and heavier. As I'm sure you've noticed, if you go a few days without washing your hair, it definitely looks "greasy" from the oils, but it's also heavier, fatter, and harder to style because of this. If you were to look at your hair shafts under a microscope during this phase, they would look very swollen or full.

 

When you wash your hair, you essentially wash these oils away with soap. Because the hair is no longer held down by the oil, it's lighter, easier to style or make stand up a bit, and it probably looks "puffier" all around.

 

What conditioner does is basically replace the bad oils you washed away with good oils. This allows the hair shafts to "drink up" these oils and look full and heavier again. But because these are oils specially used for cosmetic purposes, they aren't the type that give you the "greasy" look like the natural build-up oils do.

 

So your hair looks "puffier" without conditioner because it's likely clean and lacking the oils that make the hair shafts swollen and heavier. If you put conditioner on the scalp and leave it there for a bit, the shafts will soak up the oil, and boom!, the poofy look will subside.

 

Kind of cool, right? And totally normal. Nothing wrong with your hair specifically.

 

Thanks Doc!! And here's a pic after my haircut and with conditioner..:-)

[hsrp10]

Are you using Nizoral for shampoo? Used to hear this a lot in the past where Niz would friz the hair and people had to use conditioner to get it normal looking.

[pkipling]

I've had this problem my entire life - especially on the sides. I typically have about a two week period after a haircut where it looks exactly how I want it to look and it's easy to fix. Then once the sides start getting longer, they start looking puffy (and in my mind, this completely changes the shape of my face and my entire look). Ideally I would get a haircut every 3 weeks, but that gets expensive, soooo.....

 

My shampoo/conditioner does help with this though, so Dr. Bloxham's explanation makes a lot of sense.

[jackblack71]

Are you using Nizoral for shampoo? Used to hear this a lot in the past where Niz would friz the hair and people had to use conditioner to get it normal looking.

 

No, I was using Waterman's shampoo but not sure if its helps or not.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Blake,

 

I appreciate you sharing this. Conditioner can give flat hair body because it moisturizes it and provides it with nutrients (the good oils as you call it). Some moisturizing shampoos and shampoo/conditioner combos can do the same thing. But many people (including me) enjoys using conditioner as it makes your hair look and feel healthier and better.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill