Exercise is essential to our hair and overall health. Sometimes we sacrifice our hair for working out, and vice versa.
However, it is possible to multitask and work up a sweat while deep conditioning. Read on to find out why you and or shouldn’t deep condition while working out.
Is it OK to deep condition your hair while working out?
While it’s great to multitask, leaving conditioner on your hair for too long could be bad for your hair. According to this article, the maximum time for deep conditioning is about 30 minutes with the minimum being 20 minutes. If you are going to for a brisk walk or a high impact work out for 20-30 mins you can benefit from deep conditioning. However, if you’re going to be spending an hour or more at the gym it’s best to leave your deep conditioner at home.
Is it really that bad?
Don’t think leaving deep conditioner on your hair is better. Deep conditioning while working out will result in your hair being overly conditioned–too much of a good thing isn’t always better. “Hair that is softer results from a change in keratin forming that will be weaker and more prone to breaking if manipulated.” The loss of keratin in your hair will cause your hair to lose its elasticity, making it much more susceptible to damage from heat and hair dyes. Keep your hair strong and don’t leave your deep conditioner in for too long.
Remember these 4 things
1. Only do a 20-30 minute workouts if you must while you deep condition. More than that will leave your hair overly conditioned with characteristics of mushy hair.
2. Wear heated plastic caps or thermal cap. The Hair Therapy Thermal Wrap works well for textured hair that lacks moisture.
3. Do get the most from you deep conditioner while working out and go for an intense 20-30 mins workout. The greater heat will give your deep conditioner a better chance to penetrate the hair shaft for a total deep conditioning treatment.
4. If you want a light conditioning treatment throughout the week, consider using a daily conditioner as a deep conditioner. DevaCurl One Condition doubles as a co-wash during the week and a deep conditioner on Sunday evening before the following week.
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