Everyone tries to look their best when out and about in the world. This means taking care of one’s body, wearing well-fitted clothes, and grooming. We all know how much attention women pay to their grooming. Why should men fall behind?

To avoid the risk of greasiness, dry and tangled hair, you must know the use and how often should you use conditioner on your hair.

Grooming is one of the essential aspects when it comes to improving your appearance. 

For men, taking good care of their hair is more than just getting a haircut regularly. It requires adequate cleansing, proper management, and appropriate styling. 

To perform any or all of the tasks mentioned above, we need the help of conditioners. There are many reasons why you need to condition your hair. It’s important to keep your scalp moisturized and strengthen your hair follicles by applying it at least once a week.

But Before We Go Further, What Exactly Is A Conditioner?

The technical answer, according to Wikipedia, is,” Hair conditioner is a hair care product used to improve the feel, appearance, and manageability of hair. Its main purpose is to reduce friction between strands of hair to allow smoother brushing or combing, which might otherwise cause damage to the scalp”.

As the name suggests, it is a hair product that works on the condition of your hair. Conditioners are moisturizing agents designed to provide the hair with smoothness, shine, and nourishment to boost healthy growing hair. 

We use shampoos to cleanse our hair. In that process, they also strip the hair of the natural oil, leaving the scalp dry and prone to damage. This is where a conditioner steps in to ensure that hair remains healthy and intact. 

Why Use Conditioners?

why use conditioner

With the varying hair types, they all have their specific needs. Straight hair generally has an oily scalp, so you might not need rich conditioners for them. But in men with wavy, curly, or coily hair, conditioners play a vital role in their maintenance. 

These hair types have very less or no oil deposit provided by the scalp. As a result, the hair becomes brittle and is prone to dandruff, split ends, or even thinning hair. 

Adam Friedman, Washington DC-based board-certified dermatologist, says that “Conditioner refortifies the cuticle with a protective coating, allowing the hair to keep growing and not break easily.” He explains his statement using the example of ‘cement filling a pothole.’ 

He also mentions,” When the hair is exposed to the outside world, the cuticle, or outer lining, gets damaged until it ultimately breaks; the conditioner fills in those injuries and coats the hair to assist the cuticle.”

Types Of Conditioners

According to Google, there are three types;

  • Rinse Out

These are the most well-known and common types of conditions found in the market. They are very simple and easy to use. They work on the outer surface of the hair cuticles by coating them. They provide the hair with moisture, smoothness and also protect them from heat. 

To use them, pour out a small amount into your hand and apply it to your hair covering from the roots to the tips. Let it settle in your hair for a minute or two, and then rinse it away. 

  • Leave-In

These types of conditioners are very less dense, lightweight, and thin in nature. They work as a quick fix for dry and dull hair by adding moisture and shine to it. It contains surfactants, which allows it to treat individual strands of hair and coat them with the conditioner.

The Leave-in conditioner is very good at detangling the hair. To use it, you apply it to your hair by either massaging it in or spraying it like any other styling product. These conditioners work best for men with thinner, oily, or curly hair. 

  • Deep Conditioners

Deep conditioners are meant for people with severely damaged hair. They work on a deeper level than any other conditioner. They contain essential oils, emulsifiers, and waxes that repair the damaged hair and give them a glossy effect. 

Since these conditioners work on the hair in depth, they need more time to settle down in the hair. When you apply the conditioner to your hair, leave it for 30 minutes and let it do its job.

Ideally, deep conditioners should be used once every week or a month, depending on your hair type, as its effects do not last forever.

How often should you condition your hair male?

The frequency at which you will apply conditioners to your hair will depend on the type and thickness of your hair. Also, other points such as the individual’s requirements and climatic factors can be considered valuable aspects. 

For straight and thin hair-  

straight and thin hair

Straight hair is known to have an oily scalp, which means the presence of sebum in abundance. These scalps are less likely to run dry. That means you don’t have to condition your hair every day. Conditioners work as great re-hydrating agents, which is the least of requirements for an oily scalp.

Men can moisturize straight hair with regular conditioners as well as leave-in conditioners. If it is short in length, conditioning your hair once or twice a week can be considered ideal. 

Longer hair demands more care and attention. They tend to run dry faster and grab dirt particles much faster. The frequency shall go up a notch to reduce the chances of damage, moving to two-three times a week. 

Also, moisturize your hair with a deep conditioner once a week or two to fight against the residue build-up. 

For thick, wavy, and curly hair

thick, wavy, and curly hair

Wavy and curly hair have a thicker density. The scalp type ranges from normal to dry. Since the hair starts to bend after a couple of inches, it is difficult for the oil released from the scalp to reach down to the hair tips. It is one of the reasons why wavy and curly hair takes longer to get dirty. 

For men with these hair types, conditioning the hair 3 to 5 times a week should be good enough. Applying conditioner to the hair often will provide the dry scalp and hair with moisture, shine, and protection from the heat.

As the frequency of hair conditioning will be higher, men should be using rinse-out conditioners to hydrate their hair. They are not too rich in nature, and will not weigh the hair down due to less oil.

For Coarse And Coily Hair

coarse and coily hair

Oily hair is known to have a zig-zag pattern and a very dry scalp. Men with this hair type are often found complaining about damaged and brittle hair. It means you will have to condition your hair almost every other day, if not daily. 

Most men with oily and coarse hair are seen turning to chemical treatments as a quick fix for their hair. With the regular use of leave-in conditioners and deep conditioners, they will be saving themselves from tons of spent money and a future full of agonizing trips to the dermatologist regarding hair problems.

Conclusion

Condition your hair every day if you have coarse or curly hair to avoid hair breakage. For men with wavy hair and a normal scalp, conditioning the hair 4-5 times a week is an ideal frequency.

For straight-haired men, it is quite an option to condition their hair. They will not benefit from conditioning their hair frequently as the excess moisture will give a greasy look and lead to quick dust build-up on the scalp.