Regular deep conditioning is a crucial part of having healthy, frizz-free, shiny curls.
How often you should deep condition your own hair greatly depends on your curls’ texture and porosity. I have found that my naturally curly hair needs more deep conditioning. Here are my tips on deep conditioning 3a curls with medium porosity. I deep condition my curls about every other week, especially during the warmer summer months, as I want to be careful not to over-condition them.
I deep condition my curls about every other week
If your curls already are pretty healthy (e.g. usually well-moisturized with only a little frizz”>, be careful not to over-condition your curls, either. You will notice your curls being super-soft but just hanging down with no elasticity. If you notice this, get your protein and moisture balance right with a treatment.
While I don’t mark the day down on a calendar that I have deep conditioned on, I can feel when my curls need some extra moisture. Especially if you notice your curls feeling drier than usual, it’s time to deep condition.
Signs it’s time to deep condition
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My curls are less shiny than they usually are.
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The ends of my hair do not properly clump and even look a little frizzy.
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My curls are more tangled than usual and I cannot explain why. Not just because I have not washed them for several days, or even because I was at the beach.
This is what my curls look like after adding a good deep conditioning treatment:
My deep conditioning routine
My deep conditioning routine starts the same as my regular conditioning: I wash my hair with shampoo and then detangle my curls with Kinky Curly Knot Today. As soon as I have combed through my curls and washed out my detangler, I apply a generous amount of deep conditioner. When I deep condition, I just replace my usual conditioner.
I apply the deep conditioner to my fine curls by combing it in. I use quite a lot (see the photo below”> to make sure all of my curls are fully saturated from root to tip. Then, I leave the product in my curls for about 10 to 15 minutes before I thoroughly rinse it out.
I make sure I rinse all of the deep conditioner thoroughly so my curls are not limp and weighed down, then I style my curls as usual.
If regular deep conditioning does nothing for your 3a curls, should consider adding some heat and also adding some oil to seal in the moisture. This is especially important if your waves or curls are highly porous.
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My favorite deep conditioners
I have tried a few different deep conditioners, but the following four seem to work best for my curls.
Which deep conditioner do you like most? Follow me on my blog JustCurly.com for more curly tips, hairstyle tutorials and product reviews.
