Yes! Over-conditioning hair can cause hair breakage and, therefore, hair loss. This is because using leave-in deep conditioning and overuse of regular conditioner products can cause the hair shaft to become dry and susceptible to hair breakage and loss.
However, if a deep conditioner is left in the hair for too long, it can lead to build-up on the hair shaft, which can weigh down the hair and make it feel heavy and greasy. This build-up can also cause the cuticle to become raised, which can lead to frizz and a rough, dull appearance.
Depending on the condition of your hair, you should use a deep conditioning treatment around once a week. However, if your hair feels dry and stressed, you can use them up to 2-3 times a week.
``You know you've over-conditioned when your hair feels too soft and limp, or if it feels heavy, thick, and oily,'' Philip cautions.
Even your curl pattern can be affected by deep conditioning for too long. The curl pattern can become looser as elasticity is lost. Moisturizing for an extended amount of time keeps the hair stretched which can lead to the loss of elasticity.
How often you deep condition your hair will depend on what your personal needs are, however, leaving it in for hours or overnight can lead to hygral fatigue. Hygral fatigue is damage to your hair follicles caused by swelling from excessive moisture.
Too much conditioning can create over-moisturized hair and disrupt the proper balance of moisture and protein that hair needs. Deep conditioning once or twice a week is more than enough, anything more than that may be overdoing it.
Signs Your Hair Is Overly Moisturized
Your hair is limp and falls flat. Your hair is dull and flat-looking. Your hair feels spongy and mushy when wet and feels too soft and fluffy when dry. Your hair has low elasticity — stretches when wet but doesn't bounce back when released.
Signs and Symptoms of Over-Conditioned Hair
You'll notice your hair becoming unmanageable, soft, limp, or flat. Any sort of updo will be impossible, as your hair has no natural grip.
Shampoo your hair to remove the excess conditioner.
Rinse out the shampoo in warm water. Use a daily clarifying shampoo if you have one, since it will remove excess product buildup. However, any shampoo will work. If you're worried your hair still feels greasy, go ahead and shampoo your hair again.
To keep your 4c hair type healthy and looking great, you should condition it once a week. It can be done using a deep cleanser and a moisturizer specifically designed for 4C hair type.
Comb your hair so it's free of any tangles. Apply your deep conditioning mask, starting at the ends and working up your hair. Brush the mask through your hair for even coverage. Cover your hair with a shower cap and leave on for the desired length of time.
If you use too much product and don't rinse the conditioner properly, your hair will likely feel heavy and weighed down. This is particularly true of fine hair types. It can also feel greasy, as the build-up of the product will sit on the scalp overnight, leaving an uncomfortable residue.
Buildup. Sebum, dead skin cells, and product residue on the hair and scalp can also add significant weight to strands so they fall limp.
Also known as reverse conditioning or the reverse shampoo method, reverse hair washing refers to the process of applying conditioner before shampoo—the inverse of what most people usually do. Depending on your hair type, there are some notable benefits of this approach.
Although it's hard to say how much conditioning is too much for any specific athlete, the National Center of Sports Safety (NCSS) suggests that younger athletes should not train for more than 18-20 hours per week.
One major sign is a change in the look and texture of your hair as it may start to look dry, dull, and brittle. Your hair may feel more coarse and struggle to hold a curl when dealing with protein overload. Too much protein may also cause split ends and breakage, leaving hair to shed more.
In the event of over-moisturising your skin for a period of time, you could notice your skin becoming bumpy, clogged pores, breakouts, and even dry spots.
Going a long time without washing your hair can cause a buildup of a yeast-like fungus called Malassezia on your scalp. Over time, this leads to a layer of dead skin cells that shed from your head in the form of oily, yellow-ish dandruff flakes. Dandruff can also make your scalp red, scaly, and itchy.
Unlike regular conditioners, deep conditioners should sit on your hair anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes. But be careful, leaving your deep conditioner in for an elongated period of time too often can cause you to over-condition your hair.
Here's a general overview: For those with dry, damaged, or color-treated hair, daily wetting may not be advisable as it can further strip the hair of its natural oils and moisture, leading to increased dryness, frizz, and breakage.