It’s no secret that when it comes to curly hair, finding the perfect balance of products to use is the key to achieving your curl goals. While everyone has unique curl needs, keeping your strands hydrated is an easy way to make sure curls are defined, shiny, and healthy-looking. This is why deep conditioning is essential for curly hair. Deep conditioning treatment masks can also help to restore, repair, and strengthen hair by providing nourishment after things like heat styling, color processes, chemical treatments, or even weather and environmental factors. Keep reading to discover the benefits of deep conditioning treatments and how to use them to enhance all waves, curls, and coils.<br />First things first: what is a deep conditioning treatment?<br />Deep conditioning involves using a hydrating treatment mask to provide more intense, concentrated conditioning to curls. Deep conditioning masks can also provide targeted treatment based on your specific hair needs. For example, if you’re looking to help repair damage and strengthen strands, try a creamy, nourishing hair mask like the Ultra-Nourishing Intense Hydrating Mask to give your curls a boost of moisture that will help replenish dry, damaged, or overprocessed hair. Reparative treatments like this are known to provide increased hydration to hair’s cuticle by restoring natural oils, which ultimately helps curls look and feel healthier over time.<br />How do deep conditioning treatments work?<br />Deep conditioning treatments can also help with other hair needs, such as adding shine, neutralizing brassy tones, fighting frizz, balancing the scalp, and more. It’s important to note that deep conditioning masks are different than the conditioners typically used after shampooing – the main difference is that deep conditioning treatments are highly concentrated and provide richer, more powerful hydration to strands because of the intensely nourishing and reparative ingredients. This allows them to penetrate more deeply into the hair shaft for a more effective treatment.<br />Curls in particular are often more prone to frizz and dryness at the ends due to the structure of the hair strand, since the natural shapes and bends make it more difficult for the scalp’s natural oils to provide moisture towards the ends of the hair. Deep conditioning helps prevent this loss of moisture by hydrating curls from root to tip, which ultimately helps restore the curl pattern and make hair look healthy overall. Reach for a deep conditioning mask that has good-for-curl ingredients like nourishing butters and hydrating natural oils such as grapeseed, avocado, and black castor oil to make sure your curls are getting the moisture they crave.<br />When should deep conditioning treatments be used?<br />Reach for one of these treatments whenever you’re looking for an extreme boost of hydration and conditioning benefits to help revitalize your hair and suit your individual curl needs. The best results occur when you regularly use deep conditioning treatments in your existing haircare routine, but it’s also important to avoid overuse as too much moisture can weigh finer curls and waves down. Try incorporating a deep conditioning mask into your routine once a week, depending on how frequently you time your wash days.<br />Thicker hair textures may find that they prefer to deep condition more often to help seal in moisture for their strands, while finer to medium hair textures may prefer to do it every other week or once a month as an intense replenishing treatment. It all depends on what works best for you and your curls! You can also consult a curly hairstylist the next time you’re at the salon to get more personalized recommendations based on your hair needs.<br />How do you use a deep conditioning treatment?<br />After cleansing with your favorite shampoo, apply a deep conditioning treatment mask to damp hair from root to tip. Make sure that curls are fully saturated with the treatment – try using a wide-tooth comb or a gentle detangling brush to help evenly distribute the deep conditioner. It’s important to leave the treatment mask on for the appropriate amount of time. Most deep conditioning treatments are recommended to be left on for 5-10 minutes, but always check the instructions to make sure you’re allowing the product enough time for the nourishing ingredients to penetrate the cuticle. Once the deep conditioning treatment has been in for the recommended time, rinse it out of your hair and style as desired. Curls will be left looking and feeling healthier, hydrated, and defined.<br />Long story short: Deep conditioning is a must!<br />Deep conditioning treatments are truly a game changer when it comes to caring for curls because of the various benefits that they offer. Using these treatments regularly can add intense hydration, help enhance the curl pattern, provide definition, help repair and strengthen, and more. To learn more about deep conditioning treatment masks made specifically for curly hair, visit Ouidad.com.