In top condition at salons

Why do salon conditioning treatments work better than slathering on a handful of conditioner in the shower?

More than anything else, it’s the combination of time, heat and application.

Your stylist, unlike you, will patiently apply an even coating of conditioner to every strand of hair. That means stroking a generous amount through your hair, beginning a few inches from the roots and working it through the hair, concentrating on the ends (using your hands or a comb work best). Don’t just glop the conditioner at the roots – that will likely leave hair limp.

Next, the pros will wrap your head in a warm towel or cover it in a shower cap, and put you under the hair dryer. The heat helps the product penetrate the hair fiber in a way it usually can’t on its own.

Finally, there’s the benefit of time. It takes at least 15 minutes for conditioner to have an effect, and the longer you leave it on, the better the results. Some stylists even recommend overnight in extreme bleach-out situations.

And what about choosing the right product?

Your stylist has an advantage here. Professional formulas target specific hair types and problems, while commercial conditioners tend to be all-purpose. The good news is that even the most basic products will give good results, says Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd of University of Miami’s cosmetics research lab. She recommended VO5 Moisturizing Hot Oil Treatment ($3.50 in drug stores).

“It boils down to buying something and trying it and if you don’t like it, try something else,” says Ronald DiSalvo, a Marina del Rey hair-products chemist. And you needn’t worry that you’ll hurt your hair from over-conditioning – especially in the summer. Armand de León, creative director for Sassoon Salon in Beverly Hills, says hair can fade from exposure to sun and swimming-pool chlorine, and weekly conditioning sessions are in order.

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Valli Herman