What’s your hair washing routine? If you’ve always been a shampoo-and-go kind of guy, it’s time to add conditioner to your shower line-up. Keep reading to learn why hair conditioner is necessary for men, and how to choose the best conditioner for you.
Is Conditioner Necessary for Men?
In short: Yes, men should use conditioner. Damage from combing, styling, sun, and pollution can dry out your hair. As a result, hair can look straw-like and dull. And it can even break off! Not a pretty sight. While shampoo is great for cleansing dirt and oil from your hair and scalp, you also need to hydrate your hair to keep it looking its best.
Conditioner works by infusing nutrients and moisture into the outside cuticle of your hair strands, keeping them looking healthy and great. This is an easy step to add to your routine — think of conditioner as another grooming tool you can use to look your best.
And yes, this means you! Unless you shave your head, conditioner is essential for keeping even short hair healthy.
Choosing the Best Hair Conditioner for Men
Not all conditioners are created equally. Most conditioners can be divided into three types:
Rinse-Out Conditioner
This is the most common type of hair conditioner. Just apply after shampooing your hair and then rinse it out with cool water. For a moisturizing conditioner that also makes thin hair look fuller, we recommend that men use Viviscal Thickening Conditioner after washing their hair with Viviscal Thickening Shampoo.
Deep Conditioner
Deep conditioner is an ultra-moisturizing treatment for your hair. You leave deep conditioners on your hair longer than traditional rinse-out conditioners – usually somewhere between 5-20 minutes.
Most hair experts recommend using deep conditioner treatments once or twice a week to keep hair healthy and hydrated. However, if you color your hair, you’ll want to use deep conditioning treatments more often.
Leave-In Conditioner
Leave-in conditioners often have a more watery formula and usually are packaged in spray bottles. You apply leave-in conditioner to wet hair after you get out of the shower. And as the name implies, you don’t rinse it out.
Leave-in conditioner helps to detangle hair, which makes it a particularly helpful product for men with longer hair.
You can purchase ready-made leave-in conditioner. Or make your own by mixing equal parts rinse-out conditioner and water in a spray bottle.
The Best Conditioners for Men by Hair Type
Choose the right hair conditioner for you based on your hair type. Find your hair type below to discover which hair conditioner will work for you.
Fine or Thinning Hair
Men with fine or thinning hair should avoid heavy conditioners that weigh down hair.
However, that’s no excuse to skip conditioner altogether! After all, without that hydration, hair can become brittle and break off. And that’s the last thing you want when your hair is thinning.
That’s why we recommend Viviscal Thickening Conditioner. This formula uses aloe to moisturize hair weightlessly, making thin hair look thicker. Use with Viviscal Thickening Shampoo for best results.
Dry Hair
Dry hair is brittle and especially prone to breakage. Dry hair can be genetic or caused by excessive processing. Either way, dry hair can benefit from more frequent deep conditioning treatments.
Oily Hair
Even if your hair is oily, you still need hydration after shampooing. Use Viviscal Thickening Conditioner, which uses lightweight hydrating ingredients to moisturize hair without contributing to extra oiliness.
Do you use hair conditioner? Let us know in the comments!