Do you use conditioner as part of your hair care routine? Or are you someone that just lathers up the shampoo, rinses and goes?

According to professional stylists, conditioning your hair is an essential part of proper hair care and should not be left out of your routine. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a guy, or if your hair is long or short, you need to condition your hair.

Why You Should Use Hair Conditioner

There are many reasons for using hair conditioner. The most important are to make your hair smoother, softer, and less likely to be damaged during styling.

Hair has an outer cuticle layer made up of scales. Conditioner moisturizes the scales and makes your hair look smoother and feel softer by keeping the cuticle layer lying flat and staying aligned. This also helps to protect your hair from heat damage during styling. Of course, nothing can protect your hair completely from heat damage, so use heat styling appliances sparingly.

Besides making your hair look nice, conditioner also nourishes and moisturizes your locks to help keep it healthy. Similar to your skin, hair needs moisture too. Actually, conditioner is a lot like lotion for your hair.

Some conditioners also add Vitamin E, protein, Omega-3 fatty acids and biotin, to their formulas, which are all things you need to keep your hair beautiful and healthy.

How To Get the Best Result from Your Hair Conditioner

To get the best results from your hair conditioner, you need to use the right amount. So what is just the right amount? Well, that depends on your hair's length and thickness.

I like use about as much as my middle finger is long, but another method is to start with a nickel size dollop in the palm of your hand and add more as needed. These are just suggestions, so you should experiment and find what works best for you.

Apply the conditioner to the ends of your hair first, working your way up to your scalp. Make sure the conditioner is distributed evenly.

Let it sit for about 5 minutes. I have long hair, so I keep a jaw clip in the shower to hold my hair up and out of the way while I finish bathing the rest of my body. When you're ready, take your hair down, run a little water through it and then comb with a wide tooth comb to eliminate any tangles. To avoid leaving any residue in your hair (which can show up as white flakes), make sure you rinse the conditioner very well.

If you’re going to style your hair with heat, like using a blow dryer or curling iron, it's a good idea to use a leave-in conditioner too. It will add another layer of protection from heat damage and give your hair some extra moisture.

Basically, the bottom line in creating soft, smooth and healthy hair is to condition your hair on a regular basis.