Co-washing is a popular in the curly hair community. It's the process of washing the hair with conditioner only and avoiding the shampoo.

According to research, co-wash is said to make curls easier to style, increase hair moisture and add shine to the hair. However, this hair regimen causes more harm than good.

Ways Co-Washing Wreak Havoc on Hair

Product Build-Up 

Using ordinary conditioner to wash your hair can lead to serious product buildup. It won't do a good job of removing excess oils and dirt from your scalp, but it'll leave you with more. Excessive product buildup can also lead to clogged hair pores, itchiness, hair loss etc.  Conditioners can leave residue in your hair which can block the follicles and prevent oil and nutrients from reaching the scalp.

Clogged Hair Pores

Co-washing is a hair regimen that leaves the hair with increased moisture. Even though hair moisture is important, too much of it can lead to hair damage. Likewise, product buildup from the use of conditioners can clog the hair pores which will lead to hair breakage, reduced hair growth and thinner hair strands.

Breakage

Too much Co-washing can lead to excess moisture. It can thus, reduce the strength of the hair structure and leads to breakage. Some conditioners have silicone as one of their ingredients which can build up after Co-washing for a long time.

Silicone coating can hence prevent proteins and oils from entering the hair shaft which can lead to dry hair and breakage.

Why Conditioners Can't Cleanse

It's been a general regimen to wash your hair with shampoo first before conditioner. But what's the reason? Shampoo possesses the ability to remove excess oil, dirt and product buildup from your hair. After the use of shampoo, then conditioner application.

Moreover, removing the application of the shampoo and using conditioner can leave your hair with several effects listed above.  It's no news that the conditioner nourishes the hair, but it works amazingly well after the shampoo application.

In addition, Shampoo is made to clean the scalp while Conditioner repairs the hair and nourishes it, not the scalp. Also, Conditioner leaves the hair with products residue which can clog your pores and reduce hair growth.

If you're a fan of Co-washing, then it's vital to include a shampoo in your hair care. The shampoo will allow total removal of dirts and product buildup which will restore your hair with an efficient use of a conditioner.

Using a conditioner only can cause hair damages. You can find some of the effects of Co-washing in the post above and let us know your thoughts in the comment section.