On social media we see more and more often that the hair mask is put into dry hair – but does that bring anything or more? We asked an expert.
We have always put our hair masks – very traditionally – in damp hair under the shower. Leave in, wash out, done. However, there are now more and more hair masks (especially on Instagram) that are applied to dry hair. Miracle cure or just marketing? We asked Pantene Pro-V hair expert Sacha Schütte in an interview.
Hair mask in dry hair – a game changer?
Anyone who is regularly on Instagram is sure to have encountered the miracle hair masks from various brands. Admittedly, the result looks simply bombastic – but how much of it does the hair mask actually have and how much the flat iron? Sacha Schütte explains:
It basically has no advantage, but it doesn't hurt either. The hair masks are used in most cases as leave-in care and are intended to form a protective coat around the hair. Used in this way, they may still help tame small flyaways. However, the masks only work really well on wet hair – best if they are used in the shower or in the bathtub and water vapor gets on the strands of hair.
In addition, too much hair mask in dry hair quickly looks unsightly and greasy, especially with smooth hair structure. Do we want that? NO! Profi Sacha Schütte recommends that we use hair masks after shampooing (once a week instead of conditioner) and then use proper leave-in care. This protects the hair from damage to the surface and strengthens it against breakage.
The perfect care routine
But how long should the hair mask actually work? 3 minutes, 3 hours or even overnight? Well, we (and Sacha) can't answer that flatly, because it is mainly related to your own hair type: "But you can also leave it on the hair longer and, for example, overnight. This is especially true for damaged hair good idea, then the mask has more time to work. With very fine and rather healthy hair you should refrain from doing so, so as not to weigh down the hair and literally pull it down, "says Sacha Schütte.
The more stressed the hair is, the more care it needs. We probably all know that. The finer it is, the more careful we should be, according to Sacha Schütte, with particularly rich products so as not to weigh it down.
The following applies to all hair types: it is better to use leave-in care than a hair mask. This has been specially developed for this. The ideal routine includes a shampoo and conditioner with every hair wash and then care with a leave-in product. Once a week you should also replace the conditioner with a hair mask.
So now we all know how it works – or at least should work. How the care routine looks for each individual is totally different anyway. It starts with shampooing alone. Here we tell you, for example, terrific hair washing hacks that you absolutely must know.