Fast-forward to today and there are more women going natural and abandoning their relaxed hair routines, techniques, and products, but is this necessary? Are not some of those products and techniques still relevant and beneficial to natural hair? IamMelanie from Curly Q&A wants to know more.
Question
How often should you do a cholesterol treatment? I mixed Queen Helene Cholesterol with jojoba oil last weekend and after I applied it, I put on a plastic cap and sat under a hooded dryer for 30 min. After I rinsed, my curls were very defined and my hair was super soft. I was wondering if I can apply a treatment every week or should I do it less? My hair isn’t damaged at all because I only wear protective styles and every weekend I deep condition so I guess the cholesterol is another deep conditioning but it is the first time overdone one since becoming natural last May.
Answer
You should use a cholesterol treatment as often as your hair needs it. How often you use a cholesterol treatment depends on your styling preferences, whether you color treated, and the ingredients in your cholesterol treatment. Cholesterol conditioners are rich in lipids or fats and are designed to repair and rehydrate your strands. There are three types of lipids found in the hair’s cuticle: ceramides, cholesterol, and 18 MEA. These lipids help the cuticle to lay flat by keep the hair cuticle in place. When the hair is damaged by chemical treatments, heat styling, or over-manipulation, the hair lipids are removed, causing the hair to become dull, dry, brittle, and lacking shine or luster.
Read more: Damaged Hair Repair Doesn’t Stop with Protein
Cholesterol treatments repair this damage temporarily by coating the hair with the lipids and transferring some of those fats and minimal proteins into the hair shaft to strengthen it. Now, many cholesterol treatments have mineral oil, lanolin, and even protein, but often the protein is towards the bottom of the list, meaning there is not a lot of it in the product. This can be used on all hair types and can benefit anyone with damaged strands.
Remember, this treatment is for dry, brittle, or damaged strands that have been exposed to chemical treatments, coloring, heat-applications, or the sun. If your hair is not damaged, there is no need to use it. Most women with relaxed hair back in the day (including me”> used this regularly because they were dealing with over-processed or damaged hair, but if you are relaxed or natural and your hair is not damaged there is no need for this type of treatment.
Most naturals steer clear of mineral oil and if you do too, then know that most but not all cholesterol treatments are formulated with mineral oil. Despite that many naturals continue to use it with no issues. Remember, do what works for you. One of the best things about cholesterol treatments is their price. They are usually $3-$4 dollars for a huge jar, which is more affordable than most deep conditioning treatments. Are you in the market for one? Well, here are some popular ones for you to try out.
Products with cholesterol
- Queen Helene Cholesterol Cream
- Le Kair Cholesterol Plus Strengthening and Conditioning Cream
- Hollywood Beauty Olive Cholesterol & Olive Crème
- Lustrasilk Organic Cholesterol with Argan Oil
- Africa’s Best Organics Cholesterol Tea-Tree Oil Conditioner
Have you used a cholesterol treatment since you have been natural and if so which one?
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