What is the significance of using hair conditioner on a daily basis? As you may already know, conditioners help untangle gnarls in your hair, and make it more manageable and softer to the touch. But behind this attractive effect on the hair is a scientific explanation. However, before discussing the nitty gritty of hair conditioners, first familiarize yourself with the physical structure of each hair strand on your head.

Imagine each hair strand as a tube with an outermost layer, and this is made of keratin, a strong type of protein, similar to what your fingernails and toenails are made of. Keratin on hair strands, when examined through a microscope, looks bristly like shingles on a roof, overlapping each other. When you have dry, damaged hair, these shingles stand up on end more than usual, which causes strands to get tangled up whenever they come in contact with each other. Your hair tends to get rough and difficult to brush.

To remedy this problem, you are very likely to use a hair conditioner. How do you apply it on your hair? First, shampoo your hair as usual, rinsing it thoroughly. Wring or squeeze our excess water on your tresses before applying your conditioner.

Do this while massaging your scalp, making sure that roots to ends are covered with hair conditioner. Rinse well and towel dry. For best results, hair conditioner should be used everyday, as beauty sources would recommend.

Now, what does the hair conditioner do to each hair strand? Hair conditioners are manufactured to have a pH of below 7, which means they are slightly acidic. Acidic substances contain hydrogen atoms, which can form bonds on keratin on the surface of hair strands. When hydrogen bonds are formed, the roof shingles flatten out, creating one smooth surface. In turn, the tangles are removed from hair, and it is now smoother, softer, and easier to brush and style.

What is the pH scale? This is the basis that helps determine how acidic or basic a chemical solution is. If the pH is measured at 7, such as in distilled water, you can expect it to be neutral. If it goes above 7, like for bleaches and detergents, it is considered basic or alkaline. If the pH is measured below 7, like for vinegar and lemon juice, it is now acidic.

Normally, most areas of the body like the scalp, skin surface, and the stomach contains acidic substances. The pH on the hair and scalp, to be more specific, is about 5. as said before, pH affects the health of the hair, which is why the pH of products used on hair can also have significant effects on your tresses.

Speaking of hair care, the most common product people can’t do without is shampoo. This has a slightly acidic pH, but more close to neutral for gentle shampoos. Shampoo has to have a lower pH to be able to clear off the scum and excess oils on the scalp and hair. A neutral shampoo is often used for babies or people with sensitive scalp and hair, to prevent irritation. Conditioners are also acidic, so that they can cause the surface of hair strands to flatten out and be smooth instead of bristly like roof shingles, as how hair strand surfaces would normally look when you have a bad hair day.

When you go for a perm, on the other hand, the chemicals used on hair are more basic, or have a pH above 7. This creates specific types of chemical bonds on the surfaces of hair strands, causing them to curl up. pH is also an important factor in other hair treatment products such as hair dyes or hair colors.

Here is a bit of info about pH, as defined in terms of chemical properties of solutions. As said before, pH is the measure of how acidic or basic a substance is. The pH of 7, means that a solution is neutral, neither acidic nor basic. Distilled water is an example of this. When pH falls below 7, it is considered acidic. When it goes above 7, it is basic or alkaline.

The normal pH of the human body, the scalp, and hair, is at around 5. The various products used to treat and care for hair may also differ in their pH, depending on their intended purpose.

For example, the use of hair coloring products have different pH levels, which can affect how temporary or permanent the dye will be. Temporary hair dyes usually contain an acidic pH, so that they do not easily penetrate the hair strands.

However, more permanent hair dyes contain alkaline chemicals like ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which can penetrate hair strands to their cores, or the cortexes. This affects the production of melanin, which is responsible for your natural hair color. Because permanent hair coloring can be highly basic and may have corrosive properties on hair, it is not always a recommended option for people who want to maintain healthy and strong tresses.

Here is a bit of note about shampoos. Most shampoos are also made to be neutral or at times, slightly acidic. The high pH will allow the shampoo to easily clear off any oils or dirt that have formed on the hair and scalp. Neutral shampoos may be recommended for people who have sensitive scalps. In the same manner, hair conditioner is acidic or carries a high pH, because it causes the keratin on the hair strand surface to be flattened out instead of bristly, thus causing hair to be smooth and soft.

What about hair perms? The chemicals involved in this process are mostly basic, which creates chemical bonds on the surface of hair strands. This makes the hair curly instead of smooth and straight. As you can see, pH is significant in terms of its effect on hair. So the next time you use certain chemical on your hair, you now know what its pH can do for your precious mane.