Q. What types of hair benefit from deep conditioning? Christina Kurschner; Saint Paul, MN

A. Any type of hair can benefit from deep conditioning. Here’s what you need to know before choosing and using one: Hair is primarily made up of the protein “keratin”, so for strands to maintain strength against breakage it’s extremely important to fortify them with a protein-enriched conditioner. An instant (aka daily-use) rinse-out conditioner will help, but since most are moisturizing versus protein-packed, they can only do so much. On the other hand, a deep conditioning treatment—my favorite, by the way, is Redken Extreme Rescue Force—is designed to be left on longer and penetrate more, well, deeply so hair will absorb more of its strand-strengthening nutrients. Other benefits include longer lasting color and fewer flyaways! By the way, if you’re concerned that a rich conditioner with leave your strands looking greasy or weighed down, just apply the treatment first to the ends of your hair and work your way up, that way you won’t over do it on your scalp (which can, indeed, thwart volume).

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