Whether hair care products with silicone are right for your hair depends on the type of hair you have and the type of hair you want to have. Learn how to infuse thick brittle hair with silky luster and how to add volume and hold to fine hair
Silicones are highly effective and valuable active ingredients in hair cosmetics. Silicones in hair care products are designed to serve specific purposes. The consumer has the choice of hair care products with or without silicones. Whether you should or should not use silicone-containing hair care products depends entirely on your hair type and what you expect the hair care product to do for your hair.
The main benefit of silicone in hair care products is its ability to form a microfilm around every hair shaft. With this protective coating in place, hair looks shiny and falls like smooth silk. The supple individual hairs align tightly now in wide light-reflecting layers. Dry and unruly hair responds particularly well to silicone in hair care products. Silicone restores the supple nature of hair, intensifies its luster, and makes it more manageable.
Unless your hair is seriously damaged, silicone-free hair care products are the best choice if your hair is fine and in need of added volume. The individual hairs are better able to support your hairstyle and build up sufficient volume if their cuticle layers are not silicone-coated.
Different parts of your hair may need different types of care. If this is the case you have the option to treat the hair near the roots and the hair ends differently. For example, you may decide to use silicone-free styling mousse for the only slightly damaged hair near the roots and a silicone-containing conditioner (e. g. a conditioning spray) for the hair ends.