By Gennifer Miller, HealthTextures.com

What is a Pre-Poo?

Pre-pooing is simply a pre-shampoo treatment, which is applied to the hair and/or scalp, left on for a period of time and then shampooed out. Some people like to apply oils (Olive, jojoba, etc.), conditioners or some combination of the two. For example, my hair tends to not like protein based conditioners so I use them as a pre-poo instead. This gives me the strength I need with out the dry feeling I usually get from protein conditioners.

Benefits of Pre-pooing

Pre-poos have many different benefits. Pre-poos often help protect our hair from the harsh shampooing process. The majority of the buildup we are trying to remove lies on our scalp, not our hair (especially if you are not using a lot of product). Our hair really only needs the conditioning aspect of the wash cycle. Using an oil or a conditioner can help provide a barrier between the hair and the harsh detergents in the shampoo.

In addition, pre-poos help condition the hair. It seems counter intuitive. Why would we put a product on our hair that we were eventually just going to wash out? Actually, conditioners and oil often work better when applied to dry hair. Think of a sponge. If you place a dry sponge on a spill, it will absorb more than if your placed a wet sponge on that same spill. Our hair reacts the same way, absorbing conditioner into the hair shaft.

Ways to Pre-Poo

There are tons of ways to pre-poo. Some apply oils (warmed or not) to their scalp and/or hair, cover with a scarf and sleep with the product on their hair. When they wash it out and condition, they notice a difference in the softness or moisture level of their hair.

Note -- I would not recommend sleeping with conditioner on the hair. Conditioner, especially moisture based conditioners, tend to leave the hair too soft. This will make the hair limp and, as a result, very fragile. Similarly, protein based conditioners can leave the hair too hard and rigid , which will lead to breakage.

Others apply oils and conditioners to dry hair and cover with a wet towel. Then, they cover the wet towel with a plastic cap. This is an excellent way to pre-poo and finish any work or chores around the house. This is the method I use for pre-pooing.

Lastly, some apply the product, cover with a plastic cap and sit under the dryer for 20 minutes or so. The heat really helps the hair absorb the product.