The time has come to reassess whether conditioner is *actually* necessary for fine hair

I’ve been taking care of my strands and watching other people do the same in movies since I was, like,  a child. It’s pretty basic—hair maintenance typically involves three key things: shampoo, conditioner, and a good brush or comb. Everything else in the equation is extra.

So you could imagine my utter shock when my stylist told me that I don’t need to be using conditioner on my straight, fine hair—ever. “Why do you use it?” asked Jon Reyman, celebrity hairstylist, educator, and owner of Spoke & Weal salons at a recent appointment. I responded saying that it helps to smooth things out…but as the words were coming out, I started to question things.

Some hair types (AKA: mine), Reyman says, really don’t need it at all. Since I like my hair to have more texture and to appear fuller, conditioner is something I should actually cut from my routine—because it makes my lengths do the opposite.  “If you shampoo your hair, it’ll be larger,” explains Reyman. “If you condition, it’ll be smaller. That’s why we didn’t condition your hair today, because you like it bigger. If your hair is smooth, it’s going to be even flatter.” It’s also why conditioner gets a bad rap for “weighting down” fine hair.

But what about fine-haired ladies who have dyed or heat-damaged their hair? It’s a case-by-case decision. “For people whose hair is softer, conditioner’s not really necessary—especially if you don’t heat style it or put in color,” says Reyman. “There’s a misnomer that your hair should feel healthy.” So long as it’s not showing signs of damage (breakage, split ends, or becoming dry and brittle), however, feel free to ditch the product… and enjoy more volume and a shorter shower routine.

Also, here are hair tips from the creator of “The Rachel.” And this is how often to get your hair cut, depending on its length.