Shark, Snake and Crocodile

A hair mask provides a deep conditioning treatment for the hair. It is not meant to be used every day, but to be applied once or twice every week or two to add moisture to hair, prevent frizz and breakage and make the hair soft and shiny. There are many different masks available, and it is also possible to make one at home with items found around the house.

Typically, hair masks contain deeply conditioning and moisturising ingredients, including Shea butter, avocado oil, botanical and fruit oils or extracts and vitamins. For example, a hot oil treatment is one type of mask application. In this type of treatment, warm oil is applied to the hair to make it soft and moisturised. Masks can be useful for people with any type of hair, but those with dry or color-treated hair often find them especially beneficial. Those who have oily hair can still make use of one, but it may be a good idea to do the treatments less frequently, such as once every week or two.

A hair mask should be applied to wet hair, which allows the nourishing ingredients to penetrate deeper. In general, people who are using the mask may want to apply the treatment while out of the shower, because most masks will need to be left on the hair for quite a while. Some must be left on the hair for 30 minutes for the full benefits.