The idea that conditioners cause shedding is largely a myth. I would guess that at least 90% of hair loss comes from breakage. Conditioners will temporarily loosen knots but when the hair is dry the knots tighten back up. Matter of fact, when I need to remove hair from the base I use leave-in conditioner to soak the knots before plucking the hairs with a tweezer. The hair has to be re-soaked every minute or so because as the conditioner starts to dry the hair becomes harder and harder to remove.