There is a common stigma that protein is bad. This is not true. The key is that we as individuals must understand when our hair needs it. We must understand this balance of protein and moisture is key.
Common symptoms of too much protein in hair regimen:
~ Dull, lackluster hair
~ Stiff hair with little to no sheen
~ Brittle, crispy hair with no elasticity or stretch
For balanced hair, the best time to use protein (if any) is prior to:
~ direct heat usage
~ chemical applications (color, relaxer, texturizers, etc.)
Hair that is suffering from chemical damage needs protein to restore elasticity, strength, moisture absorption, and to fill in the holes of structural damage to the strands. There are different strengths or protein and each need is different. Understand your needs, knowledge, and evaluating your hair on a consistent basis will yield the best results.
As a rule of thumb, people should not jump head first when dealing with protein. On the contrary, protein should not be ignored out of fear or ignorance. Not all proteins are hardening, some actually increase the hairs ability to retain moisture. This is very important. Learn your ingredients. I will be adding more information about different proteins and how they can help you.
The motivation from this post is that I have come to terms with my hair no longer needing protein treatments on a regular basis. Using a moisturizing conditioner with a little protein in it is sufficient for now.
In the first 8 months or so of my hair journey, my hair needed protein in all aspects. Aphogee shampoo, reconstructor, green tea restructurizer, Profectiv Mega Growth, etc. I believe the only protein I didn't use was my prepoo oil! I needed protein because my hair was breaking so badly due to heat and chemical damage.
But for the past couple of months, I have done maybe three light protein treatments with ApHogee 2 Minute Keratin Reconstructor. My hair felt as wonderful as it normally did when applying and rinsing. But when styling, my hair was stiff and dull, lacking the slick sheen it normally has. This has been the case all three times I have used a specific protein product. In my case, it is not necessary I avoid ALL protein, I just don't need to use reconstructors or hard protein treatments on a regular basis.
Again, it's important to monitor your regimen and your hair needs.
~Be blessed!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Protein or No Protein? That Is the Question!
2 comments:
Questions: How did you know that your hair needed protein vs. moisture when you first started your hair journey? Was it the type of breakage or the feel of your hair after styling it? For the past year I have not been able to prevent my hair from breaking, whereas I never had a problem before. I am trying to see if increasing protein is the answer for me. How long did you try a particular regimen/product before expecting to see results to know it was working?
Char-me: I did alot of research on the old Healthy Textures. I had to truly assess the symptoms I was having along with what I had been doing to my hair. I had been self-relaxing (and overlapping) every 6 weeks, I never deep conditioned, and I flat ironed or hot curled my hair daily. My hair would break with one stroke of a comb. My pillow had dandruff on it everyday and so did my shirts. So while I needed moisture, I needed protein to make up for the overprocessing and excessive heat usage.
I think what people fail to do is assess what they have been doing to their hair prior to the breakage. Some look at their hair "right now" without looking at how it got to that point. It's very important.
I believe that you'll know if a product is not right for you when you use it. Don't keep using something that makes your hair feel worse.
On the other hand, if it does not make your hair worse, I say give it 4-6 weeks of consistent use to see results. But ideally, it should be at least 2 months.
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