Knowing whether your hair needs protein is a matter of asking whether your hair is breaking because it's dry and lacks moisture,or is it breaking because it's weak and lacks elasticity. Breakage usually occurs when the hair lacks strength and flexibility causing your hair strands to become dry, brittle and eventually break. Breakage can also be contributed to damage done caused by poor hair care or styling habits such as using using excess heat, constant friction, using harsh cleansing agents and frequent chemical hair coloring.
Although a protein treatment is only a temporary repair,it can help strengthen the hair follicle by filling in the cuticle layer and creating a protective barrier around the hair shaft. This also helps protect and prevent from any further damage to your natural hair. Additionally, there are quite a few nutrients in protein that will help strengthen the hair over time to help achieve healthier natural hair growth.
Your hair is naturally constructed of more than 90 percent of a protein called Keratin. By adding protein to you natural hair care regimen, hair that lacks elasticity can be temporarily repaired. You can determine the elasticity of your hair by stretching a single strand to see if it will bounce back. If it does, then you shouldn't have to worry about adding any protein to your hair right now. If your hair strand easily breaks when stretchingit then adding protein to your hair care regimen may be something for you to consider
Another thing to consider is if you regularly use high heat to blow-dry your hair, heat styling tools or chemical hair dyes then you could greatly benefit from adding protein to your natural hair care routine to prevent damage.
Choosing the right type of protein to use for your natural hair often takes a bit of trial and error at first because not all protein treatments are ideal for your hair type, and using too much can actually cause more breakage and damage. Protein that is meant for your hair is available in several forms including deepconditioning treatments, protein packs, hair reconstructors and light protein treatments. Choosing the one that will work best for you will all depend on your natural hair needs.
Very Little Damage
For hair that may be lacking elasticity and vibrancy, you may want to go for a lighter type of protein treatment such as a conditioner or leave-in that contains protein, or you could opt for using a single-use protein pack. All of these are ideal if you very rarely use heat to style your natural hair or you just wanted to fortify your natural hair strands.You can add these products to your natural hair care regime once or twice a month without overdoing it. Be sure to follow-up with a good moisturizing conditioner after your protein treatment to prevent your hair from becoming dry because too much protein can actually have adverse results
Recommended products for a light protein treatment:
- Aubrey Organics GPB
- Hydratherma Natural Protein leave-in Conditioner
- Keraphix Restorative Strengthening Conditioner
- Chi Keratin Conditioner
- Palmer's Coconut Oil Formula Deep Conditioning Protein Pack
- Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Moisturizing Leave-In
- Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Pack
- John Master's Honey & Hibiscus Hair Reconstructor
Moderate to Severe Damage
You should always take special steps forhair that is suffering from severe damage. Depending on the nature of the damage, the only real remedy may be to trim the damaged hair and let it grow back. Severely damaged hair can benefit from protein packs, a protein hair mask, reconstructor or deep conditioning treatment. Whichever type of protein treatment that you select, be sure to follow the label instructions carefully in order to achieve the best results and prevent further damage.
Recommended products for a deep protein treatment:
- Aphogee 2-Step Protein Treatment
- Crème of Nature Conditioning Reconstructor
- Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise
- Hask Keratin Protein Smoothing Deep Conditioner
- My Honey Child Honey Hair Mask
- Motions Professional CPR Protein Reconstructor
For natural hair that shows very little signs of damage, a monthly treatment should be adequate enough to show results. For hair that has moderate to severe signs of damage, a weekly deep protein treatment should suffice. Adding a light protein conditioner to your regimen at least once a week will also help to greatly improve the condition of your natural hair.
Finding the right protein treatment for your natural hair all depends on the condition of your hair and what your hair needs. There are ton of choices when it comes to purchasing the right protein treatment. Be sure to read the labels to make sure you are not using a protein based product that may be too harsh or weak for your specific hair type.
Be sure to check back for Part 2 of this series entitled, Are you Protein Sensitive? + DIY Hair care recipe for those with protein sensitivity.
Now, it's your turn! Do you find protein treatments to be effective for your natural hair care? What types of protein-enriched products have you used and need to share with the world?
