Mar 28, 2011

Moisture Vs. Protein Balance in hair- Part I

Lately my hair has been feeling like's it has a Protein Overload.... Slight breakage and I want to correct my moisture/protein balance before to get my hair back into shape by listening to my hair and giving it what it needs..


Yes over-moisturized hair can cause breakage.... It can also cause your hair to become porous and that will keep your your hair from retaining moisture... Then it usually gets really hard for most to figure out what is causing the problem...


Too much of a good thing .. Is a bad thing..


Breakage is caused by too much moisture or too much protein.. The key to staying away from breakage is learning how to balance the two.


How do you know if your hair is over moisturized ???
Let me start by saying if your just starting your hair journey and you are experiencing breakage... I would bet money its not from over moisturizing... Most women prior to starting their journey do not deep condition enough , don't co wash and is not consistent with moisturizing daily... Usually women that experience over moisturized hair have been on their journey for a while... That's just what I've learned in consulting women for the last few years..


So if your just starting out ... I would tell you to lean towards the moisture side in your regimen and do a light protein treatment maybe 1x a month.... If your natural and don't use heat you may not need do the protein 1x monthly but less only when your hair needs it...


To determine if your if your hair needs moisture or protein ... I would suggest doing a Strand Test on Wet Hair..


Remove one strand from the root ... Pull on both sides of the strand ...
If the strand stretches and stretches then breaks ... You need protein
If your hair stretches and stretches and doesn't break .. You need protein
If your hair doesn't stretch then breaks or barely stretches before breaking.. You need moisture
If your hair feel rough and hard .. It needs moisture
Healthy hair will slightly stretch then return back to its original length with no breakage.. 
Right after the stand test is when most people are more confused about what their hair needs than before..
Honestly over moisturized hair feels completely different from hair that lacks moisture....

Overly Moisturized Hair That Needs Protein
Hair that is over moisturized will cause breakage and cause your hair to be very elasticity... It will also cause your hair to become porous..Over moisturized hair that needs protein... Is usually described as mushy , spongy hair , stretchy ...
If you can recognize the problem before it causes breakage you can simply use a protein leave in conditioner or use a light protein conditioner for your co washes for a quick fix..
If you are experiencing breakage I would suggest using a light protein treatment ...Like Aphogee 2 min reconstructor... Start off with a lighter protein before going heavier if needed... Do not do your protein treatments more than 1x a week...

Hair That Needs Moisture From Too Much Protein


Your hair is made up of about 91 percent protein, and is made up of long chains of amino acids... Protein is what gives our hair structure and strength..
When the hair has too much protein it lacks elasticity so it will break super easy.. ...Hair that needs moisture will feel rough and hard to the touch... 
Relaxed hair needs protein !!! When you relax your hair your hair loses protein because the relaxer breaks down the protein bond to straighten the hair.. You should do a light protein treatment 1x a month.. Or rotate conditioners , moisturizers and leave ins that contain protein in your regimen..
If you are protein sensitive .. I suggest using at home protein treatments or amino acids..
Natural hair does not need as much protein.. Unless it is heat styled often... Hair loses protein during heat styling..
It is extremely hard to correct a protein overload... To correct deep condition at least 1x a week with a moisturizing conditioner... Stay away from hair products that contain protein.. That includes moisturizers , rinse out conditioners , leave ins and deep conditioner.. Use all moisturizing , protein free products... Think moisture , moisture , moisture to correct the problem...

No comments:

Post a Comment