Our hair requires a delicate balance between moisture and protein for it to thrive. If we have more than we need of one and not enough of the other, a bad hair day is quickly on its way! In this blog post, we'll talk about what protein is, why the moisture-protein balance is important, when to know that you need protein or moisture and how to use these treatments!
What is protein?
Each strand of hair is held together by something called disulfide bonds. 80-85% of your hair is composed of a protein called Keratin which reinforces these bonds, making the hair stronger and less likely to break. Keratin is, in essence, your hairs’ building blocks - it makes your hair strong and helps to gives your strands their strength, flexibility and elasticity.
How do protein and moisture work together?
So how does moisture enter the picture? Moisture actually hydrates the bonds in your hair, which contributes to its overall look and feel. According to celebrity colorist Matt Rez, “The protein bonds are what keeps the hair shaft together and strong. Without it, your hair will break or snap. Moisture is hydration and what keeps the hair soft. Put the two together, and we have healthy hair!”
Image by LUS Brands
It's inevitable for hair, especially curly hair, to lose its keratin. Chemical treatments, color treatments, the weather, pollution, washing, drying, styling, detangling, heat (and just breathing, it seems!) can erode the keratin in your hair, weakening it. Protein loss is even more of a reality for curly hair. Each hair on your head has a protective layer of overlapping cells called the cuticle. Because of its corkscrew shape, curly hair’s cuticle is constantly lifted – its surface looks like ruffled feathers, with gaps in between each layer. These gaps allow moisture and nutrients to escape, which ultimately weakens the protein chains inside the hair. In a nutshell, protein treatments replenishes your hair's protein. Not only is important to use protein treatments regularly to replace lost keratin, but it's a great idea to be proactive! By receiving a protein treatment prior to coloring, chemically-altering or heat-altering your hair, you are helping to fight off damage before it starts!
How often and how long?
It's important to remember that protein treatments will not repair the hair permanently, so finding the right frequency to apply such treatments is critical. The elasticity test is an easy way to get an indication of your moisture-protein balance. When your hair is wet, pull a strand. If your hair stretches a bit, then returns to its normal state, your protein and moisture is balanced. However, if it snaps immediately, you need a protein treatment. Conversely, if it stretches a bit and then snaps, it needs moisture.
In addition to finding the right protein versus moisture balance, you’ll also need to get a feel for the protein intensity, frequency of use, and the amount of processing. In a nutshell, the greater the porosity and damage, the more frequent and intense the protein treatment. I created the following table as a guide, but of course, please do what is best for your hair:
| Porosity | Health | How often? | How long? | Heat? |
| High | Healthy | Weekly | 5 minutes | No |
| High | Damaged | Weekly | 30 minutes | No |
| Low | Healthy | Monthly | 5 minutes | Yes |
| Low | Damaged | Weekly | 30 minutes | Yes |
So when should you moisturize?
Since protein treatments can make the hair feel a bit stiff and dry, always remember to follow up your protein treatment with a moisturizing deep conditioner! Furthermore, on the wash days where you don't need a protein treatment, do a moisturizing deep conditioning treatment. Basically, when in doubt, moisturize!
I know that this is a lot of information to take in! Over time, you'll learn how to "listen to your hair" to better determine its needs! Pop back in to let me know how your hair's moisture-protein dance evolves over time!
Cheers,
Adria
Credits: ouidad.com, naturallclub.com,
I thought if it snaps immediately, it needs moisture. That seems to be what every other website says….