Your hair may look and feel dry, brittle, dull, and stiff. If you take a closer look at your hair, protein overload may also cause split ends and breakage. It may also shed more. If you're noticing more strands on your comb or brush than usual, that could be a telltale sign of high protein hair.
Hair in protein overload will have some distinctive symptoms: If you pull one strand of hair it will have no elasticity, but instead it will snap and break. The hair will feel dry, brittle and stringy, because it won't have enough moisture to stretch and support elasticity. The hair will lose shine and look dull.
Recovering from protein overload isn't an overnight process, but after taking a few important steps you won't have to wait long before noticing improvement. However, depending on the severity of your protein buildup, it can take a few months to see results. You'll need to focus on how you're moisturising your hair.
' Instead, you're causing it more damage. Everything in moderation is important. If you overdo it, don't fear, you can reverse it. Use a good clarifying shampoo to strip your hair and start over.
This phenomenon is known as protein overload. Typically, you can identify protein overload by inspecting your hair's appearance. You may have excessive protein in your hair if it looks dull and brittle. A hair salon visit is your best bet to reverse the damage of protein overload.
Simply put, if your hair breaks easily, has an unusually dry/brittle texture, and you have experienced heavy shedding - then you know something is up. On the other end of the spectrum, if your hair is stringy, limp or has an unwelcome droop to it, you could be in need of a protein treatment.
Shampoos, conditioners, hair protein treatments, and other styling products that contain a large amount of hair protein are typically the culprit. They can disrupt your natural hair's moisture balance. The hair type most prone to hair protein overload is low porosity hair.
So how can you tell if you need moisture or protein? The simplest option is to take a wet or dry strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it barely stretches and snaps, you need more moisture and might have too much protein. Also, if you brush your hair and strands fall out, you need protein.
"This means no more shampoo, conditioner, hair treatments or styling products that contain protein." Simply put, no more protein treatments, protein-rich hair products or even products that contain amino acids. Consider your hair in a wounded state and in need of delicate care while it's experiencing protein buildup.
If it stretches quite far, feels a tad mushy and then snaps, it is indicative of the hair being over-moisturised. You may need more protein to reinforce your hair cuticle. If it feels dry and brittle and snaps almost immediately, it is indicative of a protein overload.
Hair that is stringy, flat, or limp is a definite sign that your hair needs a protein treatment. Normally, hair should be pretty durable and full, so when it starts to droop, take notice. By adding protein back into the hair, you can revitalize your strands and get them to a healthier state.
Take an inch of your hair and stretch it, if it doesn't stretch or breaks, feels dry and rough, it is brittle/damaged and needs moisture treatment. If the hair stretches far and does not return and/or breaks, feels mushy, gummy or cotton candy-like, your hair needs protein.
Once your hair is dry and you try to brush through it, you will notice that your hair is protein sensitive if you experience breakage and/or split ends. Also, if your hair feels hard, rough, or dehydrated, it's likely that your hair has been exposed to too much protein, resulting in damage to your hair.
While protein is an essential nutrient for hair health, too much protein in your hair can lead to dry, brittle, and dull hair. It may also lead to excess hair shedding and changes in your hair texture.
While some OLAPLEX products contain some protein, the amounts are minimal and not enough to be considered a protein treatment. Therefore, OLAPLEX is not a protein treatment. OLAPLEX works at a molecular level to rebuild the hair internally. Our hair contains millions of disulfide bonds.
It's a mixture of two things – humid or hot weather, and how moisturised your hair is to start with. The main cause of frizz is a lack of moisture in your hair. This causes your hair to seek out and absorb moisture from the air, causing frizz - which also explains why humidity can make frizz even worse.
Just like your body, your hair requires protein to stay healthy. However, if these amino acids are compromised – by things like heat styling, colouring or other damage to the hair, the protein can become altered, leading to brittle, dry, fragile and frizzy hair.
Just remember: For the most part, frizz means your hair is dehydrated, so make it your mission to keep your moisturized and healthy!
Both protein and moisture have helpful benefits for restoring damaged hair. Hair that lacks protein or moisture has lost its elasticity, which means it's more prone to breakage.
If your hair is experiencing extreme dryness or becomes dry quickly, then your hair is most likely dehydrated. If your hair is tangled and feels dry, your hair needs to be moisturized.
The 2-second moisture vs protein deficiency test for curly hair. If your hair breaks or snaps when brushing or styling, it is not strong and needs protein. If your hair looks limp, matte and dry, it needs moisture.
If you have an inkling you're overloading on protein, look out for buzzwords like keratin, biotin, hydrolyzed quinoa, amino acids, bond-building, or silk protein on your hair care products. "You will literally see the word protein in the ingredients," Newman notes.
Limp, gummy, or mushy hair — If your hair feels limp, gummy, or mushy when wet, then that is a strong indication that your hair is over-moisturized.