Known as protein overload, having too much protein in your hair may cause it to appear dull, dry, and brittle. Keratin, the main protein in your hair, can be added to your hair to strengthen your strands.
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 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.
Experiencing dry, stiff, and brittle hair after using a product with protein or high amounts of protein is a good indicator that too much in present in your hair, which compromises the protein and moisture balance. Too much moisture creates limp hair that is too elastic.
Can Olaplex Cause Protein Overload? Since Olaplex doesn't contain very much protein, your chances of getting protein overload are slim even with repeated use. You're much more likely to get protein overload from protein-based hair products and overly frequent protein treatments.
Soaking your hair in regular warm water is a great start to rid your hair of excess oils and buildup, but you'll probably need a clarifying shampoo to really break apart proteins that are bonded to your hair. Look for a gentle clarifying shampoo made specifically for your hair type.
Hair that is dry, brittle, or rough needs softening and moisturizing through fatty acid-rich ingredients found in plant, nut, and seed oils and aloe vera gel. Hair that is ultra-fine or chemically damaged to the point of having a mushy, cotton candy-like feel, needs protein.
People with low porosity hair strands naturally contain too much keratin protein within their own structure. Low porosity hair is resistant to moisture and are protein-sensitive. By adding “unwanted” protein to the hair strand becomes stiff and brittle, causing it to break.
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.
What Causes Protein Overload? Protein overload is often caused by the products you use in your hair. 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.
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.
The good news is that protein overload is almost always reversible. The bad news is that there is no overnight fix. What is this? Depending on the severity of your case, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to recover from protein overload.
As a general rule, it is safe to use a protein treatment weekly for the first month to restore hair's strength and elasticity. Use once or twice a month thereafter. Overuse of protein treatments can actually dry hair out. Always follow the directions on the package or consult your stylist.
Keratin is used to smooth and straighten hair, but with PROTEIN, the result isn't just a smoother look, but also an added boost of health that rejuvenates, restores vitality, and smoothens, frizzy hair. Be ready for your keratin/protein treatment by making sure you have time off for the entire day.
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.
Your hair strands are made up of around 90% of fibrous proteins like keratin, which form the centre of the hair cortex and give your hair its elasticity. Protein also gives your curls strength, shape and structure, so without it they'll soon be looking weak, limp and lacking definition.
Imbalanced Protein and Moisture
Another VERY common cause of wet frizz is excess protein or moisture in the hair.
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. You will have more frizz than normal, a wiry, stringy type of frizz. You may notice additional shedding, due to the hair breaking when brushing.
Even for healthy hair, high humidity environments can lead to frizz when your hair absorbs excess moisture where an anti-frizz moisture hair barrier spray can help. Over-styling damaging the hair cuticle and causing frizz. Heat damage and styling is another common culprit of frizzy hair.
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.
Interestingly, consuming too much protein can also lead to hair loss. This is because when the body has an excess of protein, it will start to excrete the excess through the urine. The hair follicles are then deprived of much-needed nutrients, which can lead to shedding and thinning.
When this happens, the body will help save protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting phase. Increased hair shedding can occur 2 to 3 months later. This condition can be reversed and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein and, when dieting, maintaining adequate protein intake.