Some thoughts on protein overload....

One of the most obvious changes to my regimen lately has been the addition of protein use at regular intervals.  I'm adore moisturizing conditioners so I primarily just stuck to what I'm most comfortable with.   But the feedback I received from my hair analysis changed all of that.  I was instructed to use a strengthening daily moisturizer plus encouraged to use a mild protein treatment bi-weekly.  Then I learned of Yahya's technique of fortifying her ends with more protein than the rest of her hair and I was immediately sold.

But then I got to thinking, "I wonder if all this newly added protein could lead to an eventual protein overload situation."  With the exception of when I once used Aphogee 2 step hard protein treatment & Keracare Sustanance, I've never experienced protein overload.  At least not that I remember.  Probably because I never really used proteins as regularly as I do now.  So I think now is a good time to educate myself so I can look out for the warning signs and act pre-emptively.

What is protein overload? Basically, it's when our hair strands contain an excess amount of protein content versus moisture.  The outcome of all this is dry, brittle hair that is prone to breakage.  Many people who experience protein overload describe their hair as feeling stiff like straw and dries easily when wet.  This experience usually occurs after doing one or more protein treatments.

The good news in all of this is that protein overload can be corrected by doing the following:

+ Deep conditioning & steaming with highly moisturizing conditioners.
+ Add a pinch of salt to your deep conditioner.
+ Do a clarifying treatment to help remove excess build up on the hair.
+ Baggy the hair after moisturizing to amp up the moisture levels.
+ A relaxer touch up can help counteract the high levels of protein in the hair.
+ Co-wash regularly to increase water levels in the hair.

I never had to think about protein overload in the past because, honestly, I wasn't doing protein treatments all that much. Now that my awareness is up, I'll make sure to do all I can to try to avoid this situation while reaping all the benefits of stronger hair.  Even if it can't be avoided, at least I know what to do bring balance back.  I'm seeing some good things happen ever since adding regular protein treatments into my regimen.  Now I just have to make sure everything stays that way.