Protein overload, a term often heard in the world of hair care, occurs when your hair becomes saturated with an excess of a particular protein called keratin. Keratin is the very building block that imparts strength and shine to your locks. It's a crucial component of healthy hair. However, just like any good thing, it's best in moderation. Achieving a balance between protein and moisture is key to maintaining optimal hair health.
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Do you find your hair behaving unusually? It might be getting tangled easily, feeling excessively stiff when dry, or appearing dry, fragile, brittle, and weak. These changes could be indicative of protein overload.
Understanding Protein Overload:
Protein overload arises when your hair accumulates an excessive amount of protein. Keratin, a vital protein, imparts strength and luster to your hair. Nevertheless, achieving an ideal balance of both protein and moisture is essential for maintaining the health of your hair.
Consequences of Protein Overload:
When you go overboard with protein, your hair's ability to retain moisture is compromised, resulting in a brittle, straw-like texture.
Addressing Protein Overload:
If you find yourself in this situation, there's no need to fret; the solution is quite straightforward!
Here are a few ways to add moisture back into your hair:
Adding this into your wash day will nourish, hydrate and strengthen the cuticles of your hair. Use a deep conditioning cap for extra moisture!
A clarifying shampoo is perfect for a blank slate and restoring the balance of your curls. This will also remove any product buildup (remember to deep condition after)
Lastly, be cautious about the hair products you use. Check the ingredient lists on your shampoo, conditioner, and styling products to ensure they don't contain protein. Look for words like "hydrolyzed," "keratin," or "collagen," as these often indicate protein content.
Common protein ingredients to look out for:
Remember every hair type is unique, for some, fixing protein overload can take a few days, for some it can take months. Continue assessing your hair daily and look out for the ingredients on your products.
Some people may say what is the point of shampoo? Conditioner alone works for me. This is far from the truth!
A clean scalp is necessary for healthy hair, especially curly hair. Clarifying, Cleansing and Co-washing are the three C's of key methods that help promote healthy curly hair.
The question that everyone asks is when do I cleanse? When do I clarify? How do I co-wash? The simple answer is that there is no one-size-fits-all answer as everyone’s hair is different! Let's break it down.
Clarifying Shampoos: A Deep-Cleansing Powerhouse
Clarifying shampoos are specifically made to provide a deep cleanse by removing product buildup, excess oils and impurities that collect on the hair and scalp over time. They have a higher amount of surfactants compared to regular shampoos, allowing them to properly cleanse and clarify the hair.
You may still be asking but how does clarifying shampoos benefit curly hair? Here’s why….
Recommendations:
Bounce Curl Enzyme Gentle Clarifying Shampoo
Inahsi Soothing Mint Sulfate Free Clarifying Shampoo
Cleansers: Gentle Cleansing for Curly Hair
Unlike clarifying shampoos, cleansers offer a softer cleansing experience for curly hair. Here are some of the key features and benefits of cleansers for curly hair:
Recommendations:
Treluxe Curl Renew & Restore Gentle Cleansing Rinse
Jessicurl Hair Cleansing Cream
Co-Washing: A conditioner washing is a conditioner which removes buildup allowing your hair to be cleansed whilst keeping the moisture. Here are only some of the benefits of Co-washing:
Recommendations:
Inahsi Tropical Escape Cleansing Co-Wash
As I Am Classic Coconut Co-Wash
Choosing the Right Option for Your Curly Hair
When it comes to deciding between a clarifying shampoo and a cleanser for your curly hair, think of the current state of your hair, your styling routine, and your specific needs. If you can notice an increase in buildup or require a deep cleanse, a clarifying shampoo used sometimes or monthly can be beneficial but if you also want to maintain moisture balance, minimise frizz, and gently cleanse your hair without taking away essential oils, a cleanser can be your go-to choice for regular use.
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Are you ready to make this summer your best hair season yet? We've got you covered! Dive into our ultimate guide to summer curly hair care and unlock a world of beautiful, frizz-free curls.
1. Deep Condition Regularly
During the summer, adopting a regular deep conditioning routine will save you from potential hair woes. We recommend treating your tresses at least once a week, but feel free to indulge more frequently if that suits your hair's needs.
If your wash-and-go routine isn't delivering the same results as before, blame it on the summer humidity. Fear not, as we have the solution to keep your curls intact and frizz-free throughout the day.
Routine trimming is the secret to maintaining longer, stronger, and healthier-looking hair. By keeping your ends tidy every 6-8 weeks, you'll bid farewell to pesky knots, tangles, and split ends.
Book your curly haircut here: 1:1 Styling Sessions
4. Protect Before You Swim
Before taking a refreshing dip in the pool or enjoying the beach, make sure to grab a hair SPF to shield your strands from potential damage. Apply a thin layer of conditioner or a few drops of oil to protect your hair from the extreme dryness caused by chlorine and saltwater.
Product residue or silicone build-up can hinder your curls' natural beauty and prevent them from looking their best. Clarifying will help deep clean and detox the hair and scalp.
We recommend: Bounce Curl Clarifying Shampoo
6. Opt for Protective Styles
This summer, indulge in top knots, Dutch braids, or bantu knots—excellent options for keeping your hair up and your ends tucked away. Embrace the versatility and beauty of protective styles while nurturing your precious curls.
We recommend: Silk Scrunchies
Your hair porosity mainly depends on whether you have excessive heat damage, chemically treated hair, or coloured hair. If the answer is yes, then you most probably have high porosity hair. Now let’s get into defining the different grades of porosity: low, normal and high.
Test for Porosity: take a hair strand, run your fingers up and down, if you can actually feel the thickness of the strand and it feels smooth then you have low to medium porosity. However, if you notice any bumps along the way or any roughness- it means you have high porosity.
Low porosity: Your hair does not soak in water, product or colour well because of the closed cuticle in your hair, which can be prone to build up. You require warm showers to be able to open up the cuticle and to brush through/detangle your hair. You may also notice that it takes a while for your hair to get thoroughly wet and a very long time to fully dry up after styling. People with low porosity hair are usually protein sensitive too, so they prefer to use products with little to none protein in them.
Normal/Medium porosity: You probably have virgin hair, never coloured or coloured once or twice in your whole life without making any drastic changes to your natural hair colour. You can also pretty much experiment with any type of product and your hair will be okay with it. Your hair does not take too long to dry, always loves a combination of moisture and protein. You may require deep conditioning treatments once a week, and use a light leave-in conditioner in your styling routine.
High porosity: Now, if you have recently had highlights, or have gone several shades lighter than your natural hair colour, your hair cuticles are most probably very open, rough and damaged due to the chemicals. You may notice that your hair gets wet pretty quickly, and dries up in a short amount of time similarly. When washing your hair, you see a lot of hair fall due to the tangles, and your hair breaks very easily. This means that your hair requires a lot of protein to strengthen it up and reduce the frizz. A leave-in conditioner is always required, amongst other products. Extra care, deep conditioning and regular hair trims are very crucial to maintain your hair’s health and ensure it does not fall or break easily.
]]>3 tbs yogurt
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs coconut oil
(may vary depending on the length/thickness of your hair)
Mix together to create a smooth consistency. Section hair and apply generously from roots to ends. Ensure that you don’t forget the back of your head and your scalp!
Benefits