Protein is an essential nutrient for healthy hair growth. Hair is made up largely of a protein called keratin. Keratin contains amino acids like cysteine, methionine, and lysine that give hair its strength and structure. When hair is protein deficient, it becomes weak, brittle and damaged. Using protein treatments can help strengthen hair by temporarily patching holes in the hair cuticle. However, overdoing protein treatments can lead to protein overload, causing protein damaged hair.
What are the signs of protein damaged hair?
Here are some of the common signs of protein damaged hair:
Brittle, inflexible texture
Too much protein can cause the hair to become hard and rigid. Protein overloaded hair feels dry, brittle and stiff. It lacks elasticity and does not bend easily without breaking. Running your fingers along the hair, it would feel rough and crisp instead of smooth and flexible.
Straw-like appearance
Excess protein removes moisture from the hair, giving it a dry, coarse and straw-like texture. Protein damaged hair appears dull, frizzy and rough. The cuticles lift up and don’t lay flat, causing the hair to tangle easily.
Prone to breakage
The lack of moisture and elasticity makes protein overloaded hair extremely prone to breakage. It breaks off very easily, both wet and dry. Small, short broken hairs stick up all over the head. The hair snaps when brushed or styled, leading to increased shedding and split ends.
Loss of curl pattern
Curly or wavy hair tends to lose its curl pattern with protein overload. The hair strands become straight, limp and lack definition. The curls elongate and turn frizzy because of the lack of moisture and elasticity.
Increased tangling
The raised cuticles of protein damaged hair cause increased tangles and knots. Running your fingers through the hair meets with resistance and snags. Detangling requires extra effort and leads to increased breakage.
Dull, lifeless hair
With the lack of proper moisture, protein overloaded hair loses its shine and luster. It looks dull, dry and lifeless lacking natural highlights. The hair also appears lighter and feels thinner.
Scalp buildup and dandruff
Some protein treatments leave behind product residue on the scalp. This mixes with the excess protein on the hair to create buildup, flakiness and dandruff.
What causes protein damaged hair?
Here are some common causes of protein overload:
Overuse of protein treatments
Protein treatments involve highly concentrated proteins in the form of masks, oils or creams. Using too many protein treatments too often can lead to an imbalance. Limit protein treatments to once a week or once every 2 weeks.
Using the wrong protein products
Strong protein treatments meant for very damaged hair can overload normal hair with protein. Opt for lighter protein treatments unless your hair is extremely porous.
Not following up with moisture
It is crucial to balance protein treatments with sufficient moisture. Skipping the moisture step leads to protein overload. Follow up protein with moisturizing masks, oils or leave-in conditioners.
Excessive heat styling
Frequent use of hot styling tools like blow dryers, straighteners and curling irons dehydrates the hair, increasing its protein needs. But overdoing protein to combat heat damage causes protein overload.
Chemical services
Chemical treatments like perms, relaxers and hair color involve strong chemicals that damage the hair cuticle. This makes the hair more porous and susceptible to accumulating excess protein.
Hard water
Washing hair with hard water deposits minerals like calcium, magnesium and copper on the hair. This leads to buildup that reacts with protein products.
How to fix protein damaged hair?
Here are some tips to restore moisture and elasticity to protein overloaded hair:
Clarifying shampoo
Use a clarifying shampoo containing sulfates to remove product buildup and excess protein from the hair. Concentrate on the roots and lengths. Rinse thoroughly. Follow up with a deep conditioner.
Moisture masks
Opt for hydrating hair masks containing humectant ingredients like honey, glycerin, panthenol and hyaluronic acid. Apply this to damp hair from roots to ends. Leave on for 30 minutes before rinsing out.
Oil treatments
Nourish dry, brittle hair with oils high in fatty acids like olive, coconut, avocado, almond and argan oil. For deeper penetration, warm the oil and massage into the hair. Put on a shower cap and leave overnight before shampooing out.
Leave-in conditioners
Spritz in a moisturizing leave-in conditioner containing proteins and emollients to help smooth down the cuticles. Focus on the ends. Comb through to evenly distribute the product.
Deep condition weekly
Incorporate an intensive deep conditioning treatment into your weekly hair care routine. The added moisture will help restore elasticity and prevent protein overload.
Rinse with cool water
Whenever you shampoo or condition your hair, use cool water for the final rinse. This helps seal the cuticles and lock in moisture.
Limit heat styling
Cut back on frequent blow drying, straightening, curling and other hot tools. The excessive heat damages hair and increases protein requirements. Let hair air dry when possible.
Protective styles
Wear low manipulation styles like buns, braids or ponytails to minimize friction and combing. This prevents breakage of the fragile protein overloaded hair. Use soft scrunchies to avoid snagging.
Regular trims
Schedule regular trims every 6-8 weeks to snip off split ends and minimize breakage. This helps restore strength and shine to the damaged hair ends.
Balanced diet
Eat a balanced diet rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals to support optimal hair health from within. Protein foods include meat, eggs, dairy, nuts and seeds.
Key Takeaways
- Protein damaged hair feels dry, brittle, stiff and straw-like due to protein overload.
- Signs include lack of elasticity, increased breakage and tangling, loss of curl and dull appearance.
- Causes include overuse of protein treatments, heat damage, hard water and chemical treatments.
- Fix protein overload with clarifying shampoos, moisture masks, oils, leave-ins and protective styling.
- Always balance protein with sufficient moisture for healthy, strong hair.
Conclusion
Protein is an essential component of hair. But too much protein can cause dryness, brittleness and breakage known as protein overload. Be mindful of protein use and opt for lighter protein treatments unless your hair is highly damaged. Always counter with moisture masks, oils and conditioners to restore elasticity. Avoid over washing, heating and chemical treatments that deplete moisture. With a little care, you can restore strength, shine and suppleness to protein damaged hair.