When we think about our natural hair it’s easy to think about things such as styling, shampooing and deep conditioning etc. Those things are good but if you really want to be able to take your hair to the next level then you need to start thinking about things that your hair needs in order to fully flourish.When we begin to think this way we build a better culture for our natural hair. One of the things that you should think about doing from time to time is a protein treatment for your natural hair. Let’s take a look at what a protein treatment is and how it can help us.
Your natural hair is essentially made up of a protein called keratin. This is a very tough protein which makes up 80 -85% of your hair. When you do lots of things to your hair such as colour it, or it has a lot of exposure to heat you can cause the protein in your hair to break down. Protein treatments help your hair to rebuild damage to it in the same way that conditioners help to restore moisture. When you do a protein treatment you helping to strengthen your hair strands.
What are the benefits of doing a protein treatment on curly hair?
There are many advantages to doing a protein treatment on natural 4a to 4c hair, some of the main ones being:
Strengthens your hair
Repairs damage
Adds moisture
Restores elasticity
Helps to add more volume and body
Leaves your hair feeling soft and full of life.
How do you know if you need a protein treatment?
Your hair is really great at giving you simple signs as to what it needs. The more you get to know your hair the more you will understand what it does and does not need.
Some of the telltale signs that your hair is due for a treatment are as follows:
1. Dry, brittle and stringy feeling
You might start to notice that your hair feels really dry no matter how many times you try and add water or conditioner to it.
You will also start to see that some of your strands will be shorter than others which means that you are experiencing breakage.
2. Loss of elasticity
A loss of elasticity in your hair is another sign that you are due for a protein treatment.
It’s easy to see if your hair is losing it elasticity by doing a simple test.
Get a strand of your hair and gently pull on it. If the strand bounces back easily then you are ok on the elasticity front but if it does not then it’s likely that you are due a protein treatment.
3. Mushy
When your hair is mushy is kind of feels a little like cotton wool or over cooked spaghetti. This is a big sign that you need a protein mask for your hair.
It’s also a good idea to do a protein treatment in the following cases:
If you have recently added colour to your hair, if you are about to apply heat to it, had a protective style for a long time or are about to install a hairstyle with wig.
How often should you do a protein treatment?
It really depends on your hair. You can never say that you should do a treatment every 3 weeks or make it a regular schedule. Protein treatments can be beneficial to your hair if used in the right way but equally, they can cause damage if you overdo it. If you are going to do a protein treatment then make sure to keep an eye on the telltale signs above first. Examples of Protein Treatments: Hair Mayonnaise, Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt, Hi-Pro-Pac Extremely Intense Protein Treatment