Take an inch of your hair and stretch it, if it doesn't stretch or breaks, feels dry and rough, it is brittle/damaged and needs moisture treatment. If the hair stretches far and does not return and/or breaks, feels mushy, gummy or cotton candy-like, your hair needs protein.
Take a strand of your hair and try stretching it. If it stretches quite far, feels a tad mushy and then snaps, it is indicative of the hair being over-moisturised. You may need more protein to reinforce your hair cuticle. If it feels dry and brittle and snaps almost immediately, it is indicative of a protein overload.
The simplest option is to take a wet or dry strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it barely stretches and snaps, you need more moisture and might have too much protein. Also, if you brush your hair and strands fall out, you need protein. Equally, if your strands feel dry, you are likely lacking moisture.
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.
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.
Olaplex is NOT a moisturizing deep conditioner or a protein treatment. Olaplex does contain some protein, but not enough to be considered a hard protein treatment.
Healthy hair will fall slightly. If your hair is limp and flops down it likely needs more protein. If that strand is stiff and does not bounce like healthy hair does, you either have extreme damage or too much protein in your hair.
Moisture overload occurs when there is too much moisture and too little protein. This is the second kind of imbalance your hair can experience. Moisture overload tends to affect those who have high hair porosity, causing it to look limp, stringy, and even greasy.
Hair in protein overload will have some distinctive symptoms: If you pull one strand of hair it will have no elasticity, but instead it will snap and break. 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.
Using OLAPLEX in every salon service ensures everyone walks out with healthier hair than before. In color services, OLAPLEX mitigates the damage chemicals do during processing, then rebuilds them post chemical service too. For haircuts, OLAPLEX acts as cutting lotion to rebuild hair during the cut.
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.
Are there risks with using Olaplex “too often”? Apparently no. Olaplex cannot damage your hair, no matter how often you use it. Some users have reported that when they use it for long periods, the amount of time it requires to “take effect” will climb and climb.
Tyler agrees: "Too much protein on top of the hair can prevent water and other products from fully hydrating strands, causing hair to become dry and brittle," he says. "If your hair is dry, brittle and strawlike but this isn't helped by hair treatments and moisturising products, it's likely caused by protein buildup."
Weakness and Fatigue
And over time, a lack of protein can make you lose muscle mass, which in turn cuts your strength, makes it harder to keep your balance, and slows your metabolism. It can also lead to anemia, when your cells don't get enough oxygen, which makes you tired.
The body can't store protein, so once needs are met, any extra is used for energy or stored as fat. Excess calories from any source will be stored as fat in the body.
Hair loss may occasionally be caused by lack of protein in the diet. Some people who go on crash diets that exclude protein or who have abnormal eating habits may develop protein malnutrition. When this happens, the body will help save protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting phase.
George Katsaros, hairstylist, salon owner and creator of the Gkomb: Aveda's Botanical Repair is a great alternative to Olaplex. It's effective for most types of hair, particularly dry, bleached or damaged, as it works inside the cuticle to ensure deep penetration.
OLAPLEX N°. 3 reaches its max efficacy at 30-45 minutes however OLAPLEX is actively working in the hair as long as the hair remains moist.
Olaplex shampoo and conditioner is good for all hair types and can be used daily or whenever you wash your hair. All you have to do is use a small amount of each product to get soft, shiny, healthy looking hair.
The hair will feel mushy, limp and excessively soft. Your curls will struggle to hold their shape, they will have little definition and tend to fall flatter than normal. You will have more frizz than normal, a fluffy, soft type of frizz. Your hair will feel weighed down, as if you applied too much product.
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.
Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate is Olaplex's patented ingredient. This technology works by finding single sulfur hydrogen bonds and cross-linking them back together to form disulfide bonds.