Soaking your hair in regular warm water is a great start to rid your hair of excess oils and buildup, but you'll probably need a clarifying shampoo to really break apart proteins that are bonded to your hair. Look for a gentle clarifying shampoo made specifically for your hair type.
Depending on the severity of your case, it can take up to 4 to 6 weeks to recover from protein overload. If you suspect that protein overload is wreaking havoc on your hair, here are the steps you should take to fix it.
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.
Protein overload is often caused by the products you use in your hair. Shampoos, conditioners, hair protein treatments, and other styling products that contain a large amount of hair protein are typically the culprit. They can disrupt your natural hair's moisture balance.
Recovering from protein overload isn't an overnight process, but after taking a few important steps you won't have to wait long before noticing improvement. However, depending on the severity of your protein buildup, it can take a few months to see results. You'll need to focus on how you're moisturising your hair.
If you have protein build up, you can try a clarifying shampoo or apple cider vinegar rinse. If you have a lot of build up, you may need to do this treatment more than once. Make sure to follow up with a moisturizing conditioner or deep conditioner to add hydration back into your hair.
Less is More With Olaplex
The only mistake you can make is using too much – and the only “side effect” of using too much is the processing time climbs and climbs. The hair can never be damaged through the use of Olaplex!
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. You will have more frizz than normal, a wiry, stringy type of frizz. You may notice additional shedding, due to the hair breaking when brushing.
Not only does it repair and strengthen your hair, but it also continues to protect it from damage. Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 works with all hair types on a molecular level to repair and restore your hair from broken bonds.
When this happens, the body will help save protein by shifting growing hairs into the resting phase. Increased hair shedding can occur 2 to 3 months later. This condition can be reversed and prevented by eating the proper amount of protein and, when dieting, maintaining adequate protein intake.
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.
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.
Experiencing dry, stiff, and brittle hair after using a product with protein or high amounts of protein is a good indicator that too much in present in your hair, which compromises the protein and moisture balance. Too much moisture creates limp hair that is too elastic.
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.
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."
A lot of people will use bond treatments and say their hair feels worse - dry and strawy. That's basically the bond building doing its job. The other mistake you might be making is using too much of the product, because new products are exciting and we get excited about using them. So, remember to use a small amount!
Try A Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying your hair will completely remove all the buildup on your hair shaft including the protein. You can purchase a clarifying shampoo or you can do an apple cider vinegar rinse by mixing apple cider vinegar with water and spraying it onto your hair.
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.
You can leave the OLAPLEX N. °0 and OLAPLEX N. °3 in longer! However, the efficacy will diminish past 30-45 minutes or when the hair is dry.
You'll want to avoid protein-based products filled with ingredients like amino acids, hydrolyzed collagen, and keratin while you're trying to reverse protein overload, says Schaefering.
Hair that is dry, brittle, or rough needs softening and moisturizing through fatty acid-rich ingredients found in plant, nut, and seed oils and aloe vera gel. Hair that is ultra-fine or chemically damaged to the point of having a mushy, cotton candy-like feel, needs protein.
Olaplex has been in the news recently as it is a popular hair product that (until recently) contained a harmful fragrance ingredient called Lilial (also known as butylphenyl methylpropional). Lilial has been banned in the European Union (EU) because of links to infertility in animal studies.