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.
You will need protein in hair if your hair is porous, limp, has low elasticity, is shedding, or has been recently colored. High porous strands have tears and gaps in the hair, exposing the cortex (outer layer) to environmental stressors.
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.
Hair looks limp and stringy.
Dull and limp hair is a sign of protein deficiency. Most clients will think it just needs a bit of hair styling product to bring it back to life, but this practice actually compromises the health of the hair significantly.
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.
However, too much protein can lead to dryness and breakage. It is especially in hair that is already dry or damaged. On the other hand, moisture helps hydrate the hair and prevent frizz. Moreover, making it essential for hair that is dry or lacks shine.
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. Our hair contains millions of disulfide bonds.
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.
All hair needs both protein and moisture to stay healthy and strong. In fact, protein and moisture can't work well without the other. You need a strong protein structure in order for water molecules to bind with your strands and to keep the water locked inside.
Anytime you apply an intense protein treatment, you must follow up with a deeply moisturizing conditioner. Rutlin explains, "You cannot have one without the other. This is why you see some people have brittle and damaged hair.
If you notice your hair is frizzy after you apply conditioner, this may be because you haven't applied it on soaking wet hair. Your hair may also feel frizzy due to a lack of moisture, so you want to apply a deep conditioning masque that will help to prevent dryness.
Hair that's suffering from moisture overload can become frizzy, limp, and struggle to hold your curls.
A protein treatment acts as a layer of protection to protect the hair from damage. This protection is only a temporary fix as that barrier is external and doesn't last forever. Therefore, it's essential to keep your hair healthy internally with OLAPLEX treatments.
ALL hd PLEX Bond Treatment Kit
The All hd Plex 2 Bond Treatment kit mends breakage for stronger, shinier, and more flexible strands. It's a salon-quality formula that one reviewer said is better than Olaplex.
As your hair goes through the chemical change, the disulphide bonds are reformed faster and less breakage occurs. Protein treatments can be used in between your Olaplex treatments.
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.
You should always follow up protein treatments with moisturizing conditioners, preferably a deep conditioning treatment. It's also very important to ensure you're using the right treatment for your needs and following the instructions carefully.
While both have the ability to help increase the amount of moisture in your hair, protein treatments are best for restoring damaged curls. Deep conditioning treatments are great for protecting your curls from future damage.