How to ensure that your hair has the right amount of protein and moisture

I have maintained natural hair over many years now and I am at that stage where I don’t desire to relax it at all. The best I can do is ensure that it is well maintained all year round and is healthy. There was a time when all I wanted was to have long flowing hair and I know I can, however I realised that healthy hair is more important in order to have long flowing hair. Regardless, if you want to maintain longer or shorter hair, the methods mentioned in this blog should be knowledge for the rest of your life.

Many individuals with textured or curly hair are probably bombared with different products on a daily basis. One thing to remember is that if something is working for you, it’s best not to change it. Now the main reason I decided to write this article is because sometimes I get questions from some individuals that I know in finding out what I do to make sure that my hair is in great condition. One thing we all have to understand is that the best individual to know their hair is you. It’s your responsibility to understand what works well for you and what does not. Coconut oil may work well for my hair and scalp but it may not work for some individuals and that’s actually normal.

One thing though that helps with ensuring that you have the right balance of protein and moisture in your hair is how it feels. Another thing to note that is extremely important is that you need to understand your hair porosity in order to make sure that you are using the right techniques for your hair.

Identifying hair that has too much protein

How do you know if your hair has too much protein? well that’s quite simple, when you wash your hair, make sure you look out for these signs. Is it taking too long to fully get wet? does it feel spongy, hard and stretchy? Are you getting more breakage than usual? When you do the keratin treatment for example, you put alot of protein in your hair, do you know how your hair reacts if you put too much protein on it?

If you find that you answered yes to these questions, the best thing to do is start using products that are more moisture based in order to make sure that your hair is getting adequate moisture and there is some balance. Sometimes, protein will take some time to minimize on your hair strands because once it’s coated on your hair, it’s quite difficult for it to get out.

One way to cleanse your hair so that more protein can get off is using a shampoo that contains a lauryl sulphite because that will get rid of everything that may be coating the strands of your hair, then using a moisturising shampoo.

Note that this takes quite a few weeks to get off your hair so you may not see any difference in your hair for some time, be patient and keep at it.

Identifying hair that has too much moisture

When you wet your hair, how does it feel? Does you hair feel limp and gummy and not very strong, does your hair stretch a lot before breaking? You need to make sure that your hair has a good balance of moisture and you can have too much. This means that you are keeping your hair too wet all the time without allowing it to dry. Also because you have not balanced it with protein, it is not strong.

Therefore in order to make sure that you have enough protein, get protein-based conditioners.

I have braids, how do I know what I need?

If your hair is braided, it’s hard to know what your hair needs, the best thing to do is alternate the products. One week have a moisture based protein and in the next a protein based protein. This way you can consistently maintain your hair in a way that you don’t have to lack once you undo your braids.

However everytime an individual removes their braids, they always have buildup, therefore it’s useful to get a stronger shampoo with a sulfate to make sure that your hair is clean.

Conclusion

It is a lot easier to minimize the damage when you have more moisture than when you have more protein. Sometimes individuals get so much breakage and they are unsure what to do. Sometimes the best thing is to cut your hair and start the process again. Hair sheds for many varied reasons and sometimes it may not be too much protein or too much moisture. Your diet plays a big role in helping your hair to stay healthy. Make sure that you are well hydrated as well and that you are exercising and eating well. If you keep up with this, it can help tremendously in your day to day.

Do you know if you have been moisture or protein deficient?