Protein Overload? How I Fixed This in 1 Wash

Protein Overload? How I Fixed It in 1 Wash

Hey guys! I’m going to share with you a story about how I got myself into a protein overload and more importantly, how I fixed it. Let’s start with what exactly is a protein overload.

What is a Protein Overload?

Protein overload in curly hair occurs when there is too much protein in your hair. This can cause all sorts of problems that make your hair look and feel less healthy. You may be wondering how this can happen. Well, let’s take a look at some of the causes.

An important cause is the excessive use of protein-rich products. Think of shampoos, conditioners, and leave-in conditioners that all contain protein. If you use all of these products at once, your hair can become overloaded with protein. Another cause is an incorrect balance between protein and moisture. Curly hair needs a delicate balance, and too much protein without enough moisture can lead to dry, brittle hair.

How do you recognize a protein overload?

Your hair can feel like straw: dry, coarse and difficult to style. It can also be brittle and develop split ends. You lose elasticity in your hair, meaning it doesn’t bounce back when you pull on it. And finally, your hair can lose its shine and look dull and lifeless.

How I Consciously Gave Myself a Protein Overload

Let me tell you how I did this for myself.

During my vacation, because then you have some time, I decided to give my hair a mask. I used the All-in-One Treatment mixed with Protein Drops and let it sit for an hour. Then I rinsed most of it out, but left a little in my hair. Then I applied our Styling Gel on, remixed with protein drops, and then more protein drops on wet hair. After I dried my hair, everything seemed fine at first, but soon my hair felt dry and stiff.

My Hair Features

It might help to know that my hair is both low and high porosity. My under hair is low porosity; it feels smooth when you run your fingers over it. But my top hair has little hooks, which means it is high porosity. I also have fine but a lot of hair.

How I Fixed Protein Overload in 1 Wash Day

After two days of walking around with dry, stiff and brittle hair, I set out to put an end to this overload.

I started with the Amazing Curls All-in-One Treatment in my wet hair, added some extra water and detangled my hair with a brush. This took almost 20 minutes pfff...By the way, I consciously chose to start with this Treatment instead of the shampoo, otherwise I think I would still be busy detangling.

Then I left it on for a while and rinsed it out, but my hair still didn't feel fully hydrated. So I used our Amazing Curls Clarifying Shampoo (game changer). After rinsing I felt an immediate difference; my hair was much less stiff and so much more hydrated.

Then I applied the All-in-One Treatment again, used the 'squish to condish' technique and left it in. Finally, I applied the Amazing Curls Styling Gel apply to soaking wet hair and let it dry.The result? Beautiful shiny, soft, hydrated curls, just the way they should be!

Conclusion: Use good moisturizing products AND a Clarifying Shampoo to get rid of your Protein Overload in 1 wash day.

When can you start taking Protein again?

You might be wondering when I started adding protein drops to my hair products again. Well, it was pretty quick. Two wash days after the overload I used a few drops of protein again during a refresh that I added to the All-in-One Styling Cream.. The next wash day I added a few drops per section to my Styling Gel again.

Luckily I didn't have any weird reactions, but of course this can differ from person to person, so always start in moderation.

Hair Porosity and Protein

By the way, do you know what hair porosity is? It refers to your hair's ability to retain moisture and product  to absorb and retain. This is mainly determined by the condition of the hair shaft and the cuticle, the outer layer of the hair.

Low Porosity

• Features: Low porosity hair has a dense cuticle that makes it difficult for moisture and proteins to pass through.
• Recommended Proteins: Small proteins are more suitable for low porosity hair because they can penetrate better and strengthen the hair from within without a heavy build-up on the outer layer.

Medium Porosity

• Features: Medium porosity hair has a balanced cuticle that can absorb and retain moisture and proteins fairly well. This hair type is usually healthy and requires less maintenance.
• Recommended Proteins: Small and medium sized proteins, such as hydrolyzed silk or wheat protein, are usually suitable because they can work both on the outside and in the core of the hair.

High Porosity

• Features: High porosity hair has an open cuticle that easily absorbs moisture and proteins, but also loses them quickly.
• Recommended Proteins: Both large and small proteins can be beneficial. Large proteins can help protect the outer layer of the hair, while small proteins can repair deeper damage.

What factors influence hair porosity?

Genetics plays a big role; some people have naturally low porosity hair, while others have high porosity hair. Chemical treatments such as dyeing and bleaching can damage the cuticle, leading to higher porosity. Regular use of heat tools such as blow dryers and straighteners can also damage the cuticle and increase porosity. And don't forget environmental factors such as sun, wind and pollution, which can also affect your hair porosity.

Large and Small Proteins

Large and small proteins play an important role in determining their suitability for different hair types.

Large proteins such as Keratin, Wheat, Oat, Soy (so without Hydrolyzed in front) and collagen provide external protection and are useful for damaged or styled hair, but they penetrate not deep through the hair, making them less effective for low porosity hair.

Small proteins such as hydrolyzed keratin, silk, wheat, soy, oat, (so with hydrolyzed in front) can penetrate deeper into the hair, which makes them ideal for low, medium and high porosity hair and hair that needs internal strengthening.

Conclusion

It is important to observe your hair closely and perform specific tests to accurately determine your hair porosity. Based on this, you can adjust your hair care routine so that you can prevent problems such as protein overload and ensure healthy, shiny and bouncy curly hair.

I hope my story has helped you better understand what protein overload is and how to prevent and treat it. Remember to always listen to your hair and make adjustments based on what your hair needs. Good luck!