Protein vs Moisture

By now, you should have a fair idea of what level of porosity your hair has. If you don’t, have a read of our porosity guide and then come back to here. Knowing your hair’s porosity can help guide you as to what products you should use to keep your hair in optimum health. Moisture treatments are recommended for low to medium porosity types.   A protein treatment is recommended for high porosity types.

Protein treatments will help to restore hair's elasticity so that it stretches normally and then bounces back, and also helps to eliminate breakage and split ends. As a general rule, deep protein treatments are safe to use about once a month but can be used more frequently depending on the condition of your hair or with the direction of your hairstylist. Using protein treatments too often when not needed can have the reverse affect and can over-harden the hair, causing breakage.

The simplest test you can do at home is to take a strand of hair and gently stretch it. If it barely stretches and snaps or your hair feels dry, you need more moisture and might have too much protein. If your hair stretches but does not bounce back, or if it breaks and feels limp or mushy, then your hair needs protein.

It is important to note that your hair can change, and so you must re-evaluate your products and your methods so that you continue to keep your curls healthy. By sticking to the same routine for long periods of time, you will probably notice that your hair will stop getting the same results it once did. Assess your hair’s porosity, and then switch up your products and methods according to what your hair needs today.