My Regimen to Reverse Protein Overload

April 2014: My hair has fully recovered from protein overload

Updated 8/24/2017 - Check out Part 2 for a simpler regimen to reverse protein overload!

Happy Monday, my blessed naturals!
I hope you all are having a great week. Many of you have been asking about my experience with protein overload. Because I was writing the previous protein overload articles while I was going through it, I decided to do a follow-up article to include my regimen. This one should pull all of the information of my regimen together and hopefully answer many of your questions. If you still have  questions, just let me know in the comments or form on the right side of this page.

1. Realization of experiencing protein overload: My hair was hard, dry, brittle, and stiff (like hay). It's curl pattern was gone and my ends were split. It seemed like my hair changed suddenly, but I now realize that it had grown a bit rougher after each wash. I realized that I'd done too many protein treatments on my hair in a short period of time.

2. Action: I discontinued the use of all hair products with protein, then I searched for products without protein in them.

November 2013: This picture was taken while I had protein overload. You can see that some of my ends are very frizzy. My hair had also thinned out due to the breakage.

3. Products and Method:
First Things First! - I washed my hair with a clarifying shampoo to remove some of the excess  protein. My choice was the Kinky-Curly Come Clean shampoo. I also washed my hair using my
Castile Soap mixture. My hair was washed every week.

Conditioner: Suave Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner and Garnier Triple Nutrition (Alternating)- I deep conditioned by applying the product to my wet hair. Then, I put on a plastic cap and sat under a heating cap for 20-30 minutes. If you do not have a heating cap, try wrapping a towel around your head after putting on the plastic cap.

Detangle: Gently detangle your hair with the conditioner still in it. Detangle from the ends to the roots of your hair.

Leave-In Conditioner: I used Kinky-Curly Knot Today as my leave-in conditioner. Before I found a moisturizer without protein, I also used it as my moisturizer.

Moisturizer: I applied Aunt Jackie's Curl La La to my hair in the morning and night.

Oil: You all know how much I love to use Coconut Oil, but I could not use it while my hair had protein overload. So, I used Olive Oil mixed with Lavender Oil as my sealant every morning and night after I applied my moisturizer.

Baggying:  Sometimes, a plastic shopping bag or conditioning cap was used to keep my hair moisturized.

4. Styling: While your hair is recovering, you may want to style your hair in protective or low manipulation styles. I did twist and puff styles.

5. Trim: I trimmed my hair 2-3 times because of my split ends. This does not mean that you have to do the same. Examine the condition of your hair first. If you are not too sure, you may want to ask a healthy hair stylist to take a look at it.

A Healthy Balance...

The goal for my hair was to try to balance the protein and moisture. Try avoiding hair products with protein for about 2-3 weeks, then you can gradually start to use them again. In my case, I waited too long to start using them. As a result, I had moisture overload for a short time afterward.

The Condition of My Hair

My recovery process for protein overload took about 4-6 months. Your recovery may be less or more depending on the severity of your case and regimen to remedy the problem. My hair would have recovered sooner, but I used some products that really did not work for the condition of my hair. I also had a bad case of Seborrheic Dermatitis. So, I was battling two different conditions. During that time, my hair felt really hard. I became frustrated at times, but I knew my hair would eventually be okay. Thank God and thanks to all of you who provided support. If you are experiencing protein overload, the main thing to do is to not panic. Remember that reversing protein overload requires lots of patience. It's been a few months since my hair has been back to normal. However, there were a few patches of my hair that have just recovered.


 Products from Amazon that were used in my efforts to help reverse protein overload:







How long did it take you to recover from protein overload?




Related Articles: Damaged Hair? Don't Panic.
                            My Experience Recovering from Protein Overload
                            Recovering from Protein Overload (Part 2)
                            Recovering from Protein Overload (Part 3)
                            Update: Battling Seborrheic Dermatitis and Protein Overload
                            From Protein Overload to Moisture Overload
                            Product Review: Aunt Jackie's "Curl La La" Defining Curl Custard