Hey, my blessed naturals!
For the past few months, I've been experiencing protein overload, and I've come up with a much simpler and faster regimen to reverse it for natural hair! I decided to do this article as a part 2 to my original article My Regimen to Reverse Protein Overload.
The last time I had a serious case of protein overload, it took me about 6 months for my hair to fully recover. My current regiment should have me fully recovered in much less time.
Wash Day
I wash my hair about 1-2 times a week in 4 sections. I used a clarifying shampoo by Suave for the first couple of weeks of washing. Then, I used Suave Professional Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo because it makes my hair feel moisturized. I followed up with the conditioner and put on a conditioning cap. I would advise sitting 15-30 minutes under a heating cap to deep condition.
The deep conditioning is very important, especially when your hair is low porosity like mine. Low porosity means it's very hard for moisture to get into my hair. This means that I have to do something to lift the cuticles of my hair shaft to allow moisture to get in. This is why I use a heating cap. If you don't have one, you could use a hair dryer on low or sit with a towel over your conditioning cap so the heat from your head will build up.
Detangle Gently
Whether you're battling protein overload or not, you have to detangle your hair. I always use a wide tooth comb. I detangle my hair from tips to roots while it is saturated with conditioner. This will help cut down on the amount of manipulation on your hair when styling during the week. I try not to rush through the process of detangling because you could see a lot more breakage, especially with protein overload.
1BlessedNatural: Protein Overload: This pic was taken in July 28th right before trimming my ends. |
After My Wash...
and Daily Styling
Let me just say that styling your hair can be very frustrating with protein overload, especially if you're experiencing breakage. It a severe case you will see little short pieces of hair fall when you touch, comb, or manipulate it. Your hair might feel very hard and not like your normal texture. Moisture is the key! Aunt Jackie's Detangling Therapy and the Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator saved my strands! I also seal my hair with coconut oil. This is done after my wash and every day when I style my hair.
In terms of styles, I like to do puffs for the most part. I do twist-outs 1-2 times a week, and they give me a chance to re-moisturize my hair good, and with the twists, it stays moisturized longer. If you want to keep your hair in a protective style try putting about a quarter-sized amount of the two moisturizers and water in a spray bottle and shaking it. Spritz your hair every morning and night. Be sure to concentrate on your ends. Apply 1-2 drops of coconut oil* with your hands to your hair to seal in the moisture, once again focusing on the ends. Be careful because if you apply too much, it can make your hair very greasy.
1BN, Why Can You Use Coconut Oil Now?
*Last time, I couldn't use coconut at all when my hair was recovering from a severe case of protein overload because it wouldn't absorb it. This time, the coconut oil seems to be helping it., but my hair does get greasy if I apply too much.
Judging by the way my hair reacts to it now, with my last case, and when I don't have protein overload, I've come to the conclusion that it depends on the severity of your case. You also have to factor in if your hair low or high porosity. If your hair is not responding well to using coconut oil, you can try another sealant like olive oil or jojoba oil.
Products I Use - THIS IS NOT A SPONSORED POST!!!
- Aunt Jackie's Knot On My Watch Instant Detangling Therapy
- Cantu Shea Butter Curl Activator or Creamy Hair Lotion
- 100% Coconut Oil
- Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Shampoo
- Suave Professionals Almond and Shea Butter Conditioner
1BlessedNatural: This picture was taken today. Some of my stands are stretched from the protein overload, but they look much better than a month ago. This was what I meant by the texture change. |
Trimming
So far, I've had to trim my ends one time because they were split and breaking. Instead of putting my hair in mini twists before trimming, it was put into medium-sized twists because I didn't have time. Keep in mind, if your ends are breaking with protein overload, you will have to cut them to prevent them from splitting further up the hair shaft.
Be Consistent
Are you experiencing protein overload?
Related Articles: My Regimen to Reverse Protein Overload
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