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Everyone desires to have bouncy, shiny, and healthy hair. While we might go a little extra to treat our hair with moisturizers and protein packs, the results can often be annoying. If you are experiencing dry, brittle, and dry hair despite taking proper care of your hair, protein overload is likely in your hair. Worried? Let us understand the causes, symptoms, and preventive measures to keep hair protein overload at bay.
Hair is made up of a protein called “keratin”. Hair protein plays a critical role in maintaining the overall health of the hair. Depletion of hair protein may lead to dryness and breakage of the hair. Hair protein treatments and products can boost the overall health of the hair, although their over-usage may result in adverse effects. Some common symptoms of hair protein overload are dryness, dull hair, and breakage.
A well-balanced diet can perhaps improve your hair health significantly. You may include magnesium and collagen in your diet or add dietary supplements containing magnesium and collagen. These supplements are readily available online; however it is recommended to go for a trusted supplement comparison site like bestinsupplements.com
Causes of Protein Overload
Protein overload is quite common, and there could be two possible reasons
1. You are overusing protein-based products or overdoing a protein treatment which may lead to product buildup.
2. If you do not maintain the right amount of protein while undergoing a protein treatment, it may lead to an overload of protein in the hair.
Also Read – 10 Most Common Hair Care Mistakes to Avoid
Common Symptoms of Protein Overload
It’s not difficult to identify and spot the common symptoms of protein overload. Look at the following to ascertain whether you have experienced these symptoms.
1. Your hair texture and look have not changed, although you are taking care of your hair and applying protein-based products or undergoing protein treatments.
2. Hair becomes dry, brittle, dull, and stiff.
3. If you suddenly experience split ends and hair breakage.
4. If your hair strands may feel coarse etc.
How to Prevent and Treat Protein Overload?
1. Cleanse, Cleanse and Cleanse
To avoid protein build-ups, maintain a clean scalp. Use a clarifying shampoo to get rid of excess protein from your scalp. Clarifying shampoos can be harsh; hence choose a shampoo that suits your type of hair – be it dry, oily, or curly hair.
2. Avoid Overuse of Protein-Based Products
Avoid products loaded with proteins. If you are undergoing keratin treatments, talk to your stylist immediately. Instead, use hydrating products that can rejuvenate dull and brittle hair.
3. Moisturize
Use a deep moisturizer or deep conditioner to replenish and lock in moisture. Hydration is essential to maintain a healthy hair growth cycle.
4. Consider Trimming
You may consider trimming your hair if you feel a bit heavy. It will help fix and prevent split ends and hair breakage.
5. Essential Oils
Applying essential oils can help cleanse protein buildups quite effectively. Essential oil like peppermint oil or lavender oil mixed with carrier oil can encourage new hair growth.
6. Avoid Hair Styling products
If you are experiencing dry and brittle hair, avoid hair styling products. Some of hair styling products come with harsh chemicals and may damage your hair health over some time. Styling products may also leave product buildups, and thus you need to reconsider the products.
If you want to reverse hair protein overload, avoid products filled with ingredients like amino acids, hydrolyzed collagen, and keratin. This can significantly reverse your condition. Please remember brittle hair does not necessarily mean protein overload. There could be multiple reasons behind protein overload. This could be because of improper diet, chemical treatments like color or straightening, or climate-related factors. You can do a simple Strand Test to identify the underlying reason.
Take Away
While hair protein overload may not look like a severe issue, it may result in dry, brittle hair. The first step is to reduce or stop the usage of protein-based products, cleanse the scalp regularly, maintain the required moisture level and avoid stying products. If you still experience damaged or dull hair even after following these preventive tips, consult a trichologist immediately.
