As I stuck my fingers into my coils I noticed that my hair felt a bit fragile. It was as if the pressured breaking point was on the low end, and it made it difficult for me to feel comfortable with manipulating my hair into any style. That is when I realized that I desperately needed a protein treatment, and had not had one in a very long time. My hair was not at all happy about my laziness,………. shame on me! Not having a protein treatment in a long time is NOT healthy hair compatible.
Why?
Protein is the main molecular structure of our hair. Therefore, a protein treatment helps restore protein into our hair strands, increasing our hairs strength and curl/coil elasticity. Protein in our hair is lost through relaxation, coloring, heat use, and/or daily styling. Therefore, how often we should perform a protein treatment will be determined by the amount of damaging substances we use on our hair. For example: Relaxation or color treated hair may require it every two weeks, whereas, someone who wears protective style updo’s may only need a protein treatment once a month. For a healthy hair routine, I would recommend a protein treatment at least once a month, nevertheless.
Create the Mix
There are protein treatments that you could buy to apply to your hair, but there is also the DIY options created from items in your home. For my own, I mix things around the house in a bowl:
- 1 Avocado
- 1 Banana
- 1 TBSP of Honey
- 1 TBSP of Olive Oil
Applying the Protein Treatment
- Section the hair for easier manipulation and accurate application.
- Detangle the hair (article on how to quickly and gently detangle coily hair)
- Co-wash to clear off any products that could block the protein treatment from reaching the hair shafts effectively.
- Apply protein treatment mix from roots to ends
- Be careful not to leave any part undone
- DO NOT use a plastic cap. (We want to allow the mixture to dry out)
- DO NOT apply heat
- Leave mixture on for 30-60 minutes
- Rinse out the mixture with lukewarm water
- BE CAREFUL NOT to manipulate the hair too much as the protein treatment causes the hair to become hardened.
DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP!
Immediately after rinsing out the mixture from the protein treatment, apply a deep conditioner product. This is the most important step to a protein treatment. If you do not perform this step it WILL cause your hair to continue to harden and began to break. As my deep conditioning product I either use Shea Moisture’s Superfruit Complex 10in-1 Renewal System or I simply take a richly thick condition and mix olive oil, coconut oil, sweet almond oil, and grape-seed oil into it, then apply the mixture to my hair. After applying the DC treatment liberally and thoroughly, place a plastic cap on and leave the mixture on for 30-60 minutes (or more if you like), then rinse with lukewarm water.
After a protein treatment you will see and feel immediate results. LOC-ing in the moisture will be the next step in the process that I highly recommend to ensure continued conditioning and moisturization of your hair. Because of course, “A Nourished Crown is a Noble Crown.”
Thank you for taking the time to read this article. If you would like to shop our store please visit www.coilyhaircare.com. You can receive a first time visitor 10% purchase discount by entering COILY1 at checkout.
Precious Ugbo
@Coily Hair Care
Photo Credit:
Featured Photo: 15/52 by adrian v. floyd CC BY-ND 2.0
Avocado Hair Mask Bowl by Precious Ugbo @Coily Hair Care. All Rights Reserved
