Maintaining the Balance between Protein and Moisture

Protein is what gives your hair its strength and structure. Moisture is what gives your hair elasticity. Hair breakage is the result of being off balance with either moisture or protein. The two component works together to produce a healthier head of hair and promotes hair growth. They are co dependent and neither of the two can work on its own well without the other. Women with relaxed or colored treated hair need more protein than a women with natural hair. Relaxers break down the protein bond in the hair shaft. You first need to know your hair. Reading this or anything from a different hair site wont make you know your hair better than you can. Don't jump to treating your hair and not know what is wrong or what is off balance. The best time to test the hair is when it is in it's wet state.

Test for Moisture
-Hold a single shredded strand and gently pull, if the hair snap instantly you need more moisture
-If it feels rough, brittle, hard or dry you need to add more moisture

Solutions for Needed Moisture
Do a protein treatment. You can either use Eggs, Organic Roots Stimulator Hair Mayo, Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor, etc. If you really need a heavy protein treatment use the Aphogee 2 Step treatment followed with the balancing moisturizer.

Test for Protein
-Hold a single shredded strand and gently pull on both ends to see if your hair stretches like an elastic band and then breaks, then you need more protein
-If your hair feel mushy, and over soft you need more protein

Solution for TOO Much Protein
Do a moisturizing deep conditioner.
Make sure you Moisturize daily

 

Moisture + Protein= Healthy Hair

My favorite hair products

Cantu Shea Butter Leave in

Coconut Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Elasta QP DPR-11 Deep Conditioner
 



Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter Moisturizer

Shea Moisture Shampoo

To build a healthy hair care regimen, you will need:

Moisturizing shampoo- A good moisturizing shampoo that do not contain sodium/ammonium lauryl sulfates and will not leave your hair feeling stripped. It should be used once a week.
Products: Shea moisture moisture retention shampoo, Moroccanoil moisture repair(expensive), Elasta QP Creme Conditioning Shampoo, Keracare Hydrating Detangling Shampoo, etc.

Clarifying/ Chelating shampoo- Clarifying shampoos strip the hair of product buildup and are great for starting the hair off fresh each month. Your hair will and should feel squeaky clean after clarifying. Chelating shampoo removes mineral deposit from hard water. This should be used once a month. Products: VO5, ORS Creamy Aloe shampoo , any shampoo with sulfate.

Moisturizing Conditioners- Great for co-washing (just washing your hair with conditioner) It should be done whenever your hair feel a little dry between shampooing.
Products:VO5 moisture milk, Herbal Essence Hello Hydration, Moroccanoil moisture repair conditioner(expensive), etc.

Protein based conditioner/treatment- Protein-based conditioners and treatments are used for rebuilding the hair, and work best when followed by moisturizing deep conditioners to restore moisture and pliability to the hair. Protein treatment can range from light to heavy. light to moderate protein treatment should be done once a week or once a month. Heavy protein treatment should be don't every 6 weeks.
Products:
Light- Aphogee 2 minute Reconstructor, ORS replenishing conditioner
Moderate- Organic Root Stimulator hair mayonnaise
Heavy- Aphogee 2 step treatment and this is followed with a balancing moisturizer

 

Moisturizing Deep conditioner- Contains no protein. A moisturizing conditioner will follow your moisturizing shampoo at every wash. I recommend deep conditioning for as long as you want. Some times i leave it on for several hours.You should do it once a week, with heat (hooded dryer)or without heat. Invest in a lot of conditioning caps.
Products:Elasta QP DPR-11, Mixed chicks, Macadamia natural oil deep repair masque, Neutrogena triple moisture deep recovery hair mask, etc.

Leave in conditioner- light protein. Leave-ins usually help with detangling after shampooing and conditioning. Products:Aphogee pro vitamin leave in conditioner, Cantu Shea butter leave in, Mixed chicks leave in, neutrogena triple moisture silk touch leave in, etc.

Moisturizer- Must be water based. Used daily with a light oil to seal. Products:Elasta QP olive oil and mango butter, ORS olive oil moisturizing lotion, Luster's S-curl no drip activator moisturizer, etc.

Oils- Light oils great for sealing and adding moisture after moisturizer. Coconut oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, grapeseed oil, sweet almond oil, olive oil and Castor oil (a little thick) Note: all the oil are 100%


Tools your going to need
-Wide tooth comb
-Denman brush
-Boars brush
-Satin/Silk scarf, bonnet or pillowcase

Why i started my hair journey

I started my hair care journey in 2012 because after years of abuse from flat irons and blow dryer, my hair suffered some breakage. I didn't notice the breakage right away because i never really care to pay close attention to my hair. I neglected my hair for all those years and then one day while viewing a picture of myself i notice that my hair look shorter. I begin doing excessive research on black hair care. At one point all the research became a little overwhelming. But i pace myself and took a lot of notes. Then i came across the book "The science of black hair" where i learned how to build a hair regimen. Then the rest is history after that i learned how to take care of my hair inside and out.