What to do if you’re in Protein Overload

Protein overload can cause hair to lose its elasticity, becoming stiff and more prone to breakage. But don’t worry, it's not a permanent damage! There are simple ways you can fix the overload and return to a healthy balance.

Common signs of protein overload

If you’re in protein overload, this means you have used too many products with proteins in your routine, which have accumulated on your hair making it stiffer than needed. You have lost your protein moisture balance.

Hair in protein overload will have some distinctive symptoms:

• If you pull one strand of hair it will have no elasticity, but instead it will snap and break
• The hair will feel dry, brittle and stringy, because it won’t have enough moisture to stretch and support elasticity
• The hair will lose shine and look dull
• You will have more frizz than normal, a wiry, stringy type of frizz
• You may notice additional shedding, due to the hair breaking when brushing

Whilst none of the signs of protein overload sound good, there are easy ways you can go about addressing the issue. Check your current haircare products and if they include protein ingredients, amino acids or keratin make sure you only use these products every few washes, or you use fewer of them at the same time. Finding out your hair porosity will help guide you in how many protein-rich products you should keep into your routine.

How to fix protein overload

Restoring the protein moisture balance in your hair takes a few simple steps. From removing excess protein to deep conditioning, your curls can be restored to all their glory in no time!

To restore your hair balance, you should first clarify your hair and scalp. We recommend using our Wash & Scrub, to remove product build up that can contain protein residues. It also exfoliates the scalp, creating the perfect healthy scalp environment for your hair follicles to grow healthy hair.

After clarifying, follow with a moisturizing deep conditioner such as our Double Cream Deep Quencher. This should be left on the hair for at least 30min, allowing it to really hydrate the strands. On your next wash day, avoid using any protein products.

Going forward, make sure to use less protein-rich products in your routine. You can substitute them with hydrating formulas that are gentle on the hair. Our Moisture Recipe collection has a fabulous range of products perfect for just this.

Finding the perfect balance routine

Curlsmith products are designed for all types of waves, curls and coils, but not all hair types need the same products. To find out what your specific hair needs, take or curl quiz and create your personalized routine!