Here's how you can easily figure out when you need protein vs. moisture.
If you are confused about when to use a protein deep conditioner versus a moisture deep conditioner you are not alone! So many of you have shared with me that you do not understand how to determine what your hair needs most, so bookmark this quick read as the solution!
The Quick and Dirty Answer
Based on a regimen of deep conditioning 2 - 4 times a month:
Low and Medium Porosity hair will typically deep condition with protein 1x a month and deep condition for moisture 1-3x a month.
High Porosity hair will typically deep condition with protein 1-2x a month and deep condition for moisture 1-2x a month.
Damaged hair of any porosity tends to benefit from protein deep treatments 2-3x a month and moisture deep treatments 1-2x a month.
As you can see, knowing your porosity can be very helpful in determining how often you use protein vs. moisture in your regimen.
Here’s why..
Low Porosity Hair - tends to resist moisture, but once installed moisture is retained well. Still, moisture will inevitably be lost over the course of the days leading up to wash day. This is why you will use a moisture treatment more often in most hair regimens. A protein treatment binds protein onto the cuticle layer of the hair strand. Because the cuticles of low porosity hair are already so tightly closed and flat, over-using protein can actually have adverse effects on the hair. This is also why many naturals notice they have protein sensitivities and rarely need to introduce additional protein into their regimen at all - these women tend to have low porosity hair. For the naturals who are not protein sensitive, instituting protein every 30 days strikes a nice balance between strong, soft hair.
If you have moderately healthy low porosity hair using protein once a month and deep conditioning for moisture the rest of your wash days that month is usually sufficient.
Medium Porosity Hair - accepts moisture well, retains moisture well. Medium porosity hair tends to stay balanced naturally. Moisture will enter the hair shaft easily, is retained easily and will gradually leave the hair overtime. Protein in medium porosity hair tends to keep itself balanced as well. The cuticle layer of medium porosity hair is slightly raised allowing space for the protein to fill the small gaps and continue to bind around the entire strand.
If you have moderately healthy medium porosity hair using protein once a month and deep conditioning for moisture on all of your other wash days that month should be sufficient.
High Porosity Hair - easily accepts moisture and easily loses moisture as well because the cuticles of the strand are raised and open; this is why strands can feel slightly bumpy and frizz can occur easily for high porosity curlies. Using protein treatments consistently can help to fill the gaps caused by your raised cuticles resulting in hair that looks and feels smoother, minimized frizz and it can even be easier to retain moisture because the cuticles are sealed. It is also important to use moisture treatments to keep hair balanced, soft and supple.
If you have moderately healthy high porosity hair using protein twice a month and deep conditioning for moisture on all of your other wash days can make a big difference in your hair health, PLUS how it looks, feels and maintains styles throughout the week.
Damaged Hair - If your hair is damaged, no matter what the porosity, you may have gaps, breaks, and splits. Using protein consistently throughout the month will help fill those gaps and also help your hair look and feel smoother. If you are growing out damage to a length where you fill comfortable cutting it, using protein is especially helpful because it can make your damaged hair easier to manage and also ‘look’ healthier by binding to the hair strand and strengthening it. Moisture is always important to keep hair balanced, supple and soft.
If you have damaged hair using a protein treatment twice a month and a moisture treatment on every wash day you don’t use protein can be a good balance between the two. If you feel you need more strength, you can test out using protein three times a month but be careful with this as some protein treatments are stronger than others and over-processing can cause protein overload.
*With any general hair care advice, please test it out for yourself and track how it works for you. To get a sense of what your hair needs complete a moisture treatment once a month and a protein treatment once a month and then build up from there.
- If your hair is drier than normal, up your moisture treatment frequency.
- If it is weaker and more brittle than normal, up your protein treatment frequency.
Let me know in the comments any tips and tricks you may have for determining when you introduce more protein into your regimen vs. moisture!
If you are still learning what works best for your hair, continue to speak life into her. Speak positively and highly about your hair! Catch yourself when you are ‘speaking death’ (aka being negative or putting your hair down). Even if you feel frustrated and confused now, remember that you WILL get to a place of clarity and calm. Treat your hair gently even when she frustrates you and KNOW that you will get the hang of this. What you focus has to flourish. :)
Love you!
Kenya