Protein vs. Moisture

The most important component of any hair care routine for any hair, curly or straight, is to have the proper cleanser and conditioner. The cleanser needs to contain a very gentle surfactant (cleansing agent) and the conditioner must NOT contain silicone. This will help the hair begin the healing process
after years of having sulfate in our shampoo.

Another factor to consider when caring for your hair is whether your hair needs moisture or protein. In the 80’s when I first began my career in this industry the focus was always on moisture. If the hair was dry or damaged, we always gave our clients a conditioning treatment. Often this was done after a nasty color service that left the hair dry and lifeless, usually after over processing with bleach and sometimes after a really bad perm.

Today we have a better understanding of the structure of hair and realize that it is made up of fibrous proteins like keratin. These protein bonds are weakened or destroyed by chemical services. Though the hair feels dry and appears to need moisture the real issue is that the protein bonds in the hair have been damaged and the strength of the hair has been compromised.

A conditioning treatment may make it feel softer but does not target the real issue. If your hair seems lifeless and empty, has high porosity, lost elasticity, seems gummy, you can stretch it out and it doesn’t pop back to shape, this predominantly means that your hair needs protein.

I have recently added this service to the menu of my Cochrane Hair Salon and I was very impressed with the change it makes in the hair.

Deep Sea Repair is Deva’s protein treatment which helps bring hair back to a more normal state. Deep Sea Repair is made with restorative seaweed which is a strengthening blend of rice, wheat, and soy proteins.

It also contains moisturizing sea lavender. The one caution is that Protein treatments should not be done too often. You may start with once a week but once the hair starts to feel repaired you should not exceed one or twice a month.

When we do a conditioning treatment, we often suggest sleeping with the product on your hair overnight. We do not recommend this for protein treatments. DevaCurl recommends leaving the Deep Sea Repair in for a maximum of 20 minutes with the option to cover the hair with a plastic cap and applying heat. If you exceed the suggested usage of protein treatments the results can be counterproductive and leave the hair very dry and damaged.

If your hair is dry and brittle and has no shine, this may mean you simply need a conditioning treatment. The Melt into Moisture from Deva is an excellent choice. It has a buttery texture that does not weigh down the hair but melts onto every strand. It has Matcha Green Tea butter, sweet almond oil, and protective beet root extract. You can leave this in for as little as a couple of minutes for a moisture boost or you can leave it on overnight for maximum hydration. This will boost your curls without dragging them down with weight.

If you feel like your hair may need both, you could double up by mixing both the conditioner and the protein treatment together and get them done simultaneously. Don’t forget though that the protein treatment can only be left on for 20 minutes. This trumps the timing you may have wanted for the conditioning treatment.

Both conditioning and protein treatments can be very advantageous for any hair type that has been damaged by a chemical service or excessive heat styling. This being said just heed caution and be sure to not over do either treatment. There really can be too much of a good thing.