Give your hair some muscle

Curlies are always trying to get as much moisture into their hair as possible. But sometimes in the frenzied search for oils, emollients, and moisture, we forget that our hair (at least 3a hair like mine) needs protein, too.

About three weeks ago, I noticed the top of my hair was looking a little flat, no matter how I would clip and dry it every day. So, last weekend, I gave myself a three-minute protein jolt with Nexxus Emergencee and BAM! What a difference! It's been a week since that treatment and my hair is still looking healthy and full.

I've also been using cassia obovata since March. At first I was using it once a month. In August, I started using it every three weeks. I still am unconvinced that it's truly doing anything. But I'm too afraid to stop! I had hoped that protein treatments wouldn't be necessary if I used cassia regularly but it looks like I need to abandon that hope. And yet, there's a little voice inside me that wonders if my hair would be even more limp if I discontinued the cassia... I'll keep using it through the end of the year, and then I will stop. We'll see if there are any effects. At least cassia is not expensive. By the way, if you're interested in trying it, you can read about it and buy it here.

But back to the glory that is protein! Don't be fooled by all the homemade treatments that recommend using raw eggs. Egg molecules are too big to penetrate hair, so applying it topically is not going to do much good. Better you should eat the egg than smear it on your head.

Using Nexxus Emergencee could not be easier. I get in the shower, get my hair wet, apply as much Emergencee as I would if I were using regular conditioner and I let it sit on my head for three minutes. I rinse it out thoroughly, and then I do a conditioner-wash. After I rinse that out, I condition my hair as normal. So, really, this routine adds about five minutes to your normal co-wash regimen. And it's totally worth it.

(By the way, the thinner your hair is, the more protein you need. Curlies with thick hair frequently find they need little to none. Why is that? I will explain in my next post!)

Balancing act

If you read this blog, you know that I spend a lot of time on naturallycurly.com. I've learned so much there, I can't begin to recount it all. One thing I did not learn, however, was how to figure out what my hair needed and why that was important.

When you first arrive on that site, the protein-sensitive people are constantly talking about their protein sensitivity. Those who can't tolerate protein really do have some horror stories -- and horror photos! -- to prove what protein does to them.

The problem, though, is that when you're relatively new to the site, you get the distinct impression that protein is inherently bad.

I believed this for several months and kept my protein usage at a minimum. Meanwhile, my hair was getting less curly and flatter by the day. I even blamed the haircut I got in March for all my woes. And then I started using a conditioner that had absolutely no protein at all but was "light" (which I've come to discover means that it's primarily a humectant formula -- it pulls moisture from the air). My hair was frizzy and fairly lifeless. At the same time, another person with hair similar to mine, noticed the same thing when she used it. She then commented that she probably needed more protein.

And that's when it hit me. Protein isn't bad for everybody! And I was suddenly reminded of how often I would use a reconstructor (protein-heavy) back in the 90s and how it always made my hair happier. So, I set about using only conditioners with protein fairly high up on the list of ingredients. (I used Activate Hydrating conditioner but also a couple of Desert Essences types.)

Eureka! That did the trick. Suddenly my curls were back. I used to love Jessicurl Aloeba but now when I use it, I don't see the same kind of bounce and curl that the Activate gives me. I'm not saying I will stop using the Aloeba but I suspect I will use it much less often than I used to.

So my point here is not just to say that protein rocks (for me), but to urge anybody who is struggling with the Curly Girl method to do more than just avoid silicones and sulfates. Find out what balance of humectants, oil, and protein your hair likes.

This is not done quickly or easily because lots of other factors play a role. Climate, water, diet, stress level: these variables can complicate your experiments. But pay attention to ingredients (not just the impossible-to-spell ones) and see whether protein makes your hair happy. Discern whether humectants are always right for you. Learn what oil does to your hair.

You'll save a lot of money and time.

Most of all, though, don't let anybody tell you that protein is bad or that humectants suck or that oils don't do anything. Try them on your hair and come to your own decision.

Proteins

So, I keep reading at NaturallyCurly.com about women who find themselves sensitive to products with excessive protein (or even just a little protein). Protein sensitivity manifests itself by making hair feel dry and less curly. I don't think I have a protein sensitivity, but because I certainly have gone through periods where my hair has felt that way, I wanted to find a list of proteins so that if I am using protein-rich products, I can at least know which ones they are. Here is a list of ingredients that are proteins:


Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed casein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed hair keratin
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed rice protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed silk
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl silk amino acids
Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin
Hydrolyzed keratin
Hydrolyzed oat flour
Hydrolyzed silk
Hydrolyzed silk protein
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Keratin
Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein
Poly Beta 1-3 Glucopyranose (Saccharomyce Cerevisiae Extract), brewers yeast