If you’re looking for ways to improve the health of your hair, protein treatments may be a good option for you. But many people often wonder how often should you do a protein treatment on your hair and whether they could be, in fact, damaging your hair.
In this article, we will outline how often you should use a protein treatment depending on your hair type.
How often should I use a hair protein treatment?
Hair Type | Protein Treatment Recommended Frequency |
Natural Hair | Weekly for the first month, moving to one to two times a month in suceeding months. |
Hair with Low Porosity | Every six weeks. |
Hair with Moderatee Porosity | Once a month. |
Hair with High Porosity | Weekly to bi-weekly. |
Severley Damaged Hair | Two to three times a month. |
The general rule is that deep protein treatments are safe to use on your hair once a month or could be more depending on your hair’s condition.
If you want to restore your hair’s strength and elasticity to natural hair, applying the protein treatment on your hair weekly for the first month and twice or once in succeeding months is recommended.
Using protein treatment too often on medium and low porosity hair is not recommended. Such a type of hair needs more moisturizing conditioner than protein treatment due to its flat cuticle that does not react well with protein. Therefore, a protein treatment every 6 weeks and 1 to 3 deep conditioning treatments every month works fine with low and medium porosity hair.
Moreover, hair with moderate porosity needs a protein treatment once a month. This type of hair has a slightly raised cuticle which retains protein keeping your tresses hydrated and balanced.
On the contrary, high porosity hair requires constant protein treatment to make it smooth, soft, and supple. The reason is that this type of hair does not retain moisture very well, which in turn makes your hair look dry, frizzy, and prone to breakage.
As for severely damaged hair, you need to apply protein treatment twice or thrice a month to leave your hair smooth, flatten the hair cuticle, and enhance the hair’s elasticity and strength.
Bear in mind applying protein treatment too often will not benefit your hair as it can cause damage instead, especially on protein-sensitive hair.
Can a protein treatment damage your hair?
Too much of a good thing is always a bad thing – the same goes with protein treatment on your hair.
Too much protein can result in dry, dull, and brittle hair.
Protein treatment can strengthen your hair shaft due to added keratin. However, it can cause protein build-up over time making your hair heavier and in theory, prone to hair damage.
That said, it is important to do your own trial and error taking into consideration all the factors to maintain healthy hair.
Final Words
Protein treatments can nourish your hair as well as repair damage. It is important to consider hair texture and hair porosity before applying protein treatment to avoid further damage. Also, protein moisture balance in hair is vital to keep your tresses strong and healthy.
Protein treatments work but do not overdo them to avoid product buildup on your scalp. Protein overload can lead to more serious problems such as itchy scalp and hair loss. So, know when and how often you should use a protein treatment on your hair!
Read this article to know the best protein treatment for hair.
