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Tips for balancing Protein and Mouisture???

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Pretty1008

Pretty1008

New Member
I've been having a little problem balancing moisture and protein lately.. and whenever I lean too far in one direction my hair lets me know buy shedding A LOT. Does anyone else have this problem?? Any tips/ tricks/ advice to share??

Thanks!!!!!
 
I have a hard time telling which I need just by touch, so I alternate weekly between a light protein DC like aphogee 2 min and moisturizing DC's like humetress. If I wash between my regular weekly DC, I just use moisturizing condish for co-wash. I also alternate using maintenance products with protein or moisture to keep the balance in check. It has been working for me so far.
 
It is difficult for me to tell as well. My hair is extremely coarse, so it always feels rough and dry even if it is moisturized.

What I do is a weekly Joico protein treatment routine and moisturize my hair the rest of the week. So far this has been working for me.

Awaiting other replies.
 
Pretty1008 said:
I've been having a little problem balancing moisture and protein lately.. and whenever I lean too far in one direction my hair lets me know buy shedding A LOT. Does anyone else have this problem?? Any tips/ tricks/ advice to share??

Thanks!!!!!
Click to expand...

First, make sure you understand the difference between shedding and breaking. Shedding is a natural thing that moisture and protein have no affect on (I think). Now if your hair is breaking then you need the protein/moisture balance. And in that case, I don't think there is anything that you can do regularly to keep them balance. I think Sistaslick's article mentions that you shouldn't schedule protein treatments because our protein/moisture balance depends on so many things (ex: products we use, how it's styled, tools used to style). I think you should just go with how your hair feels.

Right now, I have short hairs breaking off, and my hair is not giving me signs of which one I need (protein or moisture). But, I moisturize daily, so I'm gonna go with protein.
 
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I use Aphogee 2 minute reconstructor once a week and I don't have any breakage. Try doing that. Don't DC with it or anything...just follow the instructions on the bottle and see how your hair responds. I usually use it after I DC because it helps to seal in the moisture.
 
I wish I knew. I used Aphogee the hard protein one just to strengthen my hair and it lost its "sheen". It's stronger, but not as supple. Obviously my hair didn't need aphogee at the time.
 
Maybe it is just your shedding season. My shedding season is in the summer when my hair grows faster and in the winter my growth and shedding is less.

But for my protein and moisture balance this is what I do:
For me I have to use some protein at least once a week because I moisturize my hair twice a day. The best protein treatment for my hair has been motions cpr or I use Aussie moist mixed with two eggs and leave on my hair for about 30 minutes with no heat(so I won't cook the eggs). My hair has stopped breaking and has thicken up nicely because of the egg treatment.
 
I don't have the best answer but maybe you can followup with a moisturizing condish after your protein so you have the best of both worlds. I have done this before, but I just read another response that recommends doing the protein after the DC. I'll have to check this out too.
 
I was taught the stretch test. Which means: you take one of those newly shed hairs in your hands and you pull it apart. If it crumbles & breaks, you need moisture. If it stretches before breaking, you need more protein. If it snaps just right, you're all good.

This could very well be outdated but I learned this from a LHCF elder. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks Latoya28! I do use ApHogee 2 Min Reconstuctor, but only 1x or 2x a month, I think I should try to add it to my weekly rotation, and see how that works out for me..
 
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Thanks Ms_Twana.. I never looked at it that way. & yes its shedding not breaking, so I see where u are coming from.. I'm still somewhat of a newbie so i'm still learning the art of "listening" to my hair.
 
Pretty1008 said:
Thanks Ms_Twana.. I never looked at it that way. & yes its shedding not breaking, so I see where u are coming from.. I'm still somewhat of a newbie so i'm still learning the art of "listening" to my hair.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Check this thread out: http://www.longhaircareforum.com/showthread.php?t=409542. I just used this treatment tonight for my shedding, and I had a SIGNIFICANTLY less amount of hair in my comb. And that was just one use. Even if you don't use this recipe, garlic seems to be a good treatment for shedding.
 
I find that it's all about listening to your hair, which is often easier said than done.

After many errors, I've found that my hair needs light but consistent doses of protein. I balance it with moisture, but the protein is a must for my hair.

I alternate between AO GPB & Aphogee 2-min., but I use the latter more. I put it & sit under my heating cap for 15 minutes. Then I follow up w/ KBB Deep Condish.
 
It's all about you and your hair. What helped me is to determine whether my hair was on the weaker side or on the stronger side. I came to the conclusion that my hair was smack dab in the middle and already pretty balanced, but it's very prone to getting imbalanced. That's why hard-core protein treatments and excessive/heavy moisture treatments leave my hair feeling yucky. So I have to alternate between a light moisture treatment and a light protein treatment.
 
Just my two cents....

Reduce amount of products used. When you are unbalanced it is hard to tell what is helping and what isn't.

Remember that protein in a product does not mean it will be a protein treatment. Must have it to moisturize.

Don't over do it....shouldn't need any more than 30 minutes to condition. The longer you do with either one, the more you start mixing all kinds of stuff, the more you increase your chances of having an issue.

Pay attention to all of the signs....Hair won't hold a curl, notice tons of splits regardless of how much moisture you give it, notice chronic dryness and rough looking spots despite daily moisturizer and creams...you probably need protein.

Don't try all the possible solutions at once....don't oil rinse, prepoo, baggy and steam treat all in the same day.

Once you do become balanced, focus on maintaining balance instead of ping ponging between the two extremes.
 
Is your hair fine or coarse?

My fine hair is very sensitive to imbalance, and will become more breakable.

Mixing the protein and moisture conditioners in a small cup, starting with a 50-50 ratio, seeing how that works, and adjusting as necessary can help you learn what your hair needs and be more consistent with it.

HTH
 
My hair is currently sheding as well. I am only losing like 20 strands. Since this is not a lot and sheding is natural I am not worried. However as some one mention shedding and breakage is not the same. If you read sisterslick articles she does a great job explaining the difference. Also I have heard that garlic and olive oil help stops breakage. I have not tried it since I am not excessive shedding. HTH
 
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