Anyone who goes ham on chemical treatments and heat styling now and then knows that too much damage could leave you with super dry and stiff hair.
Your kneejerk reaction might be to blame it on dehydration. So, you drench your hair in oils and emollients to get your mane back in great shape.
But sometimes, the lack of moisture isn’t the issue at hand. You could moisturize your hair diligently but still get stuck with limp, rough, weighed down hair with no life.
If you have damaged and porous hair that can’t behave even when you’re trying to moisturize right, you might be in dire need of something else entirely – protein.
In this post, we’ll take a look at a couple of ways you can nurse your damaged hair back to life using DIY protein treatment for high porosity hair.
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What Is High Porosity Hair?
In haircare, porosity refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture.
The less porous your hair, the harder it is for hydration to seep into your locks.
Think about it – the more your hair cuticles are sealed and closed up, the more difficult it is for water to penetrate.
But highly porous hair also has its own issues with moisture retention.
Sure, porous hair has many gaps and holes in the hair cuticle that quickly soaks up oils and water like a sponge.
But it’s those same gaps in our hair strands that let go of moisture just as quickly, leaving you with perpetually dry hair.
High porosity hair is most often caused by damage from heat styling, sun exposure, and harsh chemical treatments like bleach and permanent coloring.
These processes lift your cuticles, creating those gaps that can lead to your hair’s detriment.
Signs Of High Porosity Hair
Some signs that you have high porosity hair include:
- Dehydration
- Frizz
- Tangling
- Breakage
- Dull-looking hair
- Straw-like hair in texture
Needless to say, super porous hair needs a lot of attention and maintenance to even try to stay healthy.
And while all of these symptoms sound like all you need is a good deep conditioning mask for extra moisture, sometimes, what your locks are really begging for is a healthy dose of protein.
Why Does Overly Porous Hair Need Protein Treatments?
Our hair is naturally made of keratin protein bonds.
And when harsh processes using heat, bleach, and peroxide touch our hair, it breaks down those proteins, leaving us with porous strands that aren’t as fortified as before.
Hair masks can help reverse that damage by strengthening your hair again.
Obviously, highly porous and dried-out hair needs a lot of moisture, too.
That’s why you should look into ingredients that are rich and heavy, like vegetable oils and natural butters.
But more importantly, your hair needs protein.
Benefits Of Protein Treatments
A tell-tale sign that your high porosity locks need protein is that your hair doesn’t bounce – it just stays limp and lifeless.
Protein is what gives your hair structure and elasticity, giving it that coveted bounce when you sashay down the sidewalk.
Protein treatments don’t just nourish the hair and give it body and movement.
They also fill in those gaps in your strands, making them thicker and stronger afterward.
This helps your hair retain moisture well again, as if you had a normal level of porosity.
They also keep your hair strong, keeping breakage and split ends at bay so you can flaunt a thick, luscious, healthy mane.
These treatments also promote healthy hair growth.
Protein is a substance your body needs to grow and repair all the cells in your body, including your hair.
If you want a slow start to using protein in your hair, check out the HASK Keratin Protein Shampoo and Conditioner.
These products cleanse and soften damaged hair with keratin, leaving your hair shiny and strong once more.
It’s an excellent way to instantly revive dry, dull, and unruly hair.
Plus, the sulfate-free and paraben-free shampoo and conditioner leaves your hair smelling fresh and fruity – perfect for the summertime!
Using a protein-infused shampoo and conditioner is a quick and convenient way to start incorporating protein into your hair regimen.
But an even better and more effective way to do that is utilizing superfoods to make protein-rich deep conditioning masks.
DIY Protein Treatment For High Porosity Hair – Recipes
There’s no need to splurge a lot of cash on expensive brands just to get a good protein treatment.
In fact, a better way to feed your hair protein is to go the organic route by making DIY protein masks in the comfort of your own home.
As long as you have a well-stocked pantry, you have the power to concoct a highly-effective protein treatment for your hair in a matter of minutes!
Just remember: It’s important to use very rich, moisturizing ingredients since your hair is highly porous.
So don’t shy away from those heavier oils and butters!
Not sure where to start?
Here are four fast and easy protein mask recipes you can do with ingredients that are most likely already in your kitchen.
Egg Yolk, Mayonnaise And Shea Butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp of mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp of shea butter
Eggs are known to be an excellent source of protein – that’s why athletes eat many of them every day!
But the yolks are said to have the most protein and biotin, both needed to repair hair damage and keep breakage and shedding at bay.
So toss the whites for now and keep just the yolks.
Mayonnaise, on the other hand, is super moisturizing, thanks to its creamy consistency.
It’s known to encourage good hair growth because of its strengthening properties.
It also helps add definition to curly and wavy hair while protecting color-treated hair.
Lastly, we have shea butter, which is insanely rich, thick, and moisturizing.
It also helps repair damage by smoothening and sealing gaps in highly porous hair.
Mix all three together until you create a smooth, well-combined paste.
Avocado, Aloe Vera And Olive Oil
- 1 small avocado
- 2 tbsp of aloe vera gel
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
Avocados are packed with proteins, amino acids, and fatty acids that strengthen and nourish the hair.
The deep moisture it provides eliminates dehydration, keeping your strands safe from snapping and breakage.
When it comes to aloe vera gel, you can use it fresh from the plant or in a store-bought tub.
This humectant draws moisture from the environment and pulls it into your hair, giving your locks a boost of hydration to quench their thirst.
It’s also anti-inflammatory and super soothing on the scalp.
Olive oil is a thick conditioning oil that penetrates the hair very well.
It adds shine to the hair and has amazing slip to help detangle the hair faster.
This combo of ingredients is excellent not just for hair-strengthening, but for growing out your locks, too.
Just mash your avocado and toss it in with the aloe vera gel and olive oil in the blender.
Blend until you get a smooth creamy consistency.
Yogurt, Bananas, Sweet Almond Oil And Honey
- 2/3 cup of yogurt
- 1 banana, mashed
- 2 tsp of sweet almond oil
- 2 tsp of honey
Yogurt contains tons of protein to fortify your porous strands and lactic acid to gently cleanse and purify your hair.
Meanwhile, bananas are rich in vitamins, carbs, and potassium that can strengthen and smooth down the hair.
Adding sweet almond oil and honey to the mixture just makes this recipe all the more moisturizing.
Sweet almond oil has essential fatty acids to hydrate and add luster to the hair.
Meanwhile, honey helps seal moisture in your strands.
It also combats dandruff and flaking in your scalp.
When these sweets come together, you get a hair mask full of protein and moisture.
They work together to add luster and shine back to your hair too, making it more luminous and healthy-looking.
Coconut Oil And Coconut Milk
- 1 cup of coconut oil
- ½ cup of coconut milk
In some countries, the coconut tree is known as the “tree of life”.
This is because its fruit has a plethora of benefits.
One popular use of coconuts is to care for the hair.
Coconut is rich in omega fatty acids and proteins, so it moisturizes the hair while strengthening and thickening it up.
Coconut oil penetrates deep into the hair shaft, nourishing your strands from the inside out.
Meanwhile, coconut milk is silky smooth and adds immense shine to the hair.
Use a spoon to combine a cup of room-temperature coconut oil and half a cup of coconut milk.
This should give you a smooth, creamy consistency similar to conditioner.
How To Use Your DIY Protein Treatments
Although you can formulate your DIY protein treatment however you want, how to use them on your hair is pretty much always the same.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use your DIY protein mask:
Ensure You Have A Smooth Paste
Before starting, make sure your ingredients are mixed well.
Use a food processor or blender to combine everything and smooth out any lumps.
What you’re looking for is a smooth paste that you can easily rake into your hair like a conditioner.
Apply The Mixture
Apply the mask directly to your hair.
Scoop up some of your concoction with your hands and distribute it throughout your hair.
If you have thick hair, you can divide your locks into sections to make the mask easier to apply.
Focus On The Ends
Make sure every lock of hair is saturated with your protein mask.
Focus application on the ends of your hair, which are usually the driest part of your tresses and are prone to split ends and breakage.
Use A Shower Cap
Put your hair up in a plastic shower cap.
This traps some heat in your hair to open up your hair cuticles and absorb the mask.
It also makes it less messy, since it keeps the mask from getting on your clothes.
Leave the mask for about half an hour.
This gives it enough time to penetrate your hair strands and work its magic on your porous strands.
Rinse Out The Treatment
Now, you can hop into the shower and rinse out your protein treatment.
Put your hair under lukewarm water to properly wash out every ounce of the mask.
For a thorough cleanse, use a gentle, sulfate-free shampoo so that you don’t strip your hair and leave it super dry again.
Careful Not To Give Your Hair Protein Overload!
Make sure you only give your hair protein treatments once a week.
Any more than that, and you’ll run the risk of protein overload.
When you have too much protein in your hair and it’s not balanced out with enough moisture, your hair could end up being stiff and rough to the touch.
When you expose your hair to too many protein treatments in a short span of time, the proteins can end up building up on your hair strands.
This creates a hard shell coating around your hair, blocking emollients and oils from penetrating your thirsty tresses.
To avoid protein overload, you have to balance out your hair regimen with moisture.
That’s why all of the recipes above are infused with super-hydrating ingredients and oils.
How To Deal With Protein Overload
If you think you’re going through protein overload already, stop your protein treatments immediately.
For the next few weeks, focus your routine on giving your hair enough moisture until your hair feels better again.
Look for daily conditioners, leave-ins, and finishing serums infused with moisturizing oils.
After several weeks, you can go back to doing your favorite protein treatments again.
Just be sure to note how often you feed your hair some protein moving forward to prevent protein overload from happening again.
Conclusion
Treating your hair to a protein-packed treatment is terrific for high porosity hair for many reasons.
It adds that structure, body, and bounce back to your roughed-up locks.
It also strengthens your strands by repairing the damaged cuticles, making them more resilient against the elements.
Opting for a DIY protein treatment for high porosity hair is a great way to save money while customizing your treatment to include whatever ingredients you want.
You get to play around with many protein-rich superfoods, letting your creativity shine through for a bit.
However, remember that too much of a good thing is still too much.
Don’t let your hair suffer the consequences of protein overload.
Limit your treatments to just once a week.
Give your hair just enough protein to get that lovely bounce, shine, and strength back to your tresses.
