Best Products, Treatment, Methods and Practices to Treat Protein Overload.

[Dark Star]

Your list here...Thanks. I hope this post is not too concise but my hair is in crisis here and I am clueless! Plus, I am hoping this thread will be really helpful to others going through this. Also, what is the 'caramel treatment'? I heard that is helpful. Is there a link for this?

P.S. Oh wow! I can FINALLY edit now! Right on!

[sarahthegemini]

You could try an SMT which is basically a mixture of moisturising conditioner, honey and aloe vera gel, you can modify it and use oils insead such as olive oil for example. You could do that as a pre-wash every time you wash for a couple weeks and see if that helps. As well as that, use a moisturising rinse out conditioner after you wash, and use a leave-in too.

[Firefox7275]

Clarify then use a rich conditioner, use products without protein for a while. Rinse and repeat until your hair gets back to normal. You aren't really seeking to add anything to your hair, ultimately build up is build up.

[Anje]

What worked for me was repeated SMTs with a protein-free conditioner and cutting out all protein-containing products. Clarifying might not be a bad idea, if only to eliminate product buildup, but when I was flailing around trying to figure out what was wrong with my hair, I clarified several times, thinking it was buildup, without any substantial change in my hair's awfulness.

ETA: SMT. forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=128
Caramel treatment. forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=454
I'm on a tablet, so you're not getting nice links. ;)

[WilfredAllen]

I determined that my hair has low porosity. The only thing that worked for me after my protein overload was getting it wet and putting in up in a swim cap under a warm toque for a few hours at a time... about 20 times lol. It's called the greenhouse method, I believe I imagine this wouldn't be the best course of action for other porosities

[Coolcombination]

Clarify in case it's protein overload, then just moisturise, moisturise, moisturise with protein free conditioner. Make sure none of your other products contain protein either

[Dark Star]

Thanks all!

Indeed, I clarified three weeks ago right after I realized what had happened. I also clarified a day ago when I could not get a residual scrape of shea butter out of my hair. Won't be using that again and I feel my hair cannot take another clarification for awhile. Then I will just use dilute apple cider vinegar. Since clarifying yesterday--my hair is despicably dry again when I had managed to infuse some moisture back into it. And yes, I deep conditioned afterward. It now feels like parchment paper--especially at the roots which is scary. Will be doing an SMT tonight.

I do (mostly) understand what to do and was improved by 60% but I seem to have had a set-back and I don't know why. I have used NOTHING with protein for all these weeks. I only made three (minor) changes in the past week: I used lesser amounts of products because I was slathering the stuff on, started using a (not very good methinks) leave-in and tried out Aubrey Organics, "Honeysuckle Rose" conditioner--just as a deep treatment. I will say that I am not sure on that conditioner. My hair seemed to behave a bit more normally in ways following the use of it, it looked closer to beautiful again, 'hung' and 'flowed' more like itself in ways and yet my ends seemed crispier as did the part of my hair that have some crisp spots left over from the protein (think candy wrappers ladies).

I also learned that no, I cannot bag wet hair for long periods of time. This may even be why I seem to have regressed some. I was baggying overnight but was doing the whole shebang wrong. Damp hair, applying the moisture and then sealing. Then washing and conditioning the next day. No wonder my hair was feeling like old soggy wool once I took off the cap! Plus, that way was making my head sweat and itch like mad. I noticed an increase in breakage and a massive increase in tangles by doing it this way as well. I recently learned to do it on dry hair, apply the moisture and NOT to seal. And to only leave it on for 2-3 hours then NOT to wash out said moisturizer. Far better results but they did not last and I suspect it is because the product I have been using for it is not working for me. Hair feels just awful today.

I am thinking it is this conditioner I have been using as a deep treatment and watered-down leave-in (for the baggying). "White Camellia" by Aubrey. It is so oily and I actually think the oiliness is counterproductive to my getting better from this because it seems to coat and may be drying out my hair. I use as little as I can but still, it clings to my hair even after rinsing. I suffered a similar drying effect from resuming the use of jojoba oil last summer. I have been using a Paul Penders conditioner (Herbal Lemon) as a rinse-out, occasionally as conditioner wash (don't really like that form of washing my hair) and might try it tonight in the SMT since I am undecided about the, "Honeysuckle Rose". It is lovely but will say that it seems not especially helpful in getting rid of all the the tangles and snarls the protein overload has bestowed upon my (pissed off) tresses.

I have a plan--sort of. I have just found some lovely products by a company I am only newly familiar with: "Isvara Organics". Am looking at one of their shampoos and their deep conditioning oil treatment to be used warm and then to be shampooed out followed by conditioning. Their conditioners all seem to be imbibed with proteins--unfortunately. I also cannot find a darned leave-in that suits. But am definitely doing an, "iherb" order this weekend for those two above items. As for a deep conditioner and leave-in, well, the search goes ever on and on. I am also making my hubby put in a water softener we have on-hand since our region has terribly hard water which is not going to be conducive to my hair's recovery. I was in 'Hair Utopia' for two decades with what I was using--until this happened. So it is a bit like being married for a long time and then being single again. Haha. I feel like such a newbie and thus, am quite clueless!

Again, hugs to you all and thanks for helping out and taking the time to respond. Peace and love.

[Dark Star]

By the way, to the lovely "Lady Ariadne"...I adore the name, "Ariadne" being a Greek myth lover. I was going to name my child that if I had had a daughter--I really, really was--either that or Artemis. I had a son, however: Astraeus. Yes, another Greek name! ;)

[jacqueline101]

When my hair hated protein I used baby oil.