Protein treatment gone wrong?

[Bobbie80]

Not sure if this is a rant orna question, but here goes. A few weeks ago I did a gelatin protein treatment followed up by coconut oil deep condition. I now have breakage around my head above my ears. What may I have done wrong?

[school of fish]

Others more knowledgable about protein treatments will hopefully chime in here, but my instinct is that you may not have followed up the protein with the kind of moisture your hair needed.

Speaking very generally, oils tend to have more of a sealing and protecting action than a moisturizing one - they don't *add* moisture per se but they help *retain* it. Moisture means water, meaning water-based substances like aloe, honey, conditioner... the SMT is one of the classic moisture treatments used after something like a gelatin treatment. So it's possible that you didn't actually *moisturize* your hair thoroughly after having given it the gelatin.

Also, coconut oil isn't necessarily the ideal oil for everyone - it can make some people's hair crunchy and more brittle (I'm one of them ;) ). This is highly individual of course - there are plenty of people for whom coconut is extremely beneficial.

There is also the possibility that something else is causing the breakage, or that you're seeing a halo of new growth coming in. Some more details about your care routine might help narrow it down :)

[Bobbie80]

I have simplified my hair care. I wash my hair with a shower bar twice a week. I comb my hair with a shower comb daily, never when wet. I use a silk pillow case. And sometimes I'll add coconut oil as a pre poo. That's it.

[Bobbie80]

I do not believe it is new growth. My hair didn't have this wretched halo a couple weeks ago, and it's all about the same length.

[w0nderland]

Sometimes an overload on protein can cause hair to become dry and may therefore lead to breakage. (I think!)
I think it is a good idea to follow protein treatments with moisturizing treatments.
I know some peoples hair just doesn't like protein!

[Bobbie80]

If was the gelatin and then a not so great conditioner, I'm lucky I still have hair. ��

[Bobbie80]

The ends of my hair loved the protein. I could tell it filled in the gaps and strengthened the shafts. My ends do not feel brittle and course anymore.

[Bobbie80]

Also, the halo's hair is much wavier than what new growth usually looks like.

[meteor]

Ouch! :( So sorry this happened!

Did you manipulate your hair while the gelatin was still on? One really shouldn't touch it because while gelatin coats and solidifies in hair, it can make it very brittle, until fully washed out. I think adding an oil that solidifies at ambient temperatures could have added to the temporary brittleness.

Also, how much gelatin was used? If you used too much gelatin or used just gelatin + water without any moisturizing treatment, it could definitely backfire. The general recommendation is to start with a very small amount of protein and build from there, only if the hair responds well but seems to need even higher concentration.

Personally, I simply mix a sachet of gelatin into a warm SMT + oil and that's my protein & moisturizing treatment in one. Oil alone isn't good enough in this case, IMHO, because it only provides occlusion and emollience, but I'd recommend a proper conditioner after gelatin, with a good amount of humectants as well, to draw and hold onto moisture.

Also, with protein, size really matters, and if it didn't work out with gelatin (which is partly a source of hydrolyzed collagen, which is of medium-to-large protein size, providing some film-forming benefits), it may still work out with smaller sized proteins, e.g. silk, keratin...
More on this: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2013/09/more-about-protein.html

Finally, some hair simply does best with no added protein at all, especially if it's virgin and naturally coarse hair, but it's all very YMMV.

I'd thoroughly clarify and follow up a humectant treatment (e.g. SMT) and be careful around any added protein in products.

I really hope your hair will feel much better soon! :blossom:

[Bobbie80]

Also, the halo's hair is much wavier than what new growth usually looks like.

[Bobbie80]

Thank you meteor. I followed directions inread online amd added one sachet of gelatin to 1 cup of water. I did not manipulate my hair during the drying time. That's good advice about starting with a small amount, or adding it to an smt treatment. Thanks!!

[meteor]

^ You mentioned your hair got way wavier than it actually is naturally? That could definitely be a sign of build-up, too.

I'd definitely clarify and then follow up with moisture treatment (any moisturizing conditioner that has worked fine for you in the past).

While clarifying, IMHO I'd imagine it would be safer to let the shampoo sit for a couple minutes in your hair instead of trying to manipulate wet hair too much... just because the hair is so brittle at the moment with all that build-up, so I'd rather do something like a mermaid soak than a lot of rubbing. And I'd definitely moisturize really well after.

I really hope your hair will feel much better soon! :pray:

[Bobbie80]

Ouch! :( So sorry this happened!

Did you manipulate your hair while the gelatin was still on? One really shouldn't touch it because while gelatin coats and solidifies in hair, it can make it very brittle, until fully washed out. I think adding an oil that solidifies at ambient temperatures could have added to the temporary brittleness.

Also, how much gelatin was used? If you used too much gelatin or used just gelatin + water without any moisturizing treatment, it could definitely backfire. The general recommendation is to start with a very small amount of protein and build from there, only if the hair responds well but seems to need even higher concentration.

Personally, I simply mix a sachet of gelatin into a warm SMT + oil and that's my protein & moisturizing treatment in one. Oil alone isn't good enough in this case, IMHO, because it only provides occlusion and emollience, but I'd recommend a proper conditioner after gelatin, with a good amount of humectants as well, to draw and hold onto moisture.

Also, with protein, size really matters, and if it didn't work out with gelatin (which is partly a source of hydrolyzed collagen, which is of medium-to-large protein size, providing some film-forming benefits), it may still work out with smaller sized proteins, e.g. silk, keratin...
More on this: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2013/09/more-about-protein.html

Finally, some hair simply does best with no added protein at all, especially if it's virgin and naturally coarse hair, but it's all very YMMV.

I'd thoroughly clarify and follow up a humectant treatment (e.g. SMT) and be careful around any added protein in products.

I really hope your hair will feel much better soon! :blossom:

So you add gelatin to your smt...does that require more deep conditioning after?

[Bobbie80]

^ You mentioned your hair got way wavier than it actually is naturally? That could definitely be a sign of build-up, too.

I'd definitely clarify and then follow up with moisture treatment (any moisturizing conditioner that has worked fine for you in the past).

While clarifying, IMHO I'd imagine it would be safer to let the shampoo sit for a couple minutes in your hair instead of trying to manipulate wet hair too much... just because the hair is so brittle at the moment with all that build-up, so I'd rather do something like a mermaid soak than a lot of rubbing. And I'd definitely moisturize really well after.

I really hope your hair will feel much better soon! :pray:

Tje only part that's wavier is the broken hair. The rest of my hair is flatter than normal

[meteor]

So you add gelatin to your smt...does that require more deep conditioning after?

Not for me, personally... (I don't even need to moisturize after, to be honest, but my hair does like protein in small amounts). But it's all very YMMV and I would follow the cues from your own hair.
Some hair just doesn't respond well to protein at all and only gets build-up and brittleness from it. If it doesn't like it, I wouldn't play with it.


Tje only part that's wavier is the broken hair. The rest of my hair is flatter than normal

Ouch! Then it might be wavier because it's shorter, so the length is not weighing down, not elongating the wave pattern maybe?
Whatever it is, I really hope you'll manage to remove the build-up fast and moisturize the hair well. :pray:
So sorry you are going through all this! :grouphug:

[Bobbie80]

^ You mentioned your hair got way wavier than it actually is naturally? That could definitely be a sign of build-up, too.

I'd definitely clarify and then follow up with moisture treatment (any moisturizing conditioner that has worked fine for you in the past).

While clarifying, IMHO I'd imagine it would be safer to let the shampoo sit for a couple minutes in your hair instead of trying to manipulate wet hair too much... just because the hair is so brittle at the moment with all that build-up, so I'd rather do something like a mermaid soak than a lot of rubbing. And I'd definitely moisturize really well after.

I really hope your hair will feel much better soon! :pray:

Tje only part that's wavier is the broken hair. The rest of my hair is flatter than normal

[Bobbie80]

Thank you all. I think I am switching to smt asap. I wish my hair didn't break off, but still feel lucky I have hair left ony head. There is just soooo much info its easy to get it all mixed up.

[littlestarface]

Thank you all. I think I am switching to smt asap. I wish my hair didn't break off, but still feel lucky I have hair left ony head. There is just soooo much info its easy to get it all mixed up.

Well did it break off when you combed it? Like did you see a bunch of tiny hairs fall from your head or you just saw the shorter hairs on your head?

[Bobbie80]

I did not notice it right away. I noticed it about a week after, after a prepoo of coconut oil then a shampoo bar.

[Bobbie80]

So I guess I jist noticed shorter hairs. I changed where I part my hair so maybe it would not be so noticeable. But still the breakage seems to be throughout my canopy, almost like I lost a layer of hair.