I have learned a lot about my protein/moisture balance from doing the stretch test on shed hairs. Get a shed hair, grasp ends firmly and pull. It is supposed to have more telling results on a wet hair I think, but I can tell some from the dry ones too.
If it breaks without stretching far at all, it is probably good on protein and needs more moisture.
If it stretches something like 20% of its length, then returns to some semblance of its previous length upon letting go, perfect.
If it stretches way far and/or doesn't shrink back at all when letting go, needs protein.
I have not been adding any protein to my hair, but I have been adding henna. Right afterwards it's the same as the first above. (Henna is not protein, but the tannins seem to have some weird symbiotic relationship with protein.) After I get it more moisturized, it can get to the second result above, which sometimes takes a little time.
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