Why does hair need protein treatments?

[Mercie]

Hair naturally produces its own protein so, why is it necesary to still do protein treatments on it?

I thought I would need to a protein treatment on my mother's hair since, her braids have just been taken out. (It was very fragile when we first took the braids out but, it took as a week to finish detangling everything so by the time I washed her hair the hair was strong and acted as how healthy hair should. Meaning that it didn't stretch too much, and it wasn't brittle.)

So, if someone is consuming a healthy amount of protein in their meals they shouldn't have to do protein treatments on their hair?

 

[shunemite]

Hair is already dead, so if you eat a high protein diet, only the hair coming out of the scalp is what will be high in protein. Not the hair at the end of the strand. Only conditioning can get protein to the rest of the hair strand.

The reason we need to do protein treatments is that hair undergoes a lot of abuse just from living on planet earth. Wind, the sun, pollution in the air, friction against pillows and couches......... all these things cause "wear and tear" to the hair. What ends up happening is that the hair strands weaken and get frays and cracks in there. Obviously, if one is using high heat like flat irons and blow dryers, the stress is even greater.

What protein conditioners do is fill in the cracks in the hair strands. They don't necessarily repair a hair strand, just fill in the cracks.

There are two types of protein conditioners: the kind that penetrate the hair strand and the kind that don't. The kinds that don't penetrate are things like an egg, and polymeric protein conditioners. What these do is coat the hair strand, wrapping themselves around it. This can protect the hair during styling with a flat iron or blow dryer. It also smooths over the cuticle, helping it reflect light better.

The second type, the kind that penetrates the hair strand, usually start with the words "hydrolyzed" (hydrolyzed keratin, collagen etc) these actually will go inside the hair strand and fill the cracks in there. These kind can make the hair harder, like Aphogee. These protein treatments last longer, but still wear off with time.

 

[aegis]

i think it ultimately depends on what chemical processes you have on your hair. women who are natural tend to need less protein than those what are relaxed bc the integrity of their hair has not been compromised.

if you relax you are breaking hydrogen bonds in your hair and your hair is weak. that's not it's natural state so the amount of protein that your hair produced to protect your hair in it's natural state is not enough for it when it's texture or color is changed.

and also anytime you use heat or do other things to your hair it needs added strength to withstand the pressures of the damage you are causing.

 

[Mercie]

Oh, thanks for the clarification guys. It all makes sense to me now.