Protein Treatment For Hair At Home

Protein Treatment for Hair at Home

Protein structures are the building blocks of our hair. Still, due to constant exposure to harsh environmental conditions and chemicals from hair products and dyes, our hair gradually loses some of these protein structures. Protein treatment is helpful in such scenarios as applying a protein treatment for hair at home helps nourish and strengthen the hair and secures its growth to the maximum length.

What is a Protein Treatment?

A protein treatment is a conditioning treatment that adds protein to the cuticle layer of the hair strands. The protein treatment helps in binding the hair strands and the proteins, which is essential for strengthening the hair so that it doesn’t break or fall off easily and hence becomes less likely to get damaged later on. 

Keratin, the natural protein in our hair, quite often gets damaged by exposure to the sun, pollutants, wind, and chemical treatments. The protein treatment for hair at home help in nourishing and strengthening the hair from within, which is similar to conditioning treatments used by hairstylists. Protein treatments help to give the damaged hair a new lease of life. 

Types of Protein Treatments

  • Protein Packs – Such packs are helpful in treating mild hair damage and are beneficial for regular hair maintenance. One can use them at an interval of 1-2 months. 
  • Light Treatments – Light treatments are helpful for slightly more damaged hair and are often known as conditioning masks. You can use them for regular maintenance of hair.
  • Deep Penetrating Treatments – Deep penetrating treatments are favorable for treating moderately damaged hair. The intense moisturization properties of these treatments help in repairing and restoring the damaged hair, and you can use them once every two weeks or as directed.
  • Re-constructors – Re-constructors are helpful in treating severely damaged hair. They are used once every two weeks or as per recommendation.

Signs That Show Your Hair Needs a Protein Treatment

If your hair lacks protein and other nutrients, it will show certain signs of damage or deficiency such as – 

  • Lack of elasticity
  • Limp hair
  • Hair prone to excessive frizz
  • Breakage of hair
  • Split ends
  • Porosity

Helpful Hair Protein Treatments at Home

Using ingredients available at home, one can make extremely useful and beneficial hair masks and packs that will surely help you restore the protein in your hair and make it healthy and look lively again from within. Here we will discuss some of the most popular and effective hair masks that will solve hair issues for all hair types from the comfort of your home at zero or very low cost, which is much cheaper than going to any salon.

1. Egg Mask

Use 2 eggs and apply them thoroughly on your scalp and hair by giving a gentle massage with your fingers. Keep it for an hour and wash it off with just cold water. Otherwise, you can use any sulfate-free shampoo or any other herbal or ayurvedic shampoo to get rid of the smell of eggs.

2. Egg, Coconut Oil, and Mayonnaise Mask

In a bowl, break two eggs and add a three-fourth cup of mayonnaise and one tablespoon of coconut oil. Mix them well with a spoon or use a blender for a more refined and smoother texture. Apply this protein treatment mask to the scalp and hair thoroughly. For better results, apply on freshly shampooed hair.

Divide the hair into four sections and apply the mask to each section, and coat the ends thoroughly. Simultaneously, massage the scalp too and repeat for each section of hair. Cover your head with a shower cap or plastic bag and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Finally, rinse off the mask with lukewarm water.

3. Gram Flour and Shikakai Mask

In a bowl, mix equal quantities of and gram flour or besan and shikakai powder. Add little water to form a fine mixture with a paste-like consistency. Apply this mask to your scalp and hair. Leave it for about an hour before washing it with cold water. This is one of the most helpful protein packs for dry hair and scalp.

4. Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, and Greek Yogurt Mask

Heat 2 tablespoons of unrefined and organic coconut oil for 30 seconds. Now, heat around 5 chunks of shea butter for 1 minute and mix with the coconut oil.

Combine this mixture with 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 5 tablespoons of castor oil, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Mix all the ingredients well; you can also use a blender for easier mixing. Apply this mask to hair and leave it on for around 30 minutes with heat and 1 hour without any heat. This mask is very much useful for people with curly hair.

5. Banana and Coconut Milk Mask

In a blender, blend one banana and a half cup of coconut milk to make a pulpy paste. Apply this paste as a mask to your scalp and hair and leave it for around 30 minutes before rinsing it off with cold water. This mask helps in nourishing and moisturizing the hair and scalp. 

6. Egg and Yogurt Mask

In a bowl, mix 2 eggs, half cup of yogurt, half cup of olive oil, and a half cup of apple cider vinegar. Blend all these ingredients well to form a creamy mixture. Then apply this mask all over your scalp and hair. For better results, wrap your hair with aluminum foil. Leave this mask for about 30 minutes before washing it off with cold water.

Why is Protein Treatment Beneficial to Hair?

  1. Protein treatments nourish and soften natural hair by removing the dead cells from the scalp and restores the protein into the hair.
  2. Protein reduces the porosity of hair. Such hair is non-uniform with cracks, making it vulnerable to hair damage as different elements like colors, pollutants, etc., get absorbed into the cracks easily.
  3. Protein helps in enhancing the durability and fullness of the hair as it is the primary unit of the hair and is very important in repairing and restoring damaged hair tissues. It helps in reducing breakage, prevents split ends, and strengthens the hair strands.
  4. Protein treatments for hair secure its natural balance of proteins, oils, and other nutrients. Appropriate protein levels in the hair protect it from a lot of side effects of chemicals present if you dye your hair.
  5. Protein treatment ensures that you have thicker, longer, and healthier hair by adding extra body, volume, bounce, and shine to your hair.

A protein treatment is one of the easiest ways to replenish and restore the protein in the hair. Protein treatment for hair at home helps repair these keratin bonds and strengthens the hair. It is also useful for natural, highly porous, or chemically-treated, or dyed hair. The treatments discussed in this article will surely help you in restoring the protein in your hair, making your hair healthy, shiny, voluminous, and bouncy.

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