How To Know If Your Hair Needs Protein [Handy Tips To Follow]

Is your hair feeling a little lackluster or dull lately? Or has your hair lost its usual bounce, and you’re noticing more breakage than normal? 

Many of our hair issues can be down to an imbalance, and it could be that your hair is in need of protein.

However, how do you know if your hair is in need of protein, to improve both its strength and shine? I’m going to let you know how to tell if your hair needs protein, so you can give your hair exactly what it needs. 

Why Is Protein Important For Hair?

Hair is mainly made from keratin, and keratin is a type of protein that provides the essential structure within the hair, and also is responsible for the durability. 

If hair doesn’t have enough protein, it can then become brittle, limp and more prone to breakage, which then makes styling more frustrating.

Protein can also help our hair to retain moisture, by filling in the gaps along the hair’s cuticle, to enhance the hair’s overall health. 

You might see a lot of protein treatments being promoted by haircare brands, as they’re effective at repairing damage by restoring strength and improving the texture.

Plus, ingredients like hydrolyzed wheat and silk protein are common in these kinda of treatments, helping to minimize frizz and split ends.

How To Know If Your Hair Needs Protein

If you want to know if your hair need protein, look for signs like your hair feeling more limp, stringy or it’s lacking in volume. 

You can also do what’s called the “stretch test” but gently pulling on a strand of your hair. If it stretched but doesn’t bounce back and feels a little gummy, your hair needs protein.

There are also other signs to look for, like low elasticity, split ends, breakage – especially after heat styling or chemical treatments – can also indicate protein deficiency issues.

How To Tell If Your Hair Needs More Moisture OR More Protein

If your hair looks dull, feels brittle, has split ends, or is super frizzy, it’s likely moisture it needs. Under-moisturized hair also tangles easily and lacks softness.

However, if your hair feels more limp, stringy or lacks elasticity, it could be needing protein – and that’s when you do the stretch test I mentioned above.

Over-moisturized hair feels overly soft and loses structure, so balance is key.

We need to pay attention to our hair, to see what it needs, so we keep the perfect balance between moisture and protein. 

How To Fix Hair Lacking Protein

To fix hair lacking protein, start by using protein-rich hair care products like keratin treatments or hydrolyzed wheat protein shampoos and conditioners, as these kinds of products will help restore strength and rebuild your hair’s structure.

You can use leave-in hair conditioners with protein within the formula, every day to maintain these levels and prevent further damage (especially if you have fine or high-porosity hair).