Are you suffering from dry, breaking hair from a protein treatment gone wrong? This article will teach you how to reverse protein overload in your natural and relaxed hair to halt breakage and restore moisture.
6 Regimen Hacks for Reversing Protein Overload
My hair is no stranger to protein overload and it took years before I learned how to properly balance protein and moisture. One of the worst situations I’ve experienced happened when a stylist left a strong protein treatment on my hair too long. My hair was dry, brittle and breaking! This incident helped me to come up with some ways to quickly reverse protein overload.
Baby Your Hair!
Be very gentle with your hair until it recovers because excessive manipulation will only lead to additional breakage.
Moisture Only Regimen!!
Stay away from protein based products until moisture is restored to your hair. Using products containing the slightest bit of protein may worsen the protein overload. Therefore, sticking with a moisture only regimen is important to regaining the right moisture levels within your hair.
Baggy Your Hair!
Baggying your hair is an excellent method for restoring moisture. Simply mist your hair with a moisturizing spray and/or apply your favorite moisturizer before tossing on a plastic processing cap for a couple of hours. The plastic cap will create a greenhouse effect. After about 15 minutes, you should notice water droplets forming inside the plastic cap. This greenhouse effect provides moisture to your dehydrated hair. Be sure to seal in the moisture when you remove the plastic cap!
As a word of caution, baggying is a great and effective technique when used properly. When done is excess, it can lead to moisture overload and damaged cuticles. Therefore, don’t overdo it by leaving your hair damp for hours. Baggying for a few hours each night or every other night is sufficient until moisture levels are restored.
Co-Wash to Restore Moisture!
Co-washing gives the hair a boost of hydration which is needed when experiencing protein overload.
Steam Your Strands!
Steaming your hair is a great way to force feed moisture into your strands. It gently opens the cuticles to allow product to deeply penetrate and provides additional hydration to your hair.
Related: How to Steam Your Hair Without a Steamer.
Add Salt to Your Deep Conditioner!
Adding 1 tablespoon salt to your deep conditioner will break down the protein bonds in your hair and will quickly reverse protein overload. Be sure to read the article, How to Correct Protein Overload in Hair with Salt. The last time that I used this treatment, I deep conditioned with a mixture of 1 tablespoon regular table salt, 1 cup TRESemme Naturals Moisturizing Conditioner and a few tablespoons of honey. If you give this a try, it’s very important that you stir the conditioner mixture really well to dissolve all salt crystals so that it does not damage your hair.
Each time I do this treatment, I am left with soft, balanced hair! That said, you can easily get moisture overload if you overdo the treatment by using too much salt or leaving it on for too long. I kept my treatment on for two hours because my hair was severely protein overloaded.
Use good judgment when using this treatment. Do note, I only use this treatment when nothing else works because it is not widely used or talked about within the hair community, thus long-term effects to the hair are unknown. Therefore, I play it safe and only use it on an as-needed basis.
I recently had a terrible experience with Aphogee 2 step. I have co-washed and deep conditioned my hair twice since then. My hair is definitely feeling a lot better now. Great post!
TY! Protein overload is so exhausting. I’m so glad your hair feels much better.
OMG That mess KILLED MY NATURAL HAIR!! It worked so good when relaxed but now the shampoo by Aphogee turned my head a brittle mess, I noticed when I blow dryed my hair it was so stiff and not flowy. I lost my entire nape area by just one shampoo. the shower cap in the shower has helped along with drinking alot of water. I cried like a baby but I will win the fight.
Hi Rhonda, oh my gosh nooooooo!!! Aphogee is some strong stuff. How’s your hair doing now since it’s been a few weeks? I hope the breakage has stopped and moisture is replenished.
Who knew that adding salt to your conditioner could make your hair more moisturized! Thanks for the great tips chica!
KLP @ SavingOurStrands
Thanks for swinging by
I discovered I was protein sensitive early on in my journey. I can only use protein once a month. Otherwise my hair will let me know by putting up a fight. From my experience it takes a while to come back from protein overload. Getting the balance just right between protein and moisture can be very tricky.
My gosh yes, it takes such a long time to bounce back on my hair too. I’ve lost plenty of strands do protein overload.
Hi Jay! Protein is my enemy. The advice about the salt is brilliant. Thanks so much for sharing.
Thank you for this beautifully created & informative website. You’ve done an awesome job!
What’s the ratio of salt to conditioner?
I’m SO sorry, I’m half awake reading this; Sickle Cell Anemia (SCA) & I’m not feeling well today.
Thank you again for this site; I desperately need help in rescuing my hair from SCA caused destruction.
Thank you for swinging by. I hope you start feeling better.
Thank you! 1 teaspoon, no more than 1 tablespoon to 1 cup conditioner
Hi, id like to try adding salt to conditioner to help my protein overload hair, but what salt do i use, table or sea salt or does it not matter? And can i use any conditioner. I just want to make sure, ive only been natural for a few weeks so im a little disheartened now this has happened and dont want to make my hair any worse
Hi Naomi, don’t be disheartened. Regular table salt and any cheapie conditioner that your hair likes will do. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks x, i tried the salt tip, my hair texture is looking curlier but i cant get rid of this straw like feeling in my hair but its only been about 3weeks so maybe i just have to give it some time
Have you clarified & chelated recently? Are you using products that you know for sure works for your hair?
She said it in the post . 1 cup conditioner and 1 tablespoon salt
I went to the hairdressers and was advised a clarifying sulfate free shampoo and a cleansing cream from KeraCare which i use each week. I did try a shampoo with sulfate but i found it drying so stopped. Dont really know what leave in conditioners to use all they all seem to have protein in them. I have Cantu moisturizing rinse out conditioner which ive been using. And i have a moisturising DC called “You Repair deep therapy repair treatment” which i used once, but realised it has egg in it so stopped using that too. I have castor oil, olive oil, shea butter but i just dont know which to use as non seem to keep moisture in effectively. ive spent so much money buying new hair products to try and fix my hair but nothing works 🙁
how often can i do the salt thing ? is it ok like twice a month ? i did it once but i think i need more
I’ve done two treatments within a few days of each other when my hair was really protein overloaded. I wouldn’t recommend doing it again unless your hair is still severely protein overloaded. Would regular deep conditioning help you right now vs. further breaking the protein bonds? What could happen is you break the protein bonds down so far that you have to use some protein to build it back up so watch out for gummy, mushy hair. That’s a good indicator that you need protein.
Thanks for your help I had a protein over load using Dudleys DRC my hair is still kinda dry. what do you suggest for moisture?
You’re so very welcome! I hope the article helps you out. As for product recs, please check this out — Jay’s Faves. I have my favorites categorized. Let me know if you have questions.
Thanks for sharing…my hair is extremely protein damaged I don’t know how to fix it and how many times in a week we have to apply this salt conditioner mask…Please help me!!
I’m doing the salt one right now , I’m hoping it will work , how many times do I need to do the salt one If I have severe protein overload?
The rice water Challenge, has me in protein overload. It’s a blessing from God that I found your blog. I’m praying that this will work for me.
I have stopped doing challenges as most never worked well for me. Less has been the best for me.
Once my hair recovers how often do you recommend doing rice water rinses? I have low porosity hair. Which is better white rice or black rice?
I don’t do rice water.
Thank you for this! I believe a treatment I did Saturday, in combination with the washday products I used during and after the wash process gave me protein overload. Also, a product I used doesn’t agree with my scale as it is itching. As a result of the process my hair is breaking easily, dry, stiff, lifeless. Do you recommend I go ahead and rewash now, to get the damaging protein & irritating stuff out. Or do I risk over manipulating while it’s in such a fragile state?