Never add protein? Anyone?

[soulie]

I read an article last week on a black hair blog that said one way to evaluate protein sensitivity is the strength of your fingernails, i.e., if your nails are very strong without using any strengthening products it can indicate that you have enough protein in your system that you might not need to do protein treatments, or at least not strong protein treatments. For me, this makes sense: my hair despises protein, and no amount of moisture softens it after I've used added protein.

Is there anyone who never, ever does protein treatments and actively avoids it? Of course, I mean never does it and still has healthy, strong hair!

Thanks!

 

[charmtreese]

This probably explains why I need protein often. Up until recently my nails were always bending, chipping, and peeing and I use protein in my hair regimen regularly. Now that I have a good vitamin and diet regimen my nails are doing much better. Maybe I can lay off the protein in my hair regimen a bit?

 

[Amarilles]

I don't use protein. Two of my products have small amounts of it (by their placement in the ingredient list) but I don't do protein treatments and haven't ever tried one. I can't undo the matted mess that happens after using a product with too much protein with a moisturizing condish, so I avoid it. I don't think protein is for everybody.

While my hair is horribly coarse (as are my eyelashes and eyebrows) I can't say that my nails are strong. They're rather delicate actually, but I don't know if that's because I grew up biting them and not taking care of them. I'm very careful with polish because they can very easily start to discolor, to the point where I just prefer leaving them alone and natural sans color.

 

[imaginary]

My nails have always been really strong (like struggle with the nail clippers strong) my whole life, but my hair is actually really fine and absolutely loves protein so

 

[Prettymetty]

My nails are paper thin... I use protein after every wash.

 

[Honey Bee]

My nails have always been really strong (like struggle with the nail clippers strong) my whole life, but my hair is actually really fine and absolutely loves protein so

I couldn't bite my nails if I tried and, when relaxed, I used protein every wash. That's several times a week. People call Emergencee strong and I laugh, I never experienced all that. I used to think my nails were sucking up all the excess protein and starving my hair.

 

[imaginary]

I couldn't bite my nails if I tried and, when relaxed, I used protein every wash. That's several times a week. People call Emergencee strong and I laugh, I never experienced all that. I used to think my nails were sucking up all the excess protein and starving my hair.

I still kinda think this

 

[Saludable84]

I still kinda think this

I'll agree with it too. My nails are nails I use protein on them to stop the peeling but even when they peel it's hard to break them. And the extra protein on them just makes it harder to break. I can't compare my nails and hair.

 

[Babygrowth]

My nails are strong but I like light protein every wash...

 

[NaturallyATLPCH]

I use light protein but I also eat a lot of protein in my diet so I never really need a hard core protein treatment. Most things I use with protein are balanced with protein and moisture.

But lately my nails have been very hard so that might explain why the BASK Vanilla Whiskey treatment ended up acting more like a hard core treatment instead of the light protein treatment it used to be.

 

[NowIAmNappy]

My nails have always been really strong (like struggle with the nail clippers strong) my whole life, but my hair is actually really fine and absolutely loves protein so

I'm the same as you strong nails yet my fine hair needs protein, like a minimum of once a month

 

[ms-gg]

For me, my hair is very coarse (meaning my hair strands are very thick and can be seen from 20 miles away), and protein is my enemy. Even the tiniest amount of protein can throw my hair off something fierce. I used the Shea moisture curling smoothie like 2 or 3 consecutive times last month and my hair is still trying to recover from the silk protein in it.

When I use products that contain protein, my hair gets so rigid that the hair strands itself hurt my scalp. It is the weirdest and most uncomfortable feeling. Like right now, my hair strands are so rough that they are pricking me in my shoulder as a twist is laying on it. It feels like a needle :/

So yeah, I say all that to say my hair strands itself contain enough protein that I do not need to add any protein AS LONG AS I don't do anything drastic like color it or relax it in which would damage it and cause me to have to add protein to my hair to fortify it...

 

[Honey Bee]

ms-gg, But you didn't say what kinda nails you have...

I still kinda think this

My natural hair is way stronger than my relaxed hair (of course) and I haven't compared mine to anyone else's. I might reach the same conclusion at some point but, as of now, I don't have enough information.

 

[ms-gg]

Hey love! I can grow my nails long, and grow them out to really long lengths, but they are very pliable and thin, and easy to chip and I have to jump through hurdles to keep them long. Like I can push my nails and they easily "cave in" for a lack of a better term...

 

[danysedai]

I'm relaxed and my hair needs that added protein in products, especially the week before a relaxer, as a mid step and the week after.