And as you browse the hair care aisle, you may come across products with keratin or bond-building slapped on the label—these protein-infused formulas promise to rebuild broken hair bonds, but (sigh) you can get too much of a good thing. As you coat the strands with these bond-building ingredients, you protect them from further breakage and strengthen their ability to withstand those aforementioned stressors. “Topical protein treatments such as keratin or bond-strengthening shampoos revitalize hair and promote stronger hair strands,” adds hairstylist Miko Branch, co-founder of hair care brand Miss Jessie’s. “Adding protein to hair is a terrific way to restore and nourish hair follicles, fostering hair health by protecting tresses and helping to prevent breakage. While protein-infused hair care can help rebuild broken bonds and strengthen your tresses, it is possible to go overboard. “Protein and keratin products are really popular right now, but too much of a good thing can leave the protein-moisture balance out of whack,” notes Branch. And that protein-moisture balance is a delicate one: To prevent breakage, your hair requires a proper amount of hydration and nutrients, and it’s easy to tip the scale one way or the other. Of course, everyone’s hair has different needs: Your curl pattern, porosity, and styling habits can all affect how much protein and moisture you should include in your routine. “If your hair has too much protein, you can expect the look and texture of strands to feel dry, brittle, and straw-like,” Branch explains. “Split ends, tangles, and a lack of luster are also indicative that your hair may have too much protein.” So you may need to focus on moisture instead to nourish the cuticles: “When your hair gets super tangled easily, that’s when you know you need a little daily moisture in the routine,” adds Newman. Rather, when you consume collagen peptides and the short-chain amino acids are absorbed, they’re able to travel around the body and exert their beneficial effects (hair, skin, nails, joints, gut, etc).* Meaning, they won’t only send love to the strands—they will simply move on to wherever they’re needed most in your body.* Whereas when you manually coat the hair with protein-infused products, that’s when protein can build up on the hair cuticle and weigh it down. A lack of protein can affect the strands’ elasticity, so Newman recommends what he calls the “stretch test.” Take a strand of hair from your brush and tug it gently: “It should have a little bit of stretch, and it should resist your tug,” he says. But if the hair instantly snaps in half somewhere in the middle, that’s a sign your strands may need more protein. “At a perfect, balanced state, hair should have a mild elasticity, and it should be able to be detangled properly without breaking,” he adds. If you have an inkling you’re overloading on protein, look out for buzzwords like keratin, biotin, hydrolyzed quinoa, amino acids, bond-building, or silk protein on your hair care products. “You will literally see the word protein in the ingredients,” Newman notes. You may also want to opt for a clarifying shampoo (Miss Jessie’s Co-Wash is great for curls), as these can break apart the proteins bonded to your hair. Then to fold in some much-needed moisture, seek hydrators like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, aloe, as well as a blend of oils to nourish the strands—feel free to check out our favorite shampoos and conditioners for dry hair. Consequently, if you’re in need of some bond-building, look for those protein-heavy buzzwords on your labels.
