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Home • Wavy

How to Test if Your Hair Is Protein-Sensitive

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How to Test if Your Hair Is Protein-Sensitive
By Peniel Tovar · Updated May 11, 2015

latina with wavy hair

If you are currently dealing with hard, crunchy hair you may just be protein sensitive.

But what exactly is protein sensitivity? Protein sensitivity is a problem that a lot of people face with their hair. Basically, if you expose your hair to proteins your hair becomes hardened and brittle, according to Black Hair Information. This is why some people love coconut oil and why others hate it. Livestrong says some peoples’ locks are more sensitive to the strengthening properties of proteins, thus causing their hair to become overly hard.

How can you test?

The only way to find out is to expose your hair to protein and see how it reacts. You can test your protein sensitivity with products or foods that contain protein such as greek yogurt or eggs.

  1. STEP ONE: Wet a section of hair
  2. STEP TWO: Rub the protein ingredient on the wet test section
  3. STEP THREE: Let the test patch dry
  4. STEP FOUR: Look at your results

It is normal for protein to harden the hair whether you are protein sensitive or not because they add resilience to the hair. But if your hair gets to the point where it crackling and breaking, bingo, you are protein sensitive.

So what can you do about your protein sensitivity?

First off, do not avoid protein.

Proteins are essential for healthy, strong hair. Find styling products that contain little to no proteins, but make sure to compensate by doing a protein treatment once a month. To balance out the power of the protein make sure to use a good protein-free moisturizer so get rid of the crunchiness.

Watch my Q&A video–and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel for more of these clarifications!

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