Our hair goes through a lot. From bleaching and colouring to blowdrying and straightening. Even if you embrace your natural locks, all that brushing, tying up and washing can cause strain and damage to your hair.
Plus, the change in seasons always seems to take a toll on our hair. While UV rays and humidity might not be a problem anymore, the drop in temperature and rise in dry-air heating can leave hair feeling limp, lacklustre and all around lifeless.
Sound familiar? If you're noticing that your hair isn't in tip-top shape right now, it could be down to a lack of protein. But the good news is that it's actually really easy to boost your hair's protein levels at home.
Keep scrolling to read all about how protein treatments could benefit your hair, how to tell if you need a protein treatment, plus the best formulas to shop below…
What are protein treatments for hair?
Let's go back to biology class for a minute. Hair is made up of amino acid chains that form together to make protein. Just like your body, your hair requires protein to stay healthy. However, if these amino acids are compromised – by things like heat styling, colouring or other damage to the hair, the protein can become altered, leading to brittle, dry, fragile and frizzy hair.
The good news is, at-home protein treatments exist and are really effective at injecting the elasticity and strength back into your hair strands.
How do I know if my hair needs protein?
Protein deficiency can sometimes be confused with a lack of moisture. Healthy hair looks durable and full, but when it lacks protein, strands can become limp, flat and lifeless. If you've got naturally curly hair, you might notice that your curl pattern is dropping and your curls become weaker. A good way to test if your hair is need in of protein is by doing the 'stretch test.' Hair lacking in protein looses elasticity – meaning it isn't able to stretch and bounce back to its original length.
To test your hair's elasticity, take a strand of your hair and wet it. Once the strand is wet, stretch the hair and see if it bounces back to its original length (in which case, your hair is healthy and may just require some additional moisture) but if the hair doesn’t bounce back, looks limp, or breaks, it’s time to add some protein.
Can you have too much protein in your hair?
Like with most scenarios in life, you can have too much of a good thing. Too much protein can cause even weakened elasticity – weighing down your hair and leading to further breakage. The good news is, protein overload is often temporary and if you lay off the treatments for a while, your hair will likely bounce back. To avoid too much protein, use a protein treatment once or twice a week only and you shouldn't over-saturate your strands.
Which are the best protein treatments for hair?
1/ Aveda Damage Remedy™ Intensive Restructuring Treatment, £34
Packed with quinoa proteins and pure plant oils, this intensive hair treatment helps strengthen dry and damaged hair, leaving strands soft and silky.
2/ Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! MegaStrength Treatment, £38
This weekly intensive treatment provides hair with the optimum balance of protein and moisture, to help fortify the hair cuticle and improve elasticity. Dry, damaged or colour-treated hair will love it.
3/ Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask, £30
Blended with algae, baobab seed oil and the brand's famous Alpha Keratin 60ku™ (a potent protein that can seek out and find damage in your hair)– this nourishing hair mask provides instant intensive repair and shine.
4/ Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Treatment, £22.50
Offering 5-in-1 protection, this intense leave-in conditioning spray protects against chemical, heat, mechanical and surface damage, while minimising the risk of future breakage.
5/ Philip Kingsley Density Thickening Protein Spray, £36
This clever thickening spray contains hydrolysed pea proteins to help strengthen damaged strands, while unique hyper-branched polymers work to instantly volumise fine hair.
6/ Color WOW and Chris Appleton Money Masque, £39.50
If you want unbelievable shine, this is the hair mask for you. It's packed with blue sea kale, kelp and algae to condition and nourish dry hair – while a powerhouse protein complex helps to bolster hair strength and elasticity over time.
7/ Charles Worthington Grow Long - Longer & Stronger Protein Treatment, £8.99
If you're trying to grow your hair, give this leave-in treatment a try. It's formulated with reconstructing protein that helps to target the inner cortex of the hair, to repair the hair from the inside out, restoring hair back to its original state.
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