Protein Sensitive

As you may know, I've been experiencing some dryness and breakage. I wasn't quite sure what was going on, feeling defeated and frankly fed up. After reviewing my blog entries (I was giving it a bit of a facelift) I began to realize that I may be using too much protein. I haven't been using strong proteins, but I believe any amount of protein may be too much. In other words, I am protein sensitive. When I was relaxed this was harder for me to notice, be cause I have very fine hair and didn't couldn't really determine if the breakage I experienced back then was a result of the relaxer. Now, it's a lot easier to figure out.

To confirm my suspicions I avoided all protein based products for a few weeks. That meant shampoo, conditioner, leave in and moisturizer. Oh yes, I was using protein based shampoo. Smh. I guess I thought my curly hair could handle it. To boost my moisture level, I applied my old tested and true Banana/Coconut Milk Masque to see if I could revive my very dry tresses. It helped and I noticed the difference almost immediately. My hair felt soft and moisturized and I was able to maintain a decent amount of moisture until my next wash day. In the past, no matter how much product I put on my hair, it continued to feel quite dry. So it was confirmed. My fine locs can not handle too much protein.

I didn't want to swing too far into the opposite direction, so I completed a mild protein treatment today utilizing my Avocado Masque  (modified), which I think will keep me on the right path to healthy balanced hair. To recap, I blended the avocado and oils well in a blender until smooth then add the egg and the honey. In addition to modifying the recipe a bit, I applied freshly washed hair, from root to tip, applied 2 plastic caps and let it sit for 3 hours. My goal was only 1 hour, but I was a little distracted. I rinsed it out and lightly finger detangles and then applied AO Honeysuckle Rose and allowed that to sit while I cleansed my body. I then finger detangled again while doing my final rinse. Finally I applied homemade moisture balance spritz, sealed with my shea butter mix and air dried. That's it. Here is the modified recipe I used:

1 small hass avocado

1 egg

1 tsp each of EVCO, EVOO, JBCO

1 tsp honey

Overall, I am very pleased with the results. My hair feel soft, yet strong. I'm going to stick with moisturizing products and plan to do a protein treatment in 4-6 weeks. I will have to wait to see what my hair needs. As much as I would like to use certain products that seem to be loaded with protein, I simply can't. In this rare occassion, my hair calls the shots.

                                 

Food For Thought

I've struggled with hair loss issues for a variety of reasons. Chemical damage, poor handling, dryness have all led to breakage, breakage, breakage. I've also have a small bald patch at the back of my head and a sparse hairline due to improper extension application. If you also suffer from hair loss, you may wonder about ways to help improve your condition. Reading a few blogs and site have led me to the conclusion that food is very important part in the promotion of healthy hair growth. While hair is quite capable of growing regardless of what you do, I believe the health and quality of your hair (strong, shiny, maximum rate vs sluggish and dry) will be influenced by the the types of food you eat. It is also the healthiest and "easiest" option for improving the look of your hair.

What are the top foods that promote hair growth?

When choosing food for hair growth, remember that hair is made of protein; therefore protein-rich foods should make up a high percentage of your diet. The second most important hair nutrient is iron. Each key nutrient below lists the foods that promote hair growth (Where possible always buy fresh organic/free-range dairy and produce):

Vegan/Vegetarians:

• Protein: eggs, bean, cottage cheese, yogurt, tofu.
• Iron: whole grain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, dates, raisins.
• B Vitamins: eggs.
• Essential Fatty Acids: walnuts, canola oil, soy.
• Vitamin E: avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil.
• Sulfur: nuts, legumes, garlic, onions.
• High Quality Multivitamin 

Non-vegetarians:

• Protein: liver, brewer's yeast, fish, eggs, beans, cottage cheese, yogurt, tofu
• Iron: liver, whole grain cereals, dark green leafy vegetables, eggs, dates, raisins.
• B Vitamins: eggs, meat, poultry.
• Essential Fatty Acids: walnuts, canola oil, fish, soy.
• Vitamin E: avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil.
• Sulfur: meats, fish, nuts, legumes, garlic, onions.

Green tea may help correct these problematic hormone imbalances; a low-fat diet may also be beneficial. (source)

As you make changes to your diet to help improve hair growth be aware that there are some culprits in our diets that can actually be detrimental to our hair:

• Caffeine
• Sugar
• Fat
• Carbonated drinks

For further information on hair loss and healther ways to promote hair growth please visit the following link http://www.quickcare.org/skin/foods-that-promote-hair-growth.html