How to Determine if your hair needs Moisture or Protein

Black hair is prone to breakage. Some amount of hair loss is natural, but most hair loss in black women stems from mistreatment or a disproportionate amount of moisture or protein. Many stylists who focus on healthy black hair will tell you that your hair demands a balance of moisture and protein. Nothing else that you do to obtain a head of healthy black hair will matter if you that balance is thrown off. Follow these steps to test your hair.

Instructions:

• Wet your hair. It is best to do this test after you have shampooed your hair. While it is still wet, grip about an inch of your hair between your fingers.
• Stretch the wet strands of hair, and run a comb through them. Make sure your hair is not tangled when you do this -- you don't want to harm your hair. And remember, it is always best to use a wide-tooth comb in black hair.
• Pay close attention to the way that the hair strands react after they have been combed. Healthy black hair strands will stretch, but they will not break unless they are under an extreme amount of stress. Again, what you are looking for in this step is to see how your hair reacts to the wet stretch.
• Based on how your hair reacted to stretching, determine whether your hair needs moisture or protein. You hair needs moisture if it doesn't stretch at all and then breaks, or if it feels extremely rough and brittle. You hair needs protein if it stretches a long way and then breaks (or doesn't break at all), or if it is limp and feels gummy. If your hair stretches just a little, then returns to its normal length without breaking, the amount of protein and moisture in your hair is well balanced.

Some Tips & Warnings:

• Black hair needs a great deal of moisture because it is very porous. If this test shows that your hair needs moisture, use a moisturizing conditioner or cream, then make sure to seal in the moisture with a light oil sheen.
• There are many protein treatments for black hair. You can also get a protein-based, leave-in conditioner as well.