Your hair has a cuticle layer and an inner cortex of keratin proteins. These proteins keep your hair strong and flexible and help prevent breakage. Bleaching your hair can damage the keratin, so a protein filler treatment can be very beneficial.
What is a Protein Filler?
One hair technique seen and felt is post-bleach damage. Your hair appears thinner with split ends. When you run your hands through it, it becomes stiff when wet.
You notice a loss in elasticity as the bleach removes the keratin proteins from the inner cortex and lipids, and you need an effective treatment for both. Luckily, you can resolve this with a protein treatment.
Your hair comprises 90% fibrous keratin, a protein in the epithelial cells that forms the center of the hair strand layers and cortex.
A protein filler treatment uses keratin hydrolysates to treat environmental and chemical damage in your hair. The keratin hydrolysates are prepared from animal parts containing keratin, like hair, wool, horns, and hoofs.
Still, many industries have developed products using a combination of non-animal ingredients, such as soy proteins, wheat, and corn. This treatment helps hair recover from the aftereffects of bleaching.
How Does a Protein Filler Work?
After bleach treatment, your hair’s cuticle and pH are affected. Your hair naturally produces a pH of around 5.0 to keep it healthy and shiny.
When hair is balanced, its cuticle is flat, retaining moisture and nutrients. But when bleached, the hair becomes too alkaline, causing the hair layer to lift and open more, leading to moisture loss.
The protein filler treatment returns the lost keratin to help restructure your hair, restore elasticity, and strengthen it, leading to healthy hair. The filler goes into the opened cuticle to fill those gaps, preventing breakage.
Another worthy note is that keratin is an irreplaceable protein in hair, and the filler is considered a treatment but not a cure. It is a temporary solution but will not heal or solve the problem. Hence, it is an ongoing treatment when visiting our salon.
Benefits of Protein Filler Treatments
For an immediate solution after bleaching your hair, a protein filler treatment can help with problems like dryness, breakage, and frizz. The hair treatment is accessible as an at-home or in-salon treatment with many benefits:
Strengthens Hair: Your hair gets damaged with normal wear and coloring, but a protein treatment helps fill the cuticle’s gaps. In turn, it will enhance the hair by reinforcing the weak areas.
Gives a Shine: Dry hair or dull appearance results from a lack of moisture. When the cuticle becomes disrupted, more moisture and nutrients are lost. Protein fillers seal in humidity to boost shine.
Improves Elasticity: Brittle hair can break when brushed, and a protein filler helps improve elasticity and seal the nourishment to restore vitality while preventing breakage.
Protects Hair: When you fill the gaps in the cuticle of damaged hair, the protein strengthens and helps protect it from further damage. While it cannot repair the hair, it can keep it as healthy as possible.
Better-Looking Hair: Healthy hair looks bouncy and shiny. Protein fillers boost the shine while sealing in moisture, strengthening the strands, and improving overall appearance.
Who Should Get This Treatment?
Many people can benefit from this treatment. You can benefit from the treatment if you have high-porosity hair; the same applies if your hair is bleached, highlighted, or colored.
The same applies if your hair starts to lose its natural curl and can benefit from the hair treatment.
Still, do not overdo it, as it can have several adverse effects, especially on your hair, which can become brittle. We recommend you talk to one of our stylists to recommend the best treatment and how many you will need.
Lastly, you can benefit from protein fillers if you have moderate hair stress from styling or coloring. Still, protein fillers are insufficient if you put your hair through the wringer with coloring, and you might need bond-building treatments.
How Do You Use a Protein Filler?
You can get a protein filler treatment at the salon or at home, but regular treatments are necessary. Before you start, we recommend consulting with one of our stylists to prevent further damage.
A treatment can take 30 minutes, and overnight therapies are available in a restructuring mask. We recommend using products containing amino acids, pea protein, jojoba, and quinoa.
When applying the protein filler, start with the following:
- Always start with clean hair and apply it to your damp hair.
- Apply your mask from your scalp to the tip of the hair.
- Take a comb through your hair to distribute the mask, and never use a brush.
- Then, for longer hair, pull it into a bun and wrap it with a microfiber bun, or cover your hair with your shower cap to help with penetration.
- Leave it in your hair for the recommended time, then wash and style.
Wrap-Up: Protein Fillers Have Many Benefits
A protein filler treatment offers you fantastic benefits if your hair is damaged by the environment or bleached.
It provides strength and shine while protecting hair against further damage. However, it is essential to remember that it cannot repair natural keratin.
Before trying these treatments, we recommend consulting with one of our stylists, as too much protein can lead to brittle hair.
FAQ
Is having a protein filler treatment worth it?
Protein treatments are worth it as they help increase moisture, retention, and elasticity.
What is the difference between protein and keratin?
A protein treatment strengthens and repairs hair fibers to reduce breakage, while keratin provides a smooth, glossy finish to control frizz.
How long does a protein filler treatment last?
The protein treatment lasts up to six months, depending on how it is done.
