If you are looking for DIY protein treatment for natural hair then you would agree with me when I say that “95% of your hair is made up of a protein called “keratin”. In other words, your hair strand is nothing but a strand of protein.”
Likewise, you would be aware of the importance of protein for our bodies without which our bodies can’t work for long. Same is the case with protein for our hair; without it, our hair would never be strong, healthy and well-nourished.
However, our 24/7 use of harsh chemicals and frequent contact with heat and environmental pollution can break down the protein in your hair and making it dry, brittle, and fall down.
So, if you want to restore your hair’s health than you have to give you hair that it has lost. In short, it’s time to give some DIY protein treatment for your natural hair.
Why a natural, homemade protein treatment? Because it’s a lot simpler, cheaper and a great time-saver to use homemade protein hair packs than getting a protein in hair from salons.
So, if you want to give a homemade protein hair treatment to your natural hair then its time to take out some rich protein sources like egg, yogurt, mayonnaise, avocado, and coconut milk, etc from your fridge and revitalize your hair strength and growth.
Signs your hair need a Protein treatment
Before you even think about getting a suitable protein hair treatment, your first need to ask yourself this question, “Does your hair need, if any, protein at all?”
I am sure you would not be able to answer this question without knowing some of the signs/symptoms of what protein-starved hair looks like. To know the obvious signs of protein treatment emergency for your hair, read below.
Look out for these signs in your hair to decide whether you are getting a protein treatment or not.
1. Your hair have lost all their elasticity
This is the most apparent sign for checking out if your hair needs a protein hair treatment or not. How to identify?
There is a nice little trick to identify this problem. Just take a simple strand in your hair and stretch it with your both fingers and try to elongate it.
If the hair strand does not return to its original position, it means your hair has lost its elasticity and you need to get an immediate protein treatment.
2. Your hair has just gone through a color-treatment
If you have recently gone through a lot of hair dye/color treatment, then rest assured a considerable amount of your hair protein has been used up in the process. As a result, a color treated-hair becomes more susceptible to damage than non-color treated hair.
Hence, a protein hair treatment would provide the much-needed strength and nourishment for your protein depleted hair strands.
3. A lot of hair breakage and hair fall
If you witness that your hair is undergoing an abnormal rate of breakage i.e more than 100 strands in a day and falling off, this should be a clear sign of protein loss in your hair.
Precisely, if you find your hair is not uprooting from the root ( not a full strand) rather breaking from halfway as a broken piece of a strand then it is an obvious sign of immediate protein need to revitalize its strength and growth.
4. Your hair is limping and splitting up
This is another red flag that signifies that you need an immediate protein treatment for your hair. When you find your hair looking flat, lacking any strength and limping or stringy, don’t delay a revitalizing protein hair treatment to put a stop to this condition.
5. Your hair strands are very porous
The high porosity of your hair strands is another strong sign that your hair are in need of an immediate protein treatment.
Precisely, when you have highly porous hair, it means that there are a lot of gaps & tears in them rendering them weak and vulnerable. As a result of high porosity, your hair ends up absorbing a lot of water, gets tangled a lot often, and has a lot of frizz in them.
Still not sure if you have this sign of protein starved hair? You can verify this by employing a simple trick.
Take a shallow bowl of water and put your hair strand in it. If your hair stands sinks in it, then this is a clear signal that your hair is porous and need an immediate hair revitalizing protein treatment.
What a DIY protein treatment does to your hair?
Let’s clarify what a protein treatment actually is.
Since you already know that our hair strands are primarily made up of a protein called “keratin” but over time, due to a lot of styling and maintenance, pollution, coloring coupled with a protein-deficient diet and other things lead to its breakdown which manifests in the worsening health condition of your hair strands.
So, it follows that a DIY protein treatment is a homemade natural protein product/source that works to strengthen and repair the keratin that helps to revitalize your hair strength & growth.
But how protein treatment helps your protein-depleted hair?
A natural protein hair treatment will strengthen your hair by repairing hair strands by attaching hydrolyzed proteins to the hair cuticle which will make it hard and strong which ultimately would strengthen your hair strands.
Moreover, if there are some sorts of gaps in your hair strands, it will fill up these gaps and make a strong barrier to harden up your overall hair shaft.
Benefits of DIY protein treatment
- Softer hair
- Strengthened strands
- Additional moisture
- Extra body and volume
- Thicker hair
The Best DIY Protein hair treatments for natural hair
A DIY protein hair mask is a hair protein treatment applied over your hair that is made up of natural protein-rich items from your pantry like coconut, avocado, yogurt, eggs, honey, etc.
The best thing about these packs is that they take only a few minutes to prepare and are much cheaper yet more effective for desired results. With a little extra effort, your hair can be restored to its former glory in no time!
The following are some of the best natural homemade protein-rich hair packs for your protein-starved hair to help them regrow and gain strength.
1. DIY Shea Butter-coconut oil protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 4-5 pieces of pure shea butter
- About 2-3 tbsps of pure, organic coconut oil
- About 3-5 tbsps of pure castor oil
- About 1 cup of greek yogurt
- About 1 tbsp of pure honey
- About 1 egg
How to make this hair pack?
- First, warm up coconut oil for about 1 minute
- Now, warm up shea butter for about 1 minute
- Now, mix both and shake well. When the mixture is smooth, add the remaining ingredients like castor oil, yogurt, honey, and egg.
- Take this mixture and apply properly all over your head and leave it for about 25-30 minutes before rinsing it off slightly lukewarm water
Why does this protein treatment work?
This treatment works for the following reasons
- Shea butter in this protein hair pack is well known for its deep moisturizing and protein-rich ingredients which refuel your lost protein in hair to revitalize its growth
- Coconut oil, castor oil, yogurt, and eggs are one of the best-known sources of natural protein which can effectively replenish all of your hair’s lost protein.
- Honey is an established natural humectant(moisture attracting) that bestows your hair with deep moisturizing/hydrating qualities.
Moreover, being rich in powerful antioxidants and nutrients, not only protects your hair from environmental damage but promotes the stalled growth of your hair.
This protein hair pack treatment should not be used more than once a month for the best results.
Caution, please! Don’t just load up your head with this protein hair pack. Doing this can actually do more harm than good as it can dry up hair and make them brittle.
2. DIY egg yolk-honey protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1 yolk of white egg
- About 1 tbsp of pure honey
- About 1 tbsp of pure almond oil
How to make this hair pack?
- First, take three ingredients in the mentioned quantities and mix them evenly
- Now, when the mixture is smooth, apply all over your head and leave it for 25-30 minutes
- Rinse out this pack with cool water followed by a good shampoo and conditioner
Apply this protein hair pack once a week. Don’t do more than that.
Why does this protein treatment work?
Why this protein hair pack treatment works is because of the following reasons
- First, this mask as a whole is deeply moisturizing and acts as a very good conditioner too.
- The egg is a rich source of protein your hair is deprived of while both honey and almond oils are excellent nutrients suppliers and powerful antioxidants against environmental damage.
- By applying this mask, thanks to natural bleaching properties of honey, you can get your hair bleached a little.
- Do not use this hair pack if you have oily hair.
- Do not leave the pack in for more than 20 minutes as honey has bleaching properties that can lighten your hair color if left in too long.
3. DIY coconut milk protein hair pack
What did you need?
- Just about 3-5 tbsp of coconut milk
How to make this hair pack?
- First, heat the given coconut quantity for a while until is warm enough to have a flowing consistency
- Now, simply layer this heated coconut oil over your head and cover your head with a wrapping like a towel and leave it for overnight.
- Very next morning, rinse it off with cold water and apply shampoo and conditioner to seal the benefits received from the hair pack
- Repeat this hair pack for at least once a week for maximum benefits
Note please: Do not overheat the coconut milk.
Why this hair pack works?
- Coconut milk is a rich source of powerful hair-friendly proteins, saturated fatty acids, and vitamins B, C, E & like.
- It is a very good conditioner that effectively fills up the damaged protein gaps in your hair to revitalize your hair growth.
- Coconut is a great proven anti-dandruff remedy too.
Use this hair pack for at least once a week to refuel your hair with depleting protein content.
4. DIY Egg-yogurt protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1 white egg
- 2-3 tablespoons yogurt
How to make this hair pack?
- Get the egg liquid out and put it with yogurt in a separate bowl and mix well to get a smooth mixture.
- Apply this mixture properly over your scalp and leave it for 25-30 minutes.
- After this time, rinse this hair pack off your hair with cool water and apply a good shampoo and conditioner after it.
Due to the nature of this hair pack, you can use it for 1-2 times a week without any side effects.
Due to the nature of this hair pack, you can use it for 1-2 times a week without any side effects.
Why does this hair treatment work?
- Eggs are a natural powerpack of high-quality proteins that not only help restore protein content in your hair but leave them smooth and shiny.
- Yogurt, on the other hand, while is a rich source of hair-friendly proteins but is powerful natural exfoliator and moisturizer, that can leave your scalp clean, soft & silky.
5. DIY avocado-coconut milk protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1 fully ripe avocado
- About 2-3 tbsp of coconut milk
- About 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
How to make this hair pack?
- First, finely mash up the avocado oil and add it to the mixture of coconut oil and olive oil. Mix both to get a smooth consistency.
- Apply this mixture over your scalp and leave it there for 25-30 minutes.
- After this time, rinse this off with cold water and follow this washing with a good shampoo and conditioner.
You can use this homemade natural protein hair treatment 1-2 times a week without worrying about any serious side effects.
Why does this protein hair treatment work?
- As explained above coconut milk is a rich source of your hair-friendly proteins and vitamins like A, B & E that help revitalize your overall hair health and growth.
- Avocado is an excellent natural source of powerful hair antioxidants and vitamins that help protect your hair from environmental damage which indirectly promotes your hair growth.
- Olive oil in this mix is a natural moisturizer and conditioner that can make your hair feeling soft and silky.
Precautions: Do not use this pack if you have oily hair as the avocado can weigh your hair down.
6. DIY banana-avocado protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1 ripe banana
- About 1 ripe avocado
- About 1-2 tbsp of wheat germ oil
- About 1-2 tbsp of rose oil
How to make this hair pack?
- First, finely add up the mash up the avocado and banana together and add wheat germ oil and rose oil to this mixture and try to get a homogenous consistency.
- Now, when the mixture is homogeneous, apply all over your scalp and leave it for 30-40 minutes.
- Finally, rinse this pack off your hair with cool water and after this, apply a good shampoo and moisturizer
You can use this mixture for 1-2 times a week but it entirely depends upon your hair type.
Why does this protein hair treatment work?
- Bananas are a rich source of hair-friendly vitamins like A, B and nutrients like Potassium, calcium, etc that help protect your hair from surrounding damage.
- Also, bananas are rich in protein amino acids that help repair your protein damage in your hair while its natural exfoliating properties help clean up your scalp to revitalize your hair health & growth.
- Avocados in this hair pack are full of powerful antioxidants and vitamins that not supply your hair with essential nutrients but keep them protected from environmental damage.
Precaution: Do not use this pack if your hair is oily. Apply this pack once a week. Twice for hair that is extremely dry.
7. DIY mayonnaise – avocado protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1-2 tbsp of mayonnaise
- About 1 ripe avocado
How to prepare this hair pack?
- First finely mash the avocado and add mayonnaise in it and mix both well until you get a smooth consistency.
- Now apply this mixture well all over your scalp and leave it for about 40-50 minutes.
- After this time, rinse this hair pack off your head with a cool water bath and use a good shampoo and conditioner for this purpose.
You can use this mask for about 1-2 a week
Precautions: Do not use this mask if you have oily hair.
Why does this protein treatment work?
- Since mayonnaise is primarily constituted of eggs which are packed with powerful proteins and vitamins that suffice the protein and vitamin deficiency of your hair to revitalize its growth and strength.
- Fatty oils in this pack are a source of powerful antioxidants that not only protect your hair from environmental damage but acts as a good natural hair conditioner too.
You can use this pack for 1-2 times a week to keep your hair smooth and revitalize their growth and strength.
8. DIY avocado – egg protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About 1 white egg
- About 1 ripe avocado
- About 2-3 tbsp of olive oil
How to make this protein pack?
- First, finely mash up the avocado and mix it white egg and other ingredients and get a smooth paste.
- Apply this mixture over your scalp and leave it for about half an hour.
- After this time, rinse the pack of cool water and apply a good shampoo and conditioner for this purpose.
You can use this hair pack for 1-2 times a week, more if you have oily type hair.
Precautions: Do not use this pack more than once a week if you have oily hair.
Why does this protein treatment work?
- The egg in this hair pack is one of the best sources for replenishing your protein depleted hair reserves to revitalize its growth and strength.
- The olive oil and avocado oil in this mixture are powerful moisturizers, solid antioxidants, and good natural conditioners. These qualities combine to give your hair a blast of nourishment, strength, and growth.
9. DIY yogurt-cream-egg protein hair pack
What do you need?
- 1 egg white
- About 1 tbsp of cream
- About 2-3 tbsp of yogurt
How to make this hair pack?
- First, simply add all the ingredients together in a bowl and mix them well to get a smooth consistency.
- Now, simply apply this all over your scalp and leave it for about 40-50 minutes.
- After this time, simply rinse it off with cool water and use a good shampoo and conditioner in the process.
You can use this hair pack for 1-2 times a week safely without fearing any side effects or damage to your hair.
Precautions: Do not use this pack more than once a week for oily hair.
Why does this protein treatment work?
The yogurt is a natural exfoliator and rich source of hair replenishing proteins that can stimulate your hair growth and strength very quickly.
Cream in this mix acts as a deep moisturizer for your dry hair and protein-rich content of egg replenishes your hair’s depleted protein reserves.
10. DIY avocado-coconut oil protein hair pack
What do you need?
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1-2 tbsp of coconut oil
Ho to prepare this hair pack?
- First, thoroughly mash up one avocado and add coconut oil to it. Mix both wells until you get a smooth consistency.
- Now, apply this paste all over your scalp and leave it for 30-40 minutes.
- After this much time, rinse this hair pack of your head with cold water and use a good shampoo and conditioner in the process.
You can use this protein hair pack 1-2 times a week safely.
Precautions: Do not use this hair pack for oily hair.
Why this remedy works?
- Coconut oil is naturally deeply penetrative, deeply moisturizing and protein-rich which helps repair your damaged from inside out.
- Moreover, the avocado is naturally rich in powerful antioxidants that protect your hair from environmental damage and give nourishment to nutrients starved hair strands.
11. DIY mayonnaise-egg hair pack
What do you need?
- About1 egg white
- About 2-3 tbsp of mayonnaise
How to make this protein hair pack?
- First, combine all the ingredients together and get a uniform paste.
- Now, apply this paste all over your head and leave it for 30-40 minutes.
- After this much time, rinse it off with cold water and use a good shampoo and conditioner with it to boost your results.
You use this pack for 1-2 times a week safely without the risk of potential side effects.
Precautions: For combination hair, apply this pack from the mid-lengths of your hair.
Why does this protein treatment work?
- Since both mayonnaise and egg are one of the richest sources of proteins which makes this homemade protein hair pack best for filling up your protein depleted hair strands.
12. DIY Coconut oil – honey protein hair pack
What do you need?
- About half a cup of coconut oil
- About half a cup of honey
How to make this protein hair treatment?
- Simply mix both coconut oil and honey in a clean bowl and keep stirring until you get a smooth mixture( you can use heating to increase their flow & ease of mixing)
- Using a hairbrush, apply all over your scalp thoroughly and leave it for 30-40 minutes.
- After this much time, rinse this hair pack off with cold water and use a good shampoo and conditioner with it.
You can use this mask for 1-2 times a week without any risk of side effects.
Why this Protein treatment works?
- Coconut oil is a powerful natural deep moisturizer, nutrients-rich and protein-rich remedy that helps your hair to regain its strength & shine by working deep into your hair strands.
- Honey, on the other hand, is full of hair nourishing and protecting ingredients that not only fulfills your hair’s protein/nutrients deficiencies but deeply hydrates your dry hair to make them shiny and healthy again.
How often should you use these DIY protein hair treatments?
The short answer to this question is that too much of anything is always bad and the same is the case with a DIY hair protein treatment.
With that being said, how often you need to do a DIY protein treatment for your hair will depend on the hair type you have and the type of protein treatment you are choosing.
Some gentler types of protein treatments can be used more frequently (for example, once a week or so), while more intense ones should be limited to only once a month or so with added care.
Also, too much protein treatment for too many times can make your hair to stiffen, dehydrate and break up due to oversaturation of your hair fibers.
So, the idea is to not use any homemade protein treatment for not more than 4 times a month (once a week) to get the best possible results and don’t forget to wash thoroughly with plenty of water and use a good shampoo and conditioner after it.
Final tips for Healthy Natural hair
1. Add protein in your diet
While topical protein treatment of your hair is important, but without supplementing your efforts with adequate protein nutrition in your diet, you are not going to get long-lasting results.
So, include a lot of healthy protein foods sources in your diet like eggs, milk, fish, vegetables, among others to make your hair strong and shiny from within.
2. Give your hair the care they deserve.
Just giving your hair some topical protein treatment on and off is not enough to revitalise their growth and strength, you have to take extra care of your hair like avoiding the use of many chemical products, exposing it directly to the sun, avoiding the use of the iron and the dryer, etc. to make their growth and health long-lasting.
FAQs
Q: What is the best homemade protein treatment for hair?
Ans: The following are some of the best homemade protein treatment for hair.
1. Shea butter – coconut oil hair pack
2. Egg yolk – honey hair pack
3. Coconut milk hair pack
4. Egg – yogurt hair pack
5. Avocado – coconut milk hair pack
6. Banana – avocado hair pack
7. Mayonnaise – avocado hair pack
8. Avocado – egg hair pack
9. Yogurt-cream-egg hair pack
10. Avocado – coconut oil hair pack
11. Mayonnaise – egg hair pack
12. Coconut oil – honey hair pack
Q: How do you know if your hair needs protein or moisture?
Ans: If your hair is simply dry and frizzy, it means that you only need moisture for your hair. However, if your see your hair-splitting up/breaking up, it’s most likely your hair is in dire need of protein treatment.
To know if your hair protein treatment or moisturizing treatment, you need to look at the signs/symptoms of each.
Signs/symptoms for the need of protein treatment
1. A lot of hair breakage
2. Split ends
3. Extremely dry/brittle hair
4. Loss of elasticity
5. High porosity in your hair
6. Signs/symptoms for the need of moisture
7. Dry & itchy scalp
8. Frizzy hair
Q: When should you do a protein treatment on natural hair?
Ans: If you see the following signs in your hair than it means it’s time for some protein treatment for your natural hair.
1. Your hair has lost all their elasticity
2. Your hair is limping and breaking up
3. You hair strands are splitting up at the ends
4. You have just undergone a color-treatment
5. Your hair is looking very porous
Q: What is the best protein treatment for black hair?
1. Shea butter – coconut oil hair pack
2. Egg yolk – honey hair pack
3. Coconut milk hair pack
4. Egg – yogurt hair pack
5. Avocado – coconut milk hair pack
6. Banana – avocado hair pack
7. Mayonnaise – avocado hair pack
8. Avocado – egg hair pack
9. Yogurt-cream-egg hair pack
10. Avocado – coconut oil hair pack
11. Mayonnaise – egg hair pack
12. Coconut oil – honey hair pack
