Principle of Fortification

Hair Type: All

Hair Porosity: All

Hair Sensitivities: All

Hair Goal: All

Expanding On This Principle

This principle, my most favorite principle, is the secret to hair longevity and integrity. The need to strengthen, fortify, and restructure the hair. This principle is all about using protein and nutrients to seal in your hair cuticles, harden your hair, and help moisture deeply penetrate into your hair strands. Mastering this principle is the beginning of length retention and maintaining long-term hair health.

Protein Treatments

The best way to fortify your hair is through protein treatments. They are the quickest and most concentrated form of protein you can use to benefit your hair. Your hair needs protein. Your hair is made up of protein and once your hair leaves the hair follicles in your scalp, it is considered dead. It is up to you to maintain your hair strength or it will continue to break down. This is why your roots are strong and soft and as your hair travels down, it becomes more brittle, dry, and ends become frayed.

Over-balancing the Fortification Principle

What does it look like when you do too much? Using too many protein treatments or using strengthening products all the time can lead to brittle hair. Brittle hair is hair that is hard. Hard to comb, hard to manipulate, extremely stiff, and inflexible. Hard, brittle hair is one step away from breakage. Be careful and balance your regimen.

Under-balancing the Fortification Principle

Not doing enough is equally as bad. Your hair will become weakened, more thin, and more prone to hygral fatigue. If you have been reading the previous blogs, I mentioned that all the principles work together. Not doing well in one principle can affect how well you do in others. Hygral fatigue is hair weakened by over-moisturization. Fortifying your hair prevents your hair from weakening. Under-balancing can also lead to dehydrated hair. Dehydrated feels thin, hard, and like straw. It is not the same as brittle hair but they can feel similar. The difference is that dehydrated hair feels and looks thin. Dehydrated hair is also prone to breakage.

Balanced Fortification

When your hair is balanced in fortification, it is rich in color, heavy in shine, smooth, and uber-soft. Nothing will get your hair softer than protein. This is because protein supports moisture and enhances your hair to hold on to moisture on a deeper level. Protein is also what your hair is made of. You are putting the components that make up your hair BACK into your hair. It does not get better than that!

Protein-rich hair withstands heat beautifully. It can be pressed, hot combed, blown-out and still look healthy. Protein-rich hair looks so healthy. You can tell the hair is not dry, is not brittle, or dehydrated.

Note: Fortification (protein) can correct over-balanced moisturized hair. If your hair is feeling gummy, weak, mushy, and overly damp. Use a protein treatment to correct this issue.

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Good blog! Good, good blog! We are getting deeper into the hair world. Trust me, if you think this is all, there is so so so much more. There will be a part 2 to the Principle of Fortification. It will go into detail about how to use protein treatments. Make sure to subscribe to the website to keep yourself updated. Follow the social media pages on Instagram and Tik Tok: @africanhaircarescience. Thank you for your continued support. Cannot wait to make you a part of the African HairCare Community :)