Frequently Asked Questions about Hair Care, Hair Damage, and Nutress HAIR Products.

1. How can Nutress products protect my hair on an ongoing basis? 

Our unique, balanced formula takes the worry out of replenishing your hair with moisture and protein. 
Due to our outstanding M-31 protein and high grade moisturizers, Nutress Hair Protein Conditioners repair existing damage and help prevent future damage by both penetrating the cuticle layer and attaching to the outside of the weakened areas of the cuticle layer of each hair strand. This creates inner strength and an outer shield of protection that prevents damage and restores hair to a healthy state. Less damage also means more confidence when applying various styling techniques and chemical treatments because your hair is strong, growing and resilient.

2. What makes Nutress HAIR products different than other Protein conditioners?

Our protein-based products are made with an exclusive source of vegetable protein not found in any other leading hair product. This M31 protein blend provides unparalleled strengthening benefits without the hardening and stiffness caused by many other protein-rich hair products.

Our proteins perform better because they are derived from a high-potency vegetable protein source that undergoes an even higher degree of refinement, leaving more of the right type of protein available to penetrate the hair shaft. Because of this, our protein requires less preservatives, so our products work harder and longer than other leading brands at keeping your hair healthy.

3. My hair is pretty healthy and I don’t use relaxers or color, should I still use a protein conditioner? 

There are many other ways protein gets depleted from the hair. Heat, the sun, styling and even diet can rob your hair of healthy protein so it's still important to use protein products regularly. If your hair is fairly healthy, we recommend a protein conditioning treatment once per month. However, if you are using styling products that dry out your hair, then conditioning every two weeks is suggested.

4. Should usage of protein conditioners vary by type of hair, style of hair, length of hair?

For coarser hair, use more and leave on a bit longer, for it to penetrate. If hair is fine, use less and for shorter periods to keep hair from feeling limp due to being weighed down. 
For styles which require heavy use of styling products, make sure hair is deep-cleansed and use more conditioner to penetrate and retain strength prior to styling. For more natural styles, less frequent conditioning is preferred; however, ample product should be used to ensure proper coverage. For longer styles, make sure to apply conditioner to the ends first and work your way up the shaft, to ensure more product is distributed to the most needed areas.

5. What is the best way to prepare your hair to receive a protein conditioner?                                                             

Hair must be properly shampooed to remove dirt and residual hair products. This means thorough wetting and generally two shampoos, one to break down the build up of products and sebum and the second to thoroughly cleanse the scalp and hair. Hair should feel clean to the touch, and should be towel-dry, meaning that hair is dry to the touch. If hair is chemically treated, it's best to wrap the hair in a towel and let it absorb the water to reduce the risk of aggravating the damaging effects of chemical treatments.

6. Should I vary the length of time I keep the conditioner in my hair? 

For any deep conditioner to work properly it needs enough time to penetrate the cuticle layer. Damaged hair has a negative charge and conditioners have a positive charge, so the conditioning effects do happen quickly. However, heat and penetration time are necessary for deep conditioning to have its maximum effect. Maximum penetration usually occurs in 20 minutes and the absorption rate declines dramatically afterwards. Shorter time periods will have an impact, but we recommend 20 minutes. Our Instant Conditioner requires much less time, and leaves hair amazingly soft, but offers less reconstructive benefits.

7. My hair is breaking and dry, what can cause this damage? 

Chemical usage can deplete the protein from your hair and can cause your hair to break. When chemicals weaken and destroy the cuticle layer, the hair strand will lose its integrity and literally melt, turning to mush.  Try this test: if your hair is very stretchy when wet and when you pull it gently, it stretches easily and breaks off, you have a serious damage problem.

Hair lightener, also known as bleach, is as destructive as a hair relaxer in damaging your hair if not properly applied and maintained. The only hair color product recommended with relaxers are semi-permanent colors which deposit color only (no lifting or lightening) and is contained in one bottle.  That means no activator, whether liquid, powder and/or cream is added to the original bottle of color. Hair can be relaxed and tinted (20 volume peroxide) but success is on an individual basis. It is best to choose one or the other: tint or relaxer. If you absolutely want to lighten your hair, do highlights, also known as frosting, tipping, foils and painting.  If you get breakage, it is limited to the areas processed.

If you use styling products that dry your hair or make it stiff or hard, you can damage your hair and cause it to break.  Improper use of holding or setting gels, freeze sprays and their removal can cause breakage.

8. What Are Some Ways I Can Repair My Hair?

Whatever is the cause of damage, effective cleansing to remove any build up of products with Nutress HAIR Protein Pack Shampoo is required. Avoid blow drying your hair: shampoo/sets or wraps are best. If you can not style your damaged hair other than to comb it back until it improves, you can reapply a very small amount of HAIR Protein Pack Conditioner (pea size) after shampooing and conditioning and spray on Stop Break Healthy Hair Enhancer daily to moisturize and soften. 
If your hair damage is due to excessive heat or use of styling tools, the hair will weaken and break. You should only use heat for styling after shampooing, conditioning and drying.

Wrap, tie, pin curl or roll up your hair in between shampoos. Don't let your hair get to the 'dried, fried and laid to the side' stage. Repeated deep heat conditioning treatments will bring your hair back to life. Using setting lotions, gels, mousse and foam wraps that do not contain alcohol is best.  If you have a hard freeze style or fingerwave, do not try to comb it out before you shampoo.  Apply Nutress HAIR Instant Conditioner to the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and apply to your hair. Repeat if necessary until all your hair is covered. Leave it on for 2 minutes, then rinse out. 

Proceed to shampoo with Nutress HAIR Protein Pack Shampoo. Shampoo once more followed by Nutress HAIR Protein Pack Conditioner. 
If you have tracks for weaving and/or braids in your hair, you must make sure they are not too tight. Tension can cause permanent hair loss (tension alopecia). You must shampoo the scalp and tracks without friction. Fill a tint bottle with a nozzle tip with diluted shampoo. Squirt the shampoo on the scalp along the tracks. Massage your scalp with the balls of your fingers, lifting wefts or braids away from the scalp. Do not shampoo wefts, hair or braids. Rinse thoroughly and repeat. The suds rinsing through the hair will clean it without manipulation. Repeat the procedure using diluted protein conditioner instead of shampoo. Towel dry and spray Stop Break Healthy Hair Enhancer on tracks and weave or braid. Comb through starting at the ends working your way up the strand. This helps to protect the hair in the tracks and braids so when you take it down you have minimized the damage. 
All these things can cause extensive hair damage.

To recapture healthy hair, properly cleansing, massive conditioning and appropriate styling techniques will be required.  
If your hair is damaged and you want to repair it as quickly as possible, a twice per week conditioning regimen is recommended. Nutress HAIR Protein Pack Conditioner contains both protein and moisturizing agents that give your hair a balanced, effective treatment without the need for additional steps or complicated product applications. Once your hair returns to healthy status, every other week is suggested, however, if you continue to use chemical treatments make sure to deep condition the hair one week prior and one week after these treatments.

9. What's the difference between the Protein Pack Color Treated formula and the Regular formula? 

Color treated hair requires a higher level of moisture and color protection from the sun to prevent drying and fading. People who spend a lot of time in the sun are especially vulnerable. We have added extra moisturizers, extra vitamins and a UV sun blocker to our color-treated version of Protein Pack Conditioner. Both products have the same damage protection and repair properties, so you are ensured an excellent outcome regardless of which version you choose.

10. What are the best ways to use Stop Break Healthy Hair Enhancer? 

Stop Break Healthy Hair Enhancer contains many of the outstanding protein and moisture-enhancing properties of our famous Protein conditioners, but in a convenient spray form that lends itself to a variety of uses to give hair more manageability, definition and shine. Stop Break is a light-weight formula designed to be used for styling, detangling or merely to improve the texture and feel of your hair. It contains protein and conditioners that also strengthen the hair and can be used every day. It makes comb-outs much easier, dramatically reducing breakage from tangling. It can be used as a lone styling agent, or in conjunction with other styling products.