What is an Amino Acid Treatment for Natural Hair?
Written by Jane Schlosser
Updated on
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An amino acid treatment for natural hair strengthens the disulfide bonds, also known as cysteine bonds, that determine the curliness of your hair.
Think of curly hair as a springy scaffold. Unlike straight and Caucasian hair that doesn’t have any twists or bends along the lengths, curly, coily, and kinky hair textures can have many curl patterns.
Cysteine functions like permanent covalent bonds to keep your curls’ integrity. Without them, your hair would snap like dry spaghetti every time you tried to twist, curl, and bend them into different hairstyles.
But here’s the thing …
Over time, your hair’s cysteine bonds start to wear out, which can be due to aging, chemical treatments, or hair damage.
That’s where amino acid treatments come in handy to replenish and fortify these bonds so that they can hold your curl’s shapes tightly together.
In simple terms, they preserve your curl pattern to boost strength and length retention.
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The Importance of Amino Acid For Hair
Amino acids are the foundation for essential proteins that your curls need.
They work together to heal damage and replenish the hair’s inner structure. Commonly referred to as the “building blocks of protein,” aminos are used in almost every system of the human body.
When I first heard about an amino acid treatment on natural hair, I have to admit; I was a little confused because I thought it was only used for body-building supplements.
But then, it made sense.
Proteins are not only for muscles. They also build the tissue cells that give the hair shape and structure. And since curly hair has more intricate shapes, it’s fair to say; we curly gals need more of these vital proteins to support our hair.
So here’s how it all works …
The hair fiber consists of three layers:
- Cuticle
- Cortex
- Medulla
Each of them relies on various proteins to function. Think of proteins as the life of your hair cells.
Now, you can’t just throw any protein at your hair and expect it to work.
When the human body consumes proteins, it has to synthesize them and break them down into smaller molecules that the cells can use.
These smaller molecules derived from larger protein blocks are what’s known as amino acids.
In short: Amino acids are ready-made synthesized proteins that your body can understand and use at various levels.
There are 18 types of amino acids derived from proteins, and the most important one for the hair is called cysteine, which works like the “cuticle-glue” to form cross-links with the inner protein cells inside the hair shaft.
Therefore, when the cysteine bonds are strong, your curls can stretch, bend, twist, swell, and shrink without snapping into pieces. Cysteine gives the hair elasticity.
To summarize all the sciency bits, amino acid treatments work like protein boosters to give you healthy hair with better manageability.
So let’s take a look at how you can use them to benefit your curly textured hair and what options are available.
Best Amino Acid Treatments for Natural Hair
1. TRUSS Professional Amino Miracle Bundle
The Truss Amino Miracle bundle contains 3 items:
- Shampoo
- Heat protection spray
- And a hair mask
Each product calls upon the fantastic benefits of amino acids to strengthen the cuticles and restore elasticity.
Designed for all hair types, it delivers intense hydration and replaces the lost amino acids that your hair has lost during chemical processing treatments.
2. Hairfinity Hair Strengthening Amino Treatment Masque
The Hairfinity strength boosting masque is excellent for stressed-out hair that is damaged or color-treated. It uses amino acids to fill out the cracks and gaps in the hair to make the outer cuticle layer smoother and firmer.
The unique selling points of this product:
- Claims to reduce up to 90% of hair breakage
- No silicones, sulfates, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, or petroleum
This masque contains Capilsana complex, which is a unique combination of collagen and various amino acids to nourish your hair from within.
3. Aminotouch Natural Pure Protein Keratin Treatment
The Aminotouch treatment can immediately improve your hair’s appearance, strength, and shine. It works like a smoothing treatment that enhances the texture of the hair.
And best of all, it doesn’t have a long list of ingredients. When I checked the label, there were only 5 ingredients. No harsh chemicals, only pure keratin, amino acids, collagen, water, sodium benzoate, and citric acid.
The product is straightforward to use. Just apply a few drops to the damaged areas of your hair, leave it in for 20-30 mins, and rinse out with warm water.
4. Remilia Hair Treatment Oil
Don’t be fooled by these pretty-looking tiny hair serum capsules.
They are small but mighty!
The Remilia Hair capsules are jam-packed with highly concentrated actives of keratin amino acids, silk proteins, and vitamin B5 tailor-made for rough, damaged, and dry hair.
The best part about this product is how easy it is to use, it only takes a few seconds to apply to your hair after a shower, and you’re done.
Just twist, squeeze, apply, and leave it in — no need to rinse out.
The amino acid treatment for natural and curly hair is often overlooked in favor of pricier products like keratin treatments or relaxers.
But the truth is: Treatment like relaxers are often more damaging in the long-term as they break down the cysteine bonds to rearrange curly hair into straights.
Remember: These cysteine bonds are the reason for your curl texture and pattern. If you damage them, the only way to restore your curls will be to chop them off and start growing them again.
So next time you’re looking for straightening treatments, look for cysteine treatments that use amino acids. It will be a win-win for your curls.
TRUSS Professional Amino Miracle Bundle
About the Author
Jane SchlosserJane is a freelance writer who occasionally writes for us.