The frequency depends on the damage level of your hair and how strong is your protein treatment. If you apply a gelatin mask for 30 minutes to an hour and rinse it out before your hair has fully dried, it is considered a light to medium-strength protein treatment. This type of treatment is less likely to cause protein buildup, so if your hair is very damaged or highly porous, you could generally use it once or twice per month. On the other hand, if you leave the protein treatment on your hair until it fully dries, keep it on all day, or use heat to speed up the drying process, the treatment becomes much stronger. This is because the protein has more time and the ideal conditions to penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, resulting in a stronger strengthening effect. In that case, once a month would be the earliest we'd recommend repeating the treatment, and ONLY if your hair has a history of significant damage and high porosity. Also there is no one size-fit-all. As your hair becomes healthier over time, its need for frequent protein treatments usually decreases. For example, Pauline, our Program Manager, used to benefit from protein treatments almost every month at the beginning of her haircare journey, when her hair was heavily damaged. Now that her hair is growing in much healthier, she only does a protein treatment about twice a year. It's important not to overdo protein treatments because too much protein can build up on the hair, causing it to become stiff, rough, brittle, and more prone to breakage. If protein overload does happen, the only way to remove it is usually through several clarifying washes, which can be quite harsh on the hair. That's why it's best to be cautious and give yourself time to learn how much protein your hair truly needs. The key is to follow your protein treatment with plenty of moisture. Once the hair structure has been strengthened, it should be able to retain moisture more effectively, helping your curls stay soft, healthy, and defined. Finding the right balance between protein and moisture is a gradual process, and every head of hair is different. As always, the best guide is to observe how your own hair responds over time. The more you pay attention to its signals, the easier it becomes to find the rhythm that works best for your unique hair.