Entertainment Fashion & Style What are Protein Fibers? Print Acid Dye. Getty Images Fashion & Style Do It Yourself Accessories Tops & Sweaters Dresses Skirts Jeans Pants Shoes Skincare Advice Makeup Hair Fragrance Tattoos and Body Piercings Kids and Teens Bumps & Babies Learn More By Rain Blanken Updated on 07/14/17 Question: What are Protein Fibers? "I need to dye a bit of yarn, but I was told that since it is alpaca, it is a protein fiber and will need to be dyed a certain way. What are protein fibers, anyway?" Answer: Protein fibers include any materials that come from animals. Even our own hair is a protein fiber. That might explain my split ends. Here are some examples of protein fibers: WoolCashmereAlpacaFeathersMohairSilkAngora Silk is a protein fiber but it is an anomaly in that it can be dyed just fine using fiber reactive dyes, which do not require heating and are much easier to deal with. More Questions About Dyeing Clothing Protein (Wool, Cashmere, Silk)What are Protein Fibers?How to Dye Protein FibersLearn about Acid Dyes Cellulose (Cotton, Linen, Hemp)What are Cellulose Fibers?How to Dye Cellulose FibersLearn about Fiber Reactive Dye Synthetics (Spandex, Nylon, Polyester)List of Synthetic FibersHow to Dye Synthetic Fibers