Last Updated on December 27, 2022 by Gaga
What Happens Inside the Hair During Chemical Processing?
Sometimes you are impatient and want a drastic change in your appearance immediately. Changing the color of your hair could be a great way to create a new look. Although you get the desired results, you can accidentally over-process your hair and make it feel like dry, brittle straw. After some harsh processing such as going from black to platinum, your hair will reach a point where it looks dull and frizzy and tends to break easily.
Too much blow-drying, straightening, and multiple bleaching sessions break down the disulfide bonds that support the inner hair structure, holding the hair together. Your hair loses strength and elasticity which results in split ends and a ton of breakage.
This is where bond-reinforcing products come to the rescue!
About Bond Building Technology
Bond-building technology is one of the biggest innovations in the hair industry in the last decade. This revolutionary technology has been developed to reconstruct the structure of hair that has undergone harsh chemical and thermal treatments. Active ingredients in bond multipliers find the broken bonds responsible for hair strength and cross-link them back together to immediately reduce breakage.
Bond builders are miracle workers that can undo years of bleaching and heat damage. Those products repair each strand from the inside to dramatically improve the strength and elasticity of your strands. Bond-building treatments also repair and smooth the hair’s cuticle layer to give your hair shine, softness, and manageability.
These innovative products have become lifesavers for people who suffer from damaged and brittle hair, after years of coloring and other chemical treatments.
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Bond Fortifying Hair Products
1. The most popular: Olaplex Hair Perfector
If you have bleached your hair from a brunette to a light blonde, there are good chances that your hair has been compromised throw the bleaching process.
Olaplex system uses patented bond-building technology to rebuild bonds broken by chemicals and heat.
Olaplex Hair Perfector is a take-home product that uses the same technology to fix the damage and literally stop your hair from breaking. It makes your hair easy to detangle and leaves it thicker, healthier, and smoother than before.
You can get 3-5 treatments out of a 3.3-ounce bottle for medium-length hair.
This stuff is expensive, but it will pay off if you color your hair on regular basis.
The directions say to put it on damp, towel-dried hair and leave it on for 10 minutes. Many users leave it in their hair for longer. After rinsing, your hair must be shampooed and conditioned.
2. More from Olaplex: Olaplex No 6 Bond Smoother
This leave-in styling cream is infused with bond-building technology to straighten hair, reduce breakage from styling, and tame frizz.
Unlike Olaplex No.3 which is meant to be washed out from your hair, Olaplex 6 is a leave-in conditioner that will stay in your hair until the next shampooing. Both products are meant to repair damage and you can use both of them according to the instructions.
Apply to wet or dry hair from the middle to the ends. If you apply it to the roots, it could make hair look heavy. Concentrate on the areas with the most damage, which are usually the ends. Apply only a pea-sized amount and experiment until you find an optimal amount for your needs. Comb your hair for even distribution. The frizz smoothing effects last for 72 hours, so it is enough to apply it every 3 days or when you most need protection from frizz. It would be convenient to use after hair washing since this leave-in cream helps speed up drying time.
(Available at Sephora and Ulta)
This overnight leave-in conditioner uses innovative bond-building technology to repair and strengthen your hair from the inside. It contains a blend of amino acids that smooth the cuticle, enhance shine, and prevent future damage from brushing and heat styling.
Silk proteins derived from plants (instead of silkworms) help with the detangling and make your processed hair look and feel healthier.
It works best on thick, coarse, and over-processed hair. The nice soothing scent comes from eucalyptus and tropical fruits.
The product comes in a spray bottle and should be applied to dry hair and left overnight. You don’t need to rinse it after application, which is a nice convenience for busy people.
4. Younger-looking hair: Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Restructuring Bond Repair Leave-In Treatment Mousse
This bond repair leave-in treatment has a high concentration of bond repair ingredients. The formula uses caviar bond reinforcing technology to restore dry, brittle hair damaged through chemical processes and heat styling. This restorative, pre-styling treatment fills cracks in the cuticle layer and protects hair from heat damage and breakage. Vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids in caviar restore strength, elasticity, and vibrancy for younger-looking hair.
Suggested use: Apply to clean, damp hair. Put a light amount into the palm of your hand and distribute it through the lengths and ends of your hair.
Available at Walmart
5. Prevents color fade: B3 Brazilian Bondbuilder Instant Restore & Protect Reconstructor
This deep reparative treatment is formulated to reinforce the bonds that keep your hair healthy and resistant to breakage. It works best for damaged, bleached, frizzy, and porous hair.
B3 leave-in treatment smooths the rough cuticle layer and restores the protective lipid barrier, leaving your hair with a smooth, frizz-free texture. It extends the life of your color, helps to mend split ends, and adds a glossy shine to your hair.
Suggested use: Take a generous amount of the product and evenly distribute it throughout your hair. Leave it in the hair for 5 – 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Use at least twice a week to extend the life of your color and ensure continuous protection against heat, chemicals, and environmental stresses.
6. Easy to use: Hairgenics Pronexa Hair Bonder Bond Repairing Complex and Conditioner
Pronexa Bond Repair Complex uses a patented blend of ingredients to relink the broken bonds in the damaged hair. The formula contains a nourishing complex including castor oil, silk proteins, retinol, vitamin B5, and vitamin E to condition your hair and help set the new bonds.
Pronexa works quickly and you may see the difference in your hair after the first use. It provides a good slip for detangling and makes your hair soft to the touch and manageable.
Possible downside: The seller offers a free bottle in exchange for a 5-star review on Amazon.
Suggested use: Apply one-half ounce to clean, damp hair and comb through. Leave in the hair for at least 15 minutes. You can leave it overnight as a musk. Shampoo and rinse out. Use once a week for moderate damage or twice a week for severe damage.
7. Not simple to use: MATRIX Total Results The Re-Bond System
This 3-step treatment is meant for hair that is severely damaged by chemical processing or heat styling. The system includes Shampoo, Pre-Conditioner, and Conditioner.
This treatment helps strengthen over-processed hair leaving it revitalized, smooth, and easy to comb and style. The manufacturer recommends using a whole system to get maximum results.
Suggested Use:
STEP ONE: Cleanse the hair with Total Results Re-Bond Shampoo. Rinse.
STEP TWO: Apply Total Results Re-Bond Pre-Conditioner onto wet hair. Wait 5 minutes. Don’t rinse.
STEP THREE: Apply Total Results Re-Bond Conditioner throughout the hair with the Re-Bond Pre-Conditioner still on. Rinse thoroughly with water.
Use them once or twice a week or whenever your hair starts to feel tangled and brittle.
8. Keeps the brass away: Bond Angel – Bond Fortifier Home Care Treatment
If you are looking for an at-home treatment that costs less than Olaplex, consider Bond Angel Step 3 At-home Treatment.
The formula uses a special micro-molecule of hydrolyzed collagen and keratin proteins to recover broken disulfide bridges. The treatment helps to maintain hair strength, lessens breakage, and keeps the blonde color bright.
The Bond Fortifier has a very thick consistency. You can get about six applications from the 3.38 Fl Oz bottle if your hair is of medium length and density.
Suggested use: Apply the Bond Fortifier to freshly cleansed hair and distribute it evenly all over your hair. Let the treatment work for 15 minutes. Rinse and style as desired. Use twice a week.
9. Repairs and provides hold: GBumble and Bumble Glow Bond-Building Styler
This smoothing styling cream deeply repairs damaged hair and relinks broken bonds to prevent breakage and future damage.
It protects against heat damage, provides light hold, and gives a shine and softness to your hair.
Suggested Use: Apply a tiny amount to damp freshly washed and conditioned hair before blow-drying or air drying.
10. Just like your conditioner: Uberliss Bond Sustainer
Uberliss Bond Sustainer is meant as an at-home treatment after the salon Uberliss Bond Treatment.
This formula regenerates broken bonds along the hair shaft to preserve fiber elasticity after bleaching and coloring.
It provides lots of slip for easy detangling and mends split ends, leaving your processed hair feeling soft, smooth, and healthy.
Suggested use: Apply the product like you would a rinse-out conditioner. Leave on for 10 minutes or longer (15-20 min) for added benefits. Rinse with water. Use once a week and
Limitations of Bond Building Products
Don’t expect a miracle if your hair has gone too far to the point when it cannot be repaired. If your hair is destroyed by bleach or heat, there is no bond builder that can bring dead hair back to life. Bond-reinforcing products will only revitalize the hair that hasn’t yet reached the point of breaking.
I personally use Olaplex Hair Perfector and it does help my blonde dyed hair look healthier and smoother. Unfortunately, it didn’t help with my hair fall, but I am aware that the product is not designed for that purpose.
Gaga is a blogger and founder of the Softer Hair website. She often says that insomnia is to blame for her first blogging attempts. Being the night owl, she hated the morning alarm. She left her office job and returned to what she loved most - writing.