As you probably already know, hair fibers are made out of a protein called keratin. These little protein compounds are held together with three different types of chemical bonds: hydrogen bonds, salt bonds, and disulfide bonds. Disulfide bonds are the strongest bonds in our hair fibers and they are the ones keeping our keratin chain together. When we bleach, heat style, chemically treat, or color our hair, these chemical bonds can become weaker and eventually break. Bond building hair care works by restoring these broken bonds and making them stronger. That way, they are less likely to break again. However, not all of them work in the same way and on the same chemical bonds.

How does bond building work?

The two most popular bond building hair products at this moment are Olaplex no. 3 and K18. Each of them works differently. The active ingredient in Olaplex is Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, which restores disulfide bonds. The mechanism is pretty complex. But as we already explained, it helps the keratin proteins in the hair fibers to stick together. That prevents your hair from breaking off.

On the other hand, K18 works on restoring the broken keratin chain as well as gluing back together the broken disulfide bonds. That does not mean that K18 is the superior product. But it can mean that it will get the job done quicker. There are also plenty of other products out there, but most of them only work on the most superficial layer of the hair and don’t come anywhere close to the disulfide bonds. Hydrogen and salt bonds are pretty weak, and you won’t see a permanent change in your hair quality with products that only work on these two bonds.

Who could benefit from bond building hair care?

Basically, anyone who has hair. Besides heat and bleach, there are so many other things that could damage our hair that we aren’t even thinking about. Things like salt water, UV radiation, tight hairstyles, chlorine, brushing, blow drying, and so much more. It’s a myth that virgin hair can’t benefit from bond building treatments. Even people who don’t bleach/color their hair still can accumulate damage in their hair fiber bonds over the years.

Can this fix my split ends?

Sorry, but no. No bond building treatment is strong enough to actually completely restore your split ends. There is only one way to get rid of split ends. As you probably already suspect, that step includes scissors. However, these treatments will make your hair fibers stronger over time and you will be less likely to get split ends. So if you are trying to grow your hair out, cut the dead ends off and work on strengthening your hair bonds as much as possible.

How do I know if I need bond building?

If you notice dryness, split ends, frizz, breakage, and tangles, chances are that you put your hair through the wringer and that it needs some TLC. Bond building is especially beneficial for hair that is fragile and seems to break off whenever you put a brush through it. If you are not sure where to start, or what product would be best for your hair type, ask your hair stylist for recommendations the next time you visit.

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