

‘You can repair the disulphide bonds by using a weekly bond repair treatment, or using a split end sealer to ensure already damaged ends are temporarily sealed, preventing them from splitting further up the hair shaft and reducing further breakage. ‘They target three specific chemical bonds: disulphide (responsible for stabilising protein chains and bolstering the strength of individual hair strands) hydrogen bonds (which maintain resistance to elements such as heat and water, and give your hair its texture and shape) and salt bonds (which can be prone to breakage if the hair’s pH becomes too acidic or alkaline.)


‘Bond builders repair the protein bonds that make up the keratin structure of your hair,’ Petty tells us. Some products also focus on fortifying ‘virgin’ strands that have not been heat or colour-damaged, making them a smart buy for everybody. While Olaplex uses a patented active ingredient to repair disulphide bonds inside the hair, other brands are now harnessing equally powerful molecules that penetrate further within the hair shaft to repair stressed strands, making them more resilient to damage.Įach treatment uses different technologies, but the goal is always the same - stronger, shinier and altogether healthier-looking hair that’s more manageable and less prone to breakage. ‘Designed to chemically repair hair strands damaged by bleach, heat, and styling, they’re a step up from regular hair masks and products that only improve the hair’s surface,’ she says. Nicole Petty, hair expert at Milk + Blush, has noticed a dramatic rise in the popularity of hair bond builders in recent years. It was a decade ago when Olaplex first put bond-building hair treatments on the map - now you’ll find a structure-fortifying, damage-repairing formulation in almost every haircare range.
