Bond Repair Vs. Moisturizing Mask: Which one do you need?
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Are you using the right kind of treatment on your hair? Bond Repair products are all the rage, but are they something you even need?
What exactly is a bond repair treatment?
A bond repair treatment, whether a pre-shampoo spray, a mask, or an overnight treatment, is designed to help rebuild the broken bonds in the hair. There are three bonds to the hair: ionic, hydrogen, and disulfide. These bonds get damaged or broken from coloring, heat, physical tension on the hair, and environmental damage. When they break, you will notice that your hair is fragile, feels like straw, and lacks shine or bounce. It’s pretty easy to identify stressed/damaged hair, and generally, if you feel or see damage on your hair, there is some kind of brokenness in the hair bonds.
What does a bond repair treatment actually do?
So, what does a bond repair treatment do? These treatments are designed to penetrate the cortex (outer layer of the hair) to help fix the broken bonds so your hair feels strong and healthy!
If you’re wondering how to tell if a bond repair treatment is working, look for shine and strength restored to the hair. See if you can run your hands down your hair and notice smoothness and less frizz.
What is the difference between a bond repair and a moisturizing treatment?
Once you see an improvement, you can pause using bond repair products and switch to a moisturizing mask or treatment. There are great benefits to moisturizing treatments, and it’s smart to add them to your routine as well. Moisturizing deep conditioners, leave-in serums, etc., which are designed to soften, hydrate, smooth, and protect the hair, also benefit the cortex of the hair, which is somewhat neglected by a bond repair treatment.
Why doesn’t my hair feel deeply conditioned when using a bond repair treatment?
Have you ever wondered why your bond repair treatment doesn’t leave your hair feeling tangle-free and deeply conditioned? It’s because while it’s doing its job to rebuild and strengthen the hair on the inside, it isn’t terribly focused on the health of that outer layer of the hair!
Which one is right for me?
So both types of treatments are good for the hair; they just have different purposes. Generally, if you have virgin, healthy, strong, shiny hair, you can likely skip the bond repair treatments and just use a deep conditioner every once in a while. If you color your hair, use heat, or generally notice breakage, dryness, lack of shine, or feel like your ends are snapping off, try a bond repair treatment!
My top bond repair treatments are the Epres Bond Repair Treatment (don’t get the shampoo and conditioner though….I wouldn’t recommend), K18, and the Alterna Overnight Bond Repair treatment.
My top deep conditioners/hair masks are the Dove 10-in-1 Intensive Repair Hair Mask, Pureology Hydrate Superfoods Treatment Mask, and the Shu Uemura Ultimate Reset Mask.
P.S.. Some of my favorite healthy hair products can be found here!
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