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It’s all about the next generation bonding technology that will repair anything from chlorine-tarnished colour to windswept split ends

Chlorine, salty sea water, a pre-holiday hair colour and then all those heated tools you use to calm down the frizz you’re trying to fight when the weather gets warmer – summer does nothing for the health of your hair. While those with highlighted hair have to contend with bleach stripping its natural pigment leaving it dry and brittle, chlorine can cause discolouration and sea water can be abrasive, triggering more damage and breaking down the bonds that keep hair glossy and strong.

“The particles or chemical elements that make up your hair are a series of ‘bonds’ and post summer - when you’ve been outdoors more regularly for an extended period of time (meaning your hair has been exposed to more sunlight, heat and pollutants) is a good time to think about adding bonding products into your regime as your hair may be feeling a little tired and frazzled,” says session stylist Halley Brisker.

Of course, bond repair treatments and products aren’t new – the original and most highly regarded of them all, Olaplex, launched back in 2014 – but they are constantly evolving, and all are chemically unique. In general though, most will contain some form of amino acids – the building blocks of proteins (which is what hair is made up of) which gives them the ability to repair broken bonds at a much deeper level, working into the cortex rather than just on the surface level of the hair.

“There are three types of bonds found in hair – hydrogen, ionic and covalent and together they build strong interactions within the protein chains that make up individual hair fibres,” explains Michael Shaun Corby, global creative director at Living Proof. “However, these bonds are not created equal. Hydrogen bonds are the weakest and can easily be broken by exposure to water or heat but the results are temporary which is why when you blow dry your hair, it reverts to its natural shape. Ionic bonds are also temporary and while slightly stronger, they weaken and can break when the hair changes its pH from products or processes. Then there are covalent bonds which give the hair structure and although they’re the strongest, they can still be broken via things like bleaching or excessive heat styling which alter and damage the internal structure of the hair.”

However, where the original bonding formulas focused on one or two types of bonds in the hair, brands are now looking to invent technologies that repair and restore all three. “The bond network in our hair is always present so these products and treatments don’t add bonds but reform and connect the ones that are already there so hair becomes healthier and looks shiny, feels soft and is more manageable,” says Jack Cunningham-Rose, education consultant for Redken and Pureology.

Bonding treatments come in various guises. Redken’s latest innovation is the new Acidic Bonding Concentrate Pre-Treatment, which acts like a primer delivering powerful repairing actives to rebalance the hair’s pH before you shampoo your hair. K18 Peptide pH Maintenance Shampoo also works to maintain the hair’s optimal pH levels with a patented molecule that travels deep into the hair’s cortex to tackle broken bonds while Olaplex continues to build on its bonding expertise and has introduced a new shampoo into its line-up. Designed as a once a week ‘deep cleanse’, the No. 4C Bond Maintenance Clarifying Shampoo removes impurities, hard water minerals, build up and oil that causes damage to the hair and makes it vulnerable.

Besides in-shower treatments, leave-in hair products are equally as beneficial. It might have taken a while but cult haircare brand, Living Proof has recently unveiled its first ever bonding product – the Triple Bond Complex that only needs to be used once a week on wet hair. Apply, wait 10 minutes before you blow-dry and hair will be restructured from the inner cortex to the outer cuticle thanks to technology that works on all three bonds and encapsulated cellular oil that defends from thermal and UV damage, as well as colour fade.

Philip Kingsley’s new Bond Builder Lipid Shield is another post-shampoo remedy. A lightweight treatment oil, clinical tests have shown that it replenishes the lipids lost on the surface of the cuticle after just one use. The result? Split ends are sealed and bonds become strengthened prior to your styling steps.

And as for whether you can overuse ‘bonding’ treatments, they’re unlike pure keratin products that weigh the hair down and cause build up. The key is assessing your hair’s needs – for example, is it curly? is it coloured? Or does it just need to be cared for?

“I always say that I’d like to see my clients using at least two bonding products within their haircare regime. That could be your pre-shampoo treatment and conditioner or your shampoo and mask or a variation between those four,” continues Brisker. “Using more than that is unlikely to do any damage but you should get the desired effect by cocktailing them. For me, a combination of No.3, No.0 and No.8 by Olaplex is an unbeatable bond building system for all hair types.”

It's also worth noting that if you have curly hair, when you apply it is as imperative as what you apply. “Those with looser curl can apply as usual but for 3b-4c curl patterns I’d recommend mixing or incorporating a leave-in conditioner or curl crème with their bonding product and apply it straight from the shower as this allows the hair to retain moisture,” advises Corby.

A worthy investment for all hair types, whether it’s coloured or not, bonding products are a surefire way to help your hair hold on to moisture and protein which instantly means healthier looking, and feeling, hair. Plus, with an array of formats available, you’re guaranteed to find one to suit you.