What Are Hair Bonds?
Bonds are what give our hair the structure, shape, strength, elasticity, shine, and bounce that we love. If these bonds break, our hair can become dry and brittle, leaving your strands vulnerable to damage. There are three main types of bonds:
- Hydrogen bonds: These are the weakest type of bond and help to give hair the strength and elasticity to bounce back to shape after exposure to heat and/or water.
- Ionic bonds (aka salt bonds): Not only do these bonds add to your hair’s strength and elasticity, they can also repair themselves after chemical treatments or exposure to water.
- Disulfide bonds (aka S-S bond): Your hair’s structure is informed by these bonds, which are the strongest. The amount of disulfide bonds can also influence your hair’s texture, more bonds equal a curlier strand.
Thanks for the Science, But What Do Bond Builders Actually Do?
Bond builders can restore the strength, elasticity, texture, and offer long term benefits. They do this with ingredients that bridge the gap in your hair’s bond structure, to minimize breakage and give you smoother strands. With continued use, they can make your hair more resilient to damage and prevent dryness, frizz, and breakage, and may encourage hair growth.
What Key Ingredients Should You Look for in Bond Building Products for Hair?
One key ingredient in a lot of bond builders is bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate. It transforms broken disulfide bonds on your strands, so that your hair’s strength and resilience is restored. Also keep an eye out for amino acid and peptides for added moisture and hydration.
How Often Should You Use a Bond-Repair Hair Treatment?
To maintain healthier hair, make sure that you’re not overdoing anything and schedule regular trims to keep your ends neat. Start with a once a week bond treatment and assess from there.
To help you find the best bond building treatments for hair, I’ve put together a list of sprays, rinses, shampoos and conditioners, and leave-in treatments, to transform your damaged hair, give you healthy hair, and keep your strands feeling 100%.
