Key Takeaways
- Every hair type is susceptible to damage.
- The hair shaft is comprised of three layers: the cuticle, cortex, and medulla.
- Most damage occurs in the cuticle (the outer layer of your hair shaft).
- OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology® can help repair damaged hair.
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The Science of Healthy Hair
For OLAPLEX® superfans and those wondering how OLAPLEX repairs hair, it's important to understand the science of hair, including hair structure and hair chemistry. OLAPLEX works for every single hair type, from straight to curly and virgin to compromised—but why is that? OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology® approaches hair on a molecular level, and at that level, all hair is the same, no matter its texture or integrity. This means all hair can break and be repaired in the same ways!
Getting Healthier Hair
Every single hair type and hair color can benefit from being healthier. Yes, even virgin hair may undergo damage that can be repaired. We are inclusive at our very core, and OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology® is a solution for repairing damage in everyone's hair and every hair type! Curly hair, although more fragile, has bonds that can be broken the same way as straight hair—it's science.
The Science of Hair Structure
It's time to get to know your hair shaft structure. The hair shaft is comprised of three layers: the cuticle, cortex, and medulla. The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair shaft and is responsible for protecting the inner layers of the hair from damage. In doing so, the cuticle is where most damage begins.
After the cuticle comes the cortex. The cortex is the middle part of the hair shaft, and it determines hair color and texture.
The medulla lives at the center of the hair shaft but is usually found in thick hair.
The integrity of each hair shaft is compromised when bonds are broken, whether by chemicals, thermal and mechanical styling, or environmental factors. Until OLAPLEX, a haircut was the only way to solve damage in the hair. Now, with OLAPLEX, we're able to relink those broken disulfide bonds and change the internal structure of the hair.
Using Science for Strong Hair: How OLAPLEX Works
This is where hair chemistry comes in. Your hair is made of keratin, which is a combination of these elements: carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and sulfur. There are also three different types of chemical bonds at play, which work to keep your hair fibers in place and contribute to the elasticity, strength, and shape of your hair. These are hydrogen bonds, salt (or ionic) bonds, and disulfide bonds. Keeping these hair bonds intact and strong is what determines if your hair is healthy or not.
So, what happens when disulfide bonds are broken, and why should you care? When the disulfide bonds in your hair are broken, it results in a single sulfur hydrogen molecule instead of two sulfur hydrogen molecules. This single sulfur hydrogen molecule can potentially pair with three oxygen molecules, creating a new sulfate group. This new sulfate can erode the protein from the hair. In simple terms, broken disulfide bonds can mean you have damaged hair.
OLAPLEX haircare products are formulated with a patented technology using Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate that links broken disulfide bonds in the hair on a molecular level, making bonds more durable and damage both reversible and preventable.
Bonds in your hair are broken when a chemical or textural change occurs. Chemical and textural changes in hair can be in the form of coloring, lightening, relaxing, and perm services. Mechanical styling with hair accessories and thermal styling with flat irons and curlers can also contribute to chemical and textural changes in your hair.OLAPLEX can help prevent and repair these types of hair damage.amage.
Everyone Deserves Healthy Hair
As you may have noticed, even with OLAPLEX, damage can occur to the hair daily. You may be enjoying the summer sun and exposing your hair to harsh environmental damage. Damage can occur with something as simple as brushing your hair or using a hair elastic. These are the more subtle ways damage infiltrates the hair, in addition to more noticeable methods such as chemical and texture treatments. The best way to stay on top of it is by treating the hair regularly at home with OLAPLEX. Check out these OLAPLEX products that can help you create healthier-looking hair:
OLAPLEX No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment
Rebuilding the bonds in your hair starts with OLAPLEX Nº.0 Intensive Bond Building Hair Treatment. This treatment is infused with patented OLAPLEX Bond Building Technology®. It primes hair for deeper repair when followed with No.3 Hair PerfectorTM and re-links broken bonds while strengthening and protecting hair integrity.
OLAPLEX Nº.3 Hair PerfectorTM
Try this pre-shampoo treatment that's proven to repair and strengthen hair. No.3 is a weekly at-home treatment that reduces breakage and visibly strengthens hair, improving its look and feel.
OLAPLEX Nº.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask
If you're looking for a conditioning reparative mask, you'll love Nº.8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask. This moisture-rich formula adds shine and softness to dry and damage-prone strands.
Understanding hair science is key to finding the right at-home treatments to repair damaged tresses. Learn more about how OLAPLEX works or take the Hair Quiz to get a personalized bond-building routine.
Sources
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499948/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4201279/
