What Is a Bonding Treatment and How Can It Change Your Hair?

There’s no denying that hair looks amazing after a fresh color or that just-left-the-salon perfect blowout. But there’s also no denying that styling and coloring can affect the structure of your hair over time. You might love your pretty new platinum hue, but if you’re not taking proper care of your tresses, you can do major damage to your ‘do. 

Luckily, repairing damaged and over-processed hair can be done using hair bonding treatments — and with the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening System, it can even be done at home. Keep reading to get the basics on the different types of hair bonds, L’Oréal Paris’s hair bonding technology and how to add it to your hair care routine to show your tresses the love they need.

What Are Hair Bonds?

Let’s start with a quick and simple refresher on hair bonds before we dive into the technology of this hair care system. Hair is made up of protein called keratin, and it’s linked together by chemical bonds that create the structure for your hair. They’re what make your hair strong, give your hair its texture and overall luster. 

You’ve probably heard of hydrogen bonds being the culprit for your hair puffing up on a humid day, but that’s just one of the types of bonds found in hair. There are also disulfide bonds, which actually determine your hair type, and salt bonds, which determine your hair’s strength. 

How Do Hair Bonds Become Damaged?

Some of the hair’s bonds are strong and some are weak. The weak bonds (hydrogen and salt are the weaker hair bonds) are typically affected by water, heat and chemicals. While disulfide bonds are stronger, things like aggressive chemical treatments, bleach and hair color can weaken them. In a journal shared by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), bleached hair demonstrated substantial damage to the cuticle layers and to the cortex, the inner part of your hair shaft that makes up the hair bonds.  

According to a study by the International Journal of Trichology, when your hair is chemically straightened or permed, the chemicals rupture the disulfide bonds, which changes your hair type. This is why your hair can go from 4C curls to straight and smooth after a keratin treatment. This also explains why these types of chemical hair treatments are so damaging to your hair — they literally change the make up and structure of your hair.

What Is a Bonding Hair Treatment?

The L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening System is a trio of bonding products that consist of a pre-shampoo bond repair treatment, bonding shampoo and conditioner that are suitable for all hair types. This sulfate-free regimen strengthens hair from the inside out by reinforcing weak hair bonds, and conditioning and fortifying hair while remaining gentle on color. 

Each of the three products contains citric acid, a good-for-hair ingredient known for clearing excess sebum and debris on the scalp, and balancing pH. According to the NCBI, citric acid helps to neutralize the pH of hair care products, bringing it down to 5.5. This is important because in another study by the NCBI, an alkaline pH of 7 or higher can cause more friction between the hair (amongst themselves), which can lead to breakage and damage to the hair cuticle.

How Do You Repair Broken Hair Bonds?

The best way to repair broken hair bonds is by using a bonding treatment that can correct damage from the inside out. Damaged hair bonds manifest as weakened strands with brittle ends, dryness and breakage. Remember that when you’re trying to repair your damaged hair, stay away from bleach, hair dye, chemical treatments and hot tools that are responsible for the damage in the first place.

How to Use EverPure Hair Bonding Treatments in Your Hair Care Routine

If you’ve been struggling to get your damaged hair back into a healthy condition, check out our easy-to-follow steps to incorporate the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening System into your hair care routine to restore your strands. 

Step 1. Add a Pre-Poo Treatment to Your Prep

Before you reach for your shampoo, prep your hair with a pre-shampoo (also referred to as pre-poo) concentrate. When infused with the right ingredients, it can help address hair concerns such as split ends, tangles and dullness while preparing your strands for shampoo and conditioner. The L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening Pre-Shampoo Treatment helps reduce breakage and split ends while detangling hair. Leave it on wet hair for five to eight minutes before rinsing and moving on to your shampoo.

Step 2. Switch to Bonding Shampoo

If your regular shampoo isn’t rebuilding your hair and protecting your color, it’s time to swap it for a bonding shampoo that can do both — like L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Shampoo with Citric Acid. It’s exactly what you need to bring a dull, over-processed mane back to a selfie-worthy state. Perfect for all hair types and textures, this shampoo deeply moisturizes and nourishes damaged hair. Apply to wet hair and gently massage it into a thick lather. Rinse thoroughly with warm water and then proceed to the conditioner as usual.

Step 3. Condition the Right Way

Follow up your shampoo with L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Conditioner with Citric Acid. Apply it to wet hair an inch down from your roots (to avoid scalp congestion and product weigh-down) and massage gently into the hair from the lengths to the tips. Leave it on for approximately three minutes then rinse with warm water. Using the product correctly will allow it to work its magic, repairing hair damaged by color, heat, bleaching and more.

Step 4. Style With Confidence

Now that your hair is strong and reinforced, move on to styling as usual. The L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Strengthening system protects from future damage so that you can color and style your hair without worry, but if you’re reaching for your hot tools you always want to protect your strands by spritzing with heat protectant first. We suggest the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, Heat Protectant, as it smooths hair for a sleek style while shielding it against heat up to 450 degrees.

Next: How Often Should You Wash Damaged Hair, According to a Celebrity Hairstylist

Photo Design: Sarah Duvivier