When your hair is feeling damaged, fragile and littered with split ends, hightailing it to a hairstylist may seem like the first course of action. But an expensive professional treatment or full-on chop aren’t the only effective ways to cope: The bond repair hair product category has absolutely exploded in the past few years, and restorative formulas for at-home use have come a long way. No matter your hair type or product preference, there’s officially a bond repair product for you.
But first: What exactly are hair bonds, and why are they so important? “Each strand of hair has bonds that are responsible for the shape, strength, elasticity and shine,” says hairstylist Clayton Hawkins, whose clients include Olivia Rodrigo, Kiernan Shipka, Rachel Zegler and Ali Wong. “These bonds are super susceptible to breaking which negatively affects the overall health and look of our hair.” (Hawkins is also a brand ambassador for Dove, which recently introduced its own bond repair range.)
Finer hair types are most prone to hair damage, but all hair types and textures can experience weakened bonds. Beyond heat stylers and color processing, other contributors to hair damage include over-brushing, excessive bleaching and chemical treatments, such as perms or relaxers.
Bond-building formulas help to repair these weakened strands, which Hawkins recommends applying at least once a week, sometimes “two times per week during your wash days if you’re finding it’s working for you.”
While all hair types can benefit from bond repair treatments, Hawkins notes that factoring in your texture better informs how much product to use: “Because bonding treatments, like masks, have heavier formula textures, finer hair types should use a smaller amount of product,” he says. “For people with medium or coarse hair types, you can use a little bit more to really achieve deep hydration.”
Bond repair treatments might not completely reverse hair damage, but they’re certainly a helpful tool for strengthening strands and maintaining overall hair health. Keep scrolling for our roundup of the best bond repair hair treatments for every hair type and texture.
Best for all hair types: Amika The Kure Intense Bond Repair Hair Mask, $42, available here
Best for coarse and textured hair: SheaMoisture Bond Repair Oil, $14, available here
Best for medium hair: Aveda Botanical Repair Bond-Building Flash Treatment, $56, available here
Best for fine hair: IGK Antisocial Overnight Bond Building Dry Hair Mask, $36, available here
Best for all hair types: Dove Beauty Bond Strength Peptide Complex Serum Hair Mask, $10, available here
Best for curly hair: DevaCurl CurlBond Re-Coiling Treatment Mask, $44, available here
Best for fine hair: Andrew Fitzsimons Virgin Repair Restructuring Serum, $16, available here
Best for medium hair: Living Proof Triple Bond Complex Leave-In Hair Treatment, $20, available here
Best for all hair types: Briogeo Deep Conditioning Mask, $39, available here
Best for thick or coarse hair: Fekkai Super Strength Everstrong Bonding Oil, $30, available here
Best for thick or coarse hair: Tgin Miracle RepaiRx CPR Protein Treatment, $16, available here
Best for curly hair: Not Your Mother’s Curl Talk Bond Building Shampoo, $9, available here
Best for all hair types: K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask, $75, available here
Best for medium hair types: Verb Bonding Mask, $20, available here
Best for thick or coarse hair: Bumble and Bumble Bond-Building Repair Treatment, $38, available here
Best for all hair types: Nexxus Amino Bond Intense Bonding Treatment, $18, available here
Best for medium hair types: Marc Anthony Repair Bond +Rescueplex Leave-In Treatment, $9, available here
Best for fine hair types: Tresemmé Cruelty-free Keratin Repair Shampoo for Damaged Hair, $8, available here
Best for fine hair types: L’Oréal EverPure Sulfate Free Bond Repair Pre-Shampoo Treatment, $13, available here
Best for all hair types: Nu Standard Hydrasilk Bond Strengthener Shampoo, $80, available here
Best for thick and coarse hair types: Olaplex No. 9 Bond Protector Nourishing Hair Serum, $30, available here
Best for thick and coarse hair types: Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Mask, $38, available here
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