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15 Best Hair-Bonding Treatments to Banish Breakage for Good

 

Transform your hair from straw to silk.

Heat, bleach, dye, and chemical treatments may give you the hairstyle you want, but they come with an unfortunate tradeoff: deep, lasting damage to your locks. And even if you’ve never applied heat or chemicals to your hair, it’s still susceptible to breakage, split ends, and rough texture. Although your go-to conditioners and masks can smooth out your strands in a pinch, hair-bonding treatments have the power to really revitalize your hair.

Because when your hair feels weak, lacks its usual glossy shine, and is hard to manage, it’s typically a sign of broken bonds. “Hair is made up of bonds that link together amino acid chains that create hair’s keratin structures,” explains Shab Caspara, a board-certified trichologist in New York City. “They become damaged by chemicals, heat, pH, and even water.”

Of course, some damage is more severe than others (more on that later). We’ve provided hair-bonding formulas recommended by industry experts and tailored to specific needs, regardless of whether you prefer a leave-in treatment, spray, or mask.

Best Overall

Nexxus Intense Bonding Treatment

Why We Love It: After just one use, this lightweight leave-in treatment significantly improves hair’s elasticity, strength, and luster. It leaves strands feeling hydrated (not at all weighed down or oily) and smooths out the ends. “The Nexxus Amino Bond collection replaces five specific amino acids that are lost from hair when it’s damaged, so you’re giving it exactly what it needs,” explains Caspara. Using this product regularly gives hair a salon-quality color and shine, especially when you combine it with Nexxus’s Amino Bond Shampoo and Amino Bond Conditioner.

Who It's For: This product is a great choice for anyone, but especially individuals who are wary of intensive treatments but still want powerful results. Although some hair-bonding formulas may be heavy, greasy, and suitable solely for occasional use, you can use Nexxus’s product as often as you like, and it strengthens your hair without leaving behind any residue. Plus, it’s easy to squeeze this treatment into a busy schedule. Just apply it to damp, clean hair and wait three minutes before you start styling (or let your hair air-dry with the product in it).

Size: 5 oz | Key Ingredients: Amino acid blend, citric acid, hydrolyzed keratin

Best Overall, Runner-Up

Not Your Mother’s Intense Bonding Treatment

Why We Love It: In just 10 minutes, this gorgeously scented, pre-wash formula smooths out rough, brittle strands and turns them into silky, buttery-soft locks—regardless of your hair texture, type, and length. In fact, we found that super short, straight hair benefits from this treatment just as much as long, curly hair. It mends split ends and makes curls pop without leaving behind any grease.

Who It's For: Try this product if you want an affordable bonding treatment for hair that’s tangled, frizzy, and less manageable than it once was. You should also check it out if you appreciate fragrance, as its sweet peony and musk scent imbues hair with an aroma that lasts several days.

Size: 4.5 oz | Key Ingredients: Behentrimonium chloride, glycerin, citric acid

Best Budget

Garnier Fructis Pre-Shampoo

Why We Love It: Injectable skin fillers are the inspiration for Garnier Fructis’s Hair Filler collection, and this pre-shampoo, hair-bonding treatment is the cornerstone of the lineup. With a fresh scent and a texture that feels similar to conditioner, it plumps up limp, brittle hair while repairing damage. Leave it in wet hair for five minutes before continuing with the rest of your wash-day routine, and its combination of reparative citric acid, peptides, and smoothing argan oil will leave hair instantly glossier and, over time, healthier.

Who It's For: This product is best for someone who’s looking to strengthen their strands with an affordable treatment they can pick up at their local drugstore. It’s also ideal for those with damaged hair that’s normal to coarse in texture or medium to thick in density. One note to keep in mind: This pre-shampoo treatment can be a little rich for fine, thin hair.

Size: 10.1 oz | Key Ingredients: Citric acid, peptides, argan oil

Best Clean

Ranavat Complex Glossing Hair Masque

Why We Love It: This gloss-mask hybrid has a heady jasmine fragrance and an Ayurvedic-inspired blend of plant extracts, protein, and panthenol that gives hair a luscious smell and an alluring sheen. According to Ranavat, it’s clinically proven to strengthen hair bonds by 93 percent with every use, cutting down breakage and frizz. And you only need to use it for five minutes a week to experience its benefits.

Who It's For: If your hair has been through excessive chemical processing or just hasn’t been the same postpartum, give this treatment a go (the latter experience inspired the brand’s founder Michelle Ranavat to make this formula). It’s also a must if you want super shiny hair, as Ranavat says the mask is clinically proven to make hair three times shinier after every application.

Size: 5 oz | Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed wheat protein, ashwagandha extract, amla extract, panthenol

Best Pre-Wash Treatment

Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector

Why We Love It: Olaplex has introduced many people to the concept of bond-building hair products, and both of the stylists we interviewed for this piece are fans of this formula. “I’ve had it in my toolbox for years,” says Tina Deeke, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. The brand’s patented, signature ingredient, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, repairs your hair’s disulfide bonds. When used correctly, this bonding treatment smooths and strengthens damaged hair while adding some shine.

Who It's For: This treatment is best for someone with very stressed, processed hair who understands more isn’t always more. Overusing this formula can make hair feel slightly dehydrated, especially if it’s coarse and curly, but when you use it on a weekly or bimonthly basis, it delivers noticeable improvement. Pair it with one of the brand’s conditioning masks to really soften your strands.

Size: 3.3 oz | Key Ingredients: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, glycerin, panthenol

Best Shampoo

Redken Acidic Bonding Shampoo

Why We Love It: Rogério Cavalcante, a celebrity hairstylist and owner of The Second Floor Salon in NYC, lists this shampoo as one of his go-to products because of its practicality and efficacy. “It combines bond repair with gentle cleansing,” he says. The product’s high dose of citric acid makes it exceptional at restoring hydrogen and salt bonds and removing buildup from your hair and scalp. We also appreciate that it comes in a jumbo size, which isn’t a given for all bonding treatments.

Who It's For: Redken’s product is best for restoring hair that’s brittle, dry, or broken due to weak salt and hydrogen bonds. It’s also ideal for someone who doesn’t shampoo every day since using this product too frequently can cause scalp sensitivity (citric acid is an exfoliant, after all) or dry out your hair, according to Cavalcante. If you shampoo daily or even every other day, he recommends rotating the Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo with a hydrating, mild daily shampoo and conditioner.

Size: 10.1, 16.9, 33.8 oz | Key Ingredients: Citric acid, panthenol, glycerin

Best Conditioner

L’Oréal EverPure Bond Strengthening Conditioner

Why We Love It: Victoria Fu, a cosmetic chemist and host of the podcast “Chemist Confessions,” named this conditioner as her favorite hair-bond repair product during the regrowth phase of her postpartum journey. And there’s a lot to like about it: It’s affordable, a little goes a long way, and it delivers instant softness, manageability, and shine to all hair textures.

Who It's For: You’ll like this product if you don’t have seriously damaged hair but still want to provide ongoing support and nourishment to your strands. Although it’s moisturizing, it may not be quite moisturizing enough for those with heavily processed hair.

You’ll also want to give it a sniff if you’re picky about fragrance, as customers have found it somewhat polarizing.

Size: 6.8 oz | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, citric acid, behentrimonium chloride

Best Mask

VERB Hair Bonding Mask

Why We Love It: In just one use, this formula significantly improves hair’s strength and repairs split ends. In addition to having citric acid to balance the pH level of your hair, this mask contains arginine, an amino acid that helps restore your hair’s strength. And you only need to commit 10 minutes of your wash-day routine to this mask to let it work its magic.

Who It's For: Although this mask is formulated for different hair types, it’s especially ideal for those with fine hair whose strands get weighed down by deep-conditioning treatments. The mask’s mafura butter is plenty nourishing, but it won’t leave you looking greasy after rinsing. It also has a very light, herbal fragrance, which is a refreshing departure from many hair products.

Size: 6.3 oz | Key Ingredients: Citric acid, arginine, mafura butter

Best Leave-In Treatment

K18 Biomimetic Hairscience Molecular Repair Hair Mask

Why We Love It: Fu, Deeke, and Cavalcante are all fans of this formula, which is super easy to integrate into a jam-packed routine. “You don’t need to leave the product in for a long time and rinse it out. You just apply it and keep going,” says Cavalcante. All you need to do is shampoo as you normally would, hop out of the shower, slick the mask into your strands, and wait four minutes before proceeding with the rest of your regimen. The key ingredient is K18Peptide, the brand’s patented peptide that repairs fried strands and restores elasticity.

Who It's For: Beyond being a must-try for anyone looking for a leave-in mask, this formula is optimal for those with bleached hair, says Cavalcante. So try it if your platinum locks feel more straw-like than silky.

Size: 1.7 oz | Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed wheat protein, sh-oligopeptide-78

Best Serum

Virtue Damage Reverse Serum

Why We Love It: You only need a small amount of this creamy serum to condition your hair and infuse it with Alpha Keratin 60ku, the brand’s keratin protein, along with peptides and amino acids. According to Virtue, it’s clinically proven to improve hair’s flexibility and makes it twice as resistant to breakage after just one use. We’re also fans of the sweet vanilla fragrance.

Who It's For: This nourishing product is ideal for most hair types, but especially thicker or coarser strands. We found that it can be slightly too rich for fine hair and leave a filmy feeling behind. For the best results, apply it directly to clean, damp hair as the first step in your styling routine. Although you can put it in dry hair, it likely won’t absorb as quickly or nicely.

Size: 1.7 oz | Key Ingredients: Alpha Keratin 60ku, peptides, amino acids

Best Spray

IGK Overnight Bond Building Dry Hair Mask

Why We Love It: This clever “dry mask” gained traction on TikTok for good reason; It’s an exceptionally convenient format for bond repair. Unlike most mask formulas, this product is intended to be applied to dry hair before bedtime and doesn’t need to be rinsed out at all. It saturates your strands with protein and vegan-silk peptides without making a mess or adding unnecessary steps to your self-care routines. In the morning, all you have to do is comb your hair to see how this mask softens, smooths, and adds shine to your strands.

Who It's For: IGK’s viral mask is best for someone with mildly to moderately damaged hair who wants a bond-repairing treatment that requires as little effort as possible. Make sure to check out the smell before purchasing it. Some customers adore it, but others have found it to be quite potent.

Size: 5 oz | Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed pea protein, sr-spider polypeptide-1, glycerin

Best Heat Protectant

Matrix Super Sealing Leave-In Balm

Why We Love It: Most balm formulas are too rich for fine hair, but this one offers heavy-duty nourishment without adding too much weight. It melts into freshly washed hair to tame frizz for up to 72 hours, provides heat protection for temperatures up to 450 degrees, and revives damaged strands. Even a small amount of this citric acid and squalane formula makes a difference, and its sweet peony-citrus fragrance is divine.

Who It's For: This product is designed for significantly damaged hair that’s prone to snarls and frizz. Additionally, it’s a great choice for those whose hair texture has become unrecognizable after years of heat styling and chemical processing. You’ll also appreciate this balm if you’re looking for a product with a perfume-worthy scent.

Size: 3.4 oz | Key Ingredients: Glycerin, citric acid, squalane

Best for Split Ends

Philip Kingsley Bond Builder Split Ends Remedy

Why We Love It: As part of the iconic Philp Kingsley brand, which was founded by its namesake trichologist, this balm has power players, like amino acids and citric acid, as well as Granrepair PowerBond, an ingredient that repairs damaged bonds, protects existing ones from breaking, seals split ends, and strengthens your strands. The leave-in treatment’s results last for up to three washes, so you get a lot of use out of the bottle.

Who It's For: You don’t need to use this balm after every wash to keep your strands strong, so it’s perfect for someone who doesn’t want to dedicate a lot of time to repairing hair damage. It’s effective on all hair textures, as it nourishes coarse strands and doesn’t weigh down fine hair.

Size: 1.69 oz | Key Ingredients: Amino acid blend, citric acid, Granrepair PowerBond

Best for Curly Hair

Curlsmith Bond Rehab Salve

Why We Love It: This deep treatment uses an amino acid called creatine (alongside protein-rich plant extracts like chia) to pump up weak curls. The salve is available in a jumbo size, which you may be tempted to purchase after trying the fruit-forward formula. After all, it revitalizes frizzy, lifeless curls of many kinds.

Who It's For: This product is for anyone with curls in need of some TLC. However, it’s essential that you read the directions before using this product. The brand provides guidance on how to use it for low-, medium-, and high-porosity hair, and applying it incorrectly for your unique strands could dehydrate them.

Size: 8, 16 oz | Key Ingredients: Chia extract, behentrimonium chloride, creatine, citric acid

Best for Frizz

Kérastase Anti-Frizz Serum

Why We Love It: Heat styling can seriously damage your hair and, in turn, exacerbate frizz. But slicking Kérastase’s formula into your hair right before you break out your hot tools prevents frizz, protects your locks from temperatures up to 450 degrees, and repairs damage using glycine, peptide, and protein. It gives your hair a boost in shine and smoothness that lasts long after you turn your tools off. Your hair will also hold onto a lingering (but not overpowering) fragrance with citrus, floral, and woody notes after using this serum.

Who It's For: Give this treatment a try if you’re looking for a lightweight formula that combats frizz. Even if you have fine hair that’s easily weighed down, this product is a solid option. Use it on its own or layer it with other styling products.

Size: 3.04 oz | Key Ingredients: Glycine, behentrimonium chloride, hydrolyzed vegetable protein

What to Keep in Mind

• Types of Damage: Even though there’s not one single type or cause of hair damage, the characteristics tend to be universal. “When the bonds are damaged, it leads to changes in the look and feel of hair, which results in undesirable traits such as dryness, frizziness, brittleness, dullness, and breakage,” says Fu. However, different factors break different types of hair bonds, so it’s important to understand the root cause of your hair’s damage to pick the best, most effective treatment.
• Ionic Bonds: For starters, there are three types of bonds in your hair. The first one is a salt (or ionic) bond, which plays an important role in your hair’s strength. In addition to breaking due to changes in pH, “salt bonds are broken by exposure to salt or chlorine,” says Cavalcante. According to Caspara, alkalinity is the problem, as the pH level of hair is naturally more acidic at around 4.5–5.5. So if you’re heavily reliant on hair products (or are just using the wrong ones for your specific hair), are a frequent swimmer, or shower in hard water, chances are your salt bonds need some support.
• Hydrogen Bonds: Next up are hydrogen bonds. “Hydrogen bonds help give temporary shapes, such as curls after using a curling iron, but they are easily broken by moisture and heat,” explains Morgan Rabach, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and cofounder of LM Medical in NYC. These bonds are essential to your hair’s elasticity, and it’s easy to tell if they’ve been compromised by factors like heat styling, sun exposure, or extreme weather conditions. “Hair's ability to stretch and snap back becomes limited,” explains Caspara. Assessing your hair’s style memory is a great way to tell if your hydrogen bonds are hurting. One telltale sign? Your hair won’t hold a curl or stay straight after heat styling.
• Disulfide Bond: The third and final type of bond is a disulfide bond, which is also called a peptide or covalent bond. They’re the strongest of the three, hence why Caspara refers to them as the “backbone of hair.” Although salt and hydrogen bonds are temporarily and easily broken, disulfide bonds, which are responsible for your hair’s natural shape, can only be altered by chemicals like bleach or dye. Years of chemical processing can destroy your hair’s texture to the point that you may not even know what it is until you start fresh with a big chop.
• Active Ingredients: Different ingredients repair different types of damage. Salt and hydrogen bonds are easily broken, but they can also be easily fixed. So in order to repair salt bonds, you need treatments with ingredients that lower the pH level of your hair, like alpha-hydroxy acid and citric acid. “Citric acid is an ingredient that helps to bring down the pH of hair and temporarily helps repair broken salt bonds,” says Fu, adding that it also helps repair hydrogen bonds. Most hair-bonding treatments’ goal is to repair the hard-to-fix disulfide bonds. In order to do this, products have to deeply penetrate hair strands, which is easiest to accomplish when your hair is wet and in its most vulnerable state. Dr. Rabach recommends looking for treatments with ingredients that have amino acids (the building blocks of protein), peptides (short chains of amino acids), and keratin (the protein that makes up hair).
• Amino Acids: If you want to get even more specific, look for individual amino acids like cysteine. “Cysteine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that helps to restore disulfide bonds,” says Dr. Rabach. Fu adds that other proteins—including silk, soy, and collagen—are common, too. However, the performance of all of these ingredients in different formulas can vary. “We recommend looking for any sort of consumer testing that the brand may have done to give a better idea of performance,” Fu explains.
• Hydrating Ingredients: Lastly, there are supporting ingredients, which don’t repair bonds but do support healthy hair. For example, hydrating ingredients—like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe—draw water into dehydrated hair, and moisturizers condition hair and add shine. Cavalcante likes panthenol and plant oils, and Fu notes that behentrimonium chloride is a very common conditioner that instantly improves hair’s look and feel. Vitamins and minerals are a plus, too. You’ll also see silicones on ingredient lists, and according to Dr. Rabach, they “leave a protective layer to smooth and prevent further damage.” You’ll know if your chosen product is actually fixing your hair bonds by continually using it, says Caspara. “When a product is just temporarily making hair feel nice, then down the line, you’re going to see your hair get duller from product buildup, feel waxy, and become hard to style,” she says.
• Product Formats: Hair-bonding treatments come in a wide range of forms, and the one you select should be determined by your lifestyle and hair-care habits. “I know personally that I want an easy hair routine—a 10-minute pre-treatment works great—but many people don’t have that extra 10 minutes to spare,” says Deeke. If that sounds like you, leave-in treatments (including serums, sprays, oils, and balms) are your best bet. Not only are they great for those with busy schedules, but they also provide styling benefits.
• Shampoos and Conditioners: Hair-bonding shampoos and conditioners are great for daily maintenance and, according to Fu, are usually effective enough for those who don’t place much stress on their hair. For more intensive repair and moisture, Dr. Rabach recommends a mask.
• Color-Treated Hair: And if you frequently color or use heat on your hair, Cavalcante advises using a bonding treatment first. In fact, your stylist might incorporate it into their coloring or styling process to counteract any bond-breaking effects. “Bond-repair products have been a game changer in our industry. We’re able to protect hair while coloring or performing other chemical services,” says Deeke. “They have lasting results, especially if you continue using them at home after leaving the salon.”

Your Questions, Answered

Who can use hair-bonding treatments?

If you have hair, you can use a hair-bonding treatment. “They’re meant for all hair types and textures since all hair types have bonded proteins,” Fu says. “However, because of how diverse the category has become, there are hair-bonding products formulated for specific hair types.” Although many shoppers seeking bonding treatments have chemically processed hair, it’s definitely not a requirement. Deeke says that even if you’ve never colored or applied any chemicals to your hair, you can use bond-repair treatments for improved strength and shine.

How long do hair-bonding treatments last?

There’s no such thing as a one-and-done hair-bonding treatment. “Typical bond treatments will try to replace some of the broken bonds and improve structure,” explains Fu. “Most of the repairs are temporary, which is why bond treatments need to be repeated to maintain those benefits.” Read each formula’s instructions to get an idea of how long the results last. For example, shampoos and stylers that are designed to be used daily may only provide results that last for 24 hours or less, whereas deeper treatments are likely to last longer. “If you get highlights and use hot tools daily, you’ll damage your hair again faster, so we need maintenance products to care for our hair daily,” adds Cavalcante.

How often should I do hair-bonding treatments?

Cavalcante recommends getting a professional bond treatment whenever you get your hair processed at the salon. “Hair bonds are always breaking down, so maintenance after initial salon treatments are key,” says Deeke. She recommends using deeper at-home treatments every fourth shampoo. And if your hair is very damaged, Cavalcante recommends using one weekly.

Most stylers, shampoos, and conditioners can be used daily, but it depends entirely on which treatment you use. As always, following a product’s directions is essential for a successful result.

Why Shop With Us

Emily Orofino is a freelance writer, editor, and consultant with over a decade of experience in the beauty industry. She only recently started using bond repair treatments and is blown away by the difference they’ve made to the look and feel of her hair. For this piece, she tapped trichologist Shab Caspara, stylist Rogério Cavalcante, colorist Tina Deeke, cosmetic chemist Victoria Fu, and dermatologist Dr. Morgan Rabach to break down (pun intended) the complex topic of hair-bond repair.