Sali Hughes on beauty: how to repair your hair in three minutes – no scissors or faffing required | Women’s hair
There are few brands one can credit with having changed the beauty game, but the launch of Olaplex just over a decade ago invalidated the assertion that the only way to fix damaged hair is to cut it. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. It used a patented ingredient (the unpronounceable bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate) to strengthen and rebuild all types of hair bonds ravaged by bleach, colour and other chemical or heat treatments. Having looked at bonds under a microscope, I think it’s easiest to think of them as tiles on a roof: when they’re in good nick, they’re even, smooth and regular; when not, more jagged, missing and letting in rain. Hairdressers raved about Olaplex, clinical and consumer trials agreed, rival and new brands jumped on the bonding trend and launched countless – sometimes inferior, occasionally credible – variations on the theme. And yet for me, even the promise of stronger, healthier hair could never quite tempt me to undertake with any regularity …
