You’ve probably heard of protein treatments for hair, but how much do you know about exactly what they do? “Proteins are the building blocks of hair and are responsible for your hair’s strength,” explains trichologist Anabel Kingsley. “Hair is mostly keratin protein organised into very long chains of amino acids. If you are concerned with damage and feel your hair is fragile, dry, splitting and breaking, you will benefit from a bond-building treatment product that repairs proteins within the hair.”
Vogue’s pick of the best protein treatments for hair at a glance:
While traditional protein treatments still exist in both in-salon and at-home versions, you might have heard conversations abound recently about bond-building treatments. While protein treatments and bond building treatments are not technically same, they work on similar principles. While traditional protein treatments add temporary strength by filling gaps in the hair's cuticle, bond-building treatments repair broken internal disulfide bonds. According to Kingsley, “these are very strong bonds that link adjacent keratin (protein) chains and give hair its strength and shape.” So, while bond-building treatments don’t add protein to the hair, they are key in helping to restore the internal protein network of the hair.
Kinglsey goes on to explain that other types of treatments use peptide molecules designed to mimic natural keratin protein segments and enter deep into the hair shaft. These are formulated to reconnect broken peptide chains and not just the bonds.
So, now that you’re armed with all the information, all that’s left is to find the right treatment for your hair. Below, we’ve shortlisted some of the best protein and bond-building treatments to try now to rediscover healthy, shiny, strong hair.
- Jump to the product reviews
- How can I tell if my hair needs a protein treatment?
- What’s the best protein type to use on my hair?
- Any kind of hair type or texture that benefits especially from using a protein treatment?
- Anyone who should avoid using one?
- How often should I use one?
- What results can I expect and after how long?
- Meet the expert
- Product type: Conditioning spray
- Key ingredient: Hydrolysed wheat protein
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Use this spray instead of your regular conditioner if your damaged hair needs some extra help. It contains a protein complex that’s especially good at fortifying essential strength, but we noticed the biggest difference on persistent split ends, in part due to the blend of reparative taurine, arginine and lysine. The lathering spray formula also helps with easy distribution if you sometimes find a mask tricky to use.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Rice protein complex
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Used weekly, this intensive mask not only visibly strengthens hair thanks to its rice protein complex, but delivers proper deep-down nourishment and conditioning too, thanks to the inclusion of B vitamins, algae and rosehip oil.
- Product type: Leave-in conditioner
- Key ingredient: Hydrolysed rice protein and hydrolysed hemp seed extract
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: This gel-cream hybrid treatment is a great blend of essential protein and moisture, which is exactly what fragile or crunchy curls need if they’re looking less than their best. Helping to improve the strength, structure and shape of curls, this leave-in formula also prevents future breakage and improves definition.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: The original and still one of the best bond-building treatments out there, Olaplex’s No.3 Hair Perfector works to repair the disulfide bonds, the links between amino acids within proteins. What that means is that while it’s not directly adding protein to the hair, it plays an essential role in strengthening the protein in your hair. Use once a week, after shampooing, for hair that is stronger and more resilient.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Peptides bonder and amino acids
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: A rescue treatment for seriously damaged hair that’s formulated to rebuild the molecular structure and improve strength, the L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Molecular Strengthening Mask for Damaged Hair has an infusion of peptides and five amino acids that do just that, as well as helping to deliver unprecedented smoothness and detangling.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: K18PEPTIDE™
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: The reason this mask has achieved such iconic status is that it really delivers on bringing broken, bleached or lifeless hair back to life. It does this by working to repair damage, improve strength, restore softness and manageability. It can even help prevent colour fade.
- Product type: Topcoat
- Key ingredient: Vegetal keratin
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: A post-wash styling treatment, this clever spray acts like a shield for each strand, protecting it from damaging aggressors and wrapping it in moisture to keep things soft and supple. It does that thanks to vegetal keratin, a blend of rice proteins and amino acids, which ensures hair stays protected and resilient against future damage.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Alpha Keratin 60ku®
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Delivering intense TLC to hair that’s in dire need of reconditioning, strengthening and softening, this creamy mask contains the brand’s signature keratin complex, which is designed to restore vulnerable strands and infuse them with shine, moisture, and resiliency but with no heaviness.
- Product type: Pre-shampoo treatment
- Key ingredient: Proprietary Bond Builder Technology
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Designed to be used on wet hair before shampooing, this clever treatment reinforces existing bonds and repairs broken ones and is clinically proven to make hair three times more resistant to damage and improve strength by 49 per cent after five uses. The technology it uses encapsulates the Bond Builder Technology in pH adjusted formula, allowing it to penetrate the cuticle with maximum efficacy.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Hydrolysed keratin and protein
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Safe to use on colour, keratin and chemically treated hair, this rich mask is a godsend for damaged, frizzy hair, even if it’s fine. Infused with hydrolysed keratin and protein to nourish strands and deliver smoothness and shine, it also contains hydrating shea butter to keep things sleek and soft. An ideal weekly treat for over-processed hair.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Peptides
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: This Kerastase mask is a great option if you have a history of damage and breakage, whether it’s from too much heat styling or bleaching. That’s down to the concentration of peptides and glycine – two key ingredients that work on the inner and outer surface of hair, protecting strands against future breakage and offering deep conditioning care.
- Product type: Mask
- Key ingredient: Hydrolysed elastin
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: While this might not technically be considered a protein treatment, it would be remiss not to mention this cult nourishing treatment. Containing hydrolysed elastin, a small protein fragment, the intensive conditioning mask helps improve elasticity, moisture and softness by penetrating the hair shaft. As a result, hair is bouncy, shiny and silky.
FAQs
How can I tell if my hair needs a protein treatment?
“Traditionally, salon protein treatments were marketed as smoothing or de-frizzing treatments for those with particularly coarse hair textures,” says Kingsley. “They coat and smooth the hair and can make it appear healthier and feel stronger — but they do not rebuild natural hair bonds or reverse internal damage at a molecular level like bond repair treatments aim to do.”
What’s the best protein type to use on my hair?
“There are a few types of treatments on the market that have evolved since traditional protein treatments,” Kingsley adds. “A traditional protein treatment was more of an in-salon treatment designed to deposit keratin or protein into the hair shaft to help fortify damage, fill in gaps in the cortex, and build strength. They were also more widely marketed as smoothing or de-frizzing treatments rather than damage repair, as they often required high heat to seal the treatment into the hair shaft.
A bond-building treatment works to target and reform broken disulfide bonds in the cortex of the hair shaft. These are very strong bonds that link adjacent keratin (protein) chains and give hair its strength and shape.”
She goes on to explain that other types of treatments use peptide molecules designed to mimic natural keratin protein segments and enter deep into the hair shaft. These are formulated to reconnect broken peptide chains (not just the bonds) and help restore the internal protein network of the hair.
Any kind of hair type or texture that benefits especially from using a protein treatment?
“To maintain hair health (quality and condition of your strands), anyone can benefit from a bond-building treatment as all hair textures are susceptible to damage, often caused by mechanical or chemical damage such as heat styling or colouring,” says Kingsley. “I would advise avoiding in-salon protein ‘straightening’ or ‘smoothing’ treatments using harsh ingredients or high heat. Whilst it may provide a desired cosmetic result, it may be more damaging to your hair in the long run.”
Anyone who should avoid using one?
If you experience scalp concerns or sensitivity, Kingsley recommends against a traditional protein treatment as they can often create irritation. They’re also best to avoid if your hair is over-processed and severely damaged.
How often should I use one?
“Everyone can benefit from using a bond-building treatment,” explains Kingsley, “but how often you need to use it will depend on the quality and condition of your hair. For virgin hair that hasn’t been colour-treated and uses little to no heat, once a month will help to maintain the strength of the older part of strands, such as mid-lengths to ends. However, if you have hair that is regularly coloured and heat styled, a weekly treatment would be advisable to maintain hair health and avoid breakage.”
What results can I expect and after how long?
According to Kingsley, most bond-building treatments will have immediate results, only increasing with cumulative usage.
Meet the expert
- Anabel Kingsley is a London-based trichologist at Philip Kingsley
