Is a bond treatment worth adding?
Start with what your hair needs.

Check the whole washing routine

Before buying, read when to apply it, how wet your hair should be, how long to wait and whether to rinse. Check when conditioner belongs. A pre-shampoo treatment and a leave-in treatment can require quite different washing routines.

Choose a benefit you can judge

Pick one goal, such as easier detangling or softer ends. Try one new treatment using its directions, keeping your other products and styling familiar where possible. Compare with your usual wash. Softness tells you how hair feels, rather than measuring repair inside it.

The repair claim is hard to judge

• Look for testing of the product you would buy, including the hair tested and the comparison used.
• An ingredient study or a result from a salon service may not apply to that bottle.
• Ask the brand if its explanation is unclear.

The extra step takes time and money

• Estimate uses per bottle from the recommended amount, then divide the price by those uses.
• Add any required shampoo or conditioner you’d need to buy.
• Count the complete wash and its waits when deciding whether it fits.

Your hair feels worse after trying it

• Leave the optional treatment out of your next wash and return to a familiar shampoo and conditioner.
• Check whether you missed a rinse or conditioning step.
• If a product stings or irritates your skin, rinse it off and stop using it.

Start with easier detangling

For rough or tangled lengths, start with conditioner and gentle detangling. Reduce tugging and frequent high heat. Check when conditioner belongs in the treatment’s washing routine before combining them.

Browse rinse-out conditioners. Your tangles, past treatments and preferred finish help guide a personal conditioner recommendation.

Compare the exact products

Compare each product’s directions, claimed benefit and cost per use. Check whether it adds a useful benefit beyond your usual conditioner. If your current routine leaves your hair easy to handle, an extra treatment is optional.

Read full product information in the library.

For a treatment used before shampoo

Use this method for a treatment applied to damp hair, left for its stated time, then rinsed before shampoo and conditioner. Check the bottle for wetness and placement. The illustrated steps separate each application, wait and rinse.

For a treatment left in after shampoo

Use this method when your bottle calls for shampoo without conditioner first, towel-dried hair and an undisturbed wait after application. Follow its amount and timing. Add conditioner or styling products afterwards only when its directions allow.