What trauma do you expose your hair to? Colour treatments, heat-styling, environmental wear and tear, chemical treatments, over-washing or brushing, and even getting older all take a toll on your strands. You’re likely to notice this damage in the form of split ends, breakage, a dry scalp, frizzy strands or hair that looks dull and thin. But it’s the damage you don’t see that is the real root of the problem.

The latest science shows stronger, healthier looking hair depends on strong bonds — structures that connect strands of peptides called keratin to support hair’s strength, shine, elasticity, volume and smooth appearance. Unfortunately, daily routines like blow drying, flat ironing and washing hair can all compromise bonds, as does colouring or chemically treating hair, sun damage and changes as you age.

The good news is the right bond-building hair care products can strengthen hair, improve smoothness and manageability, repair split ends and reduce breakage. In fact, we’ve tested products shown to achieve results like these in just one use! Keep reading to find out how.

TYPES OF HAIR BONDS & WHY THEY BREAK

There are 3 primary types of bonds in your hair. Even though all 3 bonds contribute to the overall strength of your hair, some are more abundant than others. As it happens, the most abundant bonds are also the most fragile. Here’s what you need to know about how bonds affect your hair and what causes them to break:

Hydrogen bonds are broken by exposure to heat or water, including daily washing and heat styling. This damage shows up as visible hair breakage, split ends and frizz. Because hydrogen bonds are the most abundant of all the hair bonds and the most easily broken, building new hydrogen bonds is priority number one for stronger, smoother looking hair.

Ionic bonds, also called salt bonds, are broken by changes in pH levels. Changes in pH can be attributed to external factors, like hard water in your shower or the hair products you use — including semi-permanent hair colour, or internal factors like changes in your diet. Like hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds can break easily, and ionic bond maintenance should be prioritised for a more manageable mane.

Disulfide bonds, a type of covalent bond, are the strongest hair bonds and the most resistant to breakage. Typically, disulfide bonds only break when exposed to strong chemicals, like those found in chemical hair straighteners or perms or in bleach used to lighten hair colour.

In addition to these three types of bonds, the amino acid chains — or peptides — that comprise keratin protein also play a role in hair’s overall healthy appearance. Bonds connect keratin strands together like horizontal rungs on a rope ladder, while peptides form long chains that comprise the vertical “rope” on either side of the rung.

With this new understanding of where hair damage really happens, it’s no surprise bond-building hair care products are popping up in your social media feed, big box beauty stores and your salon, but does all the bond buzz live up to the hype?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN BOND-BUILDING HAIR CARE PRODUCTS

Some hair care products claim to build all 3 primary types of hair bonds, but the reality is that most frequently, bond breakage occurs only to hydrogen and ionic bonds on a routine basis.

A product that claims to repair disulfide bonds may offer little benefit if your disulfide bonds aren’t already broken. In other words, you might be paying for ingredients you don’t need. In fact, most chemical treatments that break disulfide bonds happen in the salon, where your cosmetologist or hair stylist is likely already taking steps to repair broken disulfide bonds before you leave their chair.

Every hair care routine should focus on building new hydrogen and ionic bonds — the most abundant and fragile bonds — while maintaining all 3 types of bonds, regardless of whether you have visible hair damage. What’s more, because maintaining strong bonds and peptides is essential to fuller, thicker looking strands, it’s important to seek out science-backed products that deliver both bond multiplying ingredients and peptides for a 360˚ approach to stronger looking hair.

COLLAGEN/HA MATRIX® + BOND MULTIPLYING TECHNOLOGIES: A 360˚ Approach to Stronger Hair, Backed by Science

Modere CellProof MicroBond™ Hair System features FiberHance™ Bond Multiplying Technology and BioCell Collagen® CG backed by Collagen/HA Matrix® Technology, providing a 360˚ approach to stronger and healthier looking hair. In addition to these two award-winning, patented ingredients, CellProof MicroBond Hair System is formulated with nourishing botanicals and works not only to help maintain strong hair bonds, but also to build new hair bonds for strands that are up to 3X stronger.*

The Modere CellProof MicroBond Hair System works so well, in just one use it is tested to:

  • Increase manageability and smoothness by 89%*†
  • Significantly repair split ends by 86%†
  • Decrease breakage by 63%†

Plus, helps deliver these key benefits:

  • Builds and supports strong hair bonds
  • Clarifies, hydrates, moisturises and conditions
  • Helps balance the scalp surface
  • Promotes fuller, thicker looking hair
  • Helps seal hair cuticles
  • Promotes hair elasticity and shine
  • Reduces frizz

So, what’s the secret?

FiberHance, shown to reinforce damaged strands up to 3X stronger than untreated hair, creates new hydrogen and ionic bonds and targets even the most miniscule hair damage not visible to the naked eye. Its unique micromolecular structure, derived from glucose, works to both build and support the most abundant and fragile hair bonds.*

Meanwhile, Bio-Optimized™ BioCell Collagen CG delivers collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate to support healthier looking hair with its unique, single-source matrix that nourishes and hydrates the entire hair strand as well as the scalp.

To boost the benefits of FiberHance and BioCell Collagen CG in Modere CellProof MicroBond Hair System, science-backed botanicals yerba santa, pea peptide and panthenol help increase hair volume while protecting bonds to reduce visible hair breakage for strands that look thicker and fuller without weighing hair down.

Want a closer look at each formula? Here’s what you can expect with the Modere CellProof MicroBond Hair System:

Modere CellProof MicroBond™ Shampoo clarifies and hydrates hair with a clean-rinse formula fortified with chlorella, laminaria and biotin to help balance the scalp. It builds new bonds for up to 3X stronger looking strands, promotes fuller and thicker looking hair, and purifies and hydrates the scalp surface, simultaneously targeting the appearance of excess oil and a dry scalp with every wash.* What’s more, it also helps protect against environmental damage and visible hair ageing.

Safe for all hair types, even colour-treated hair, Modere CellProof MicroBond Shampoo is gentle enough to use daily yet cleans deeply enough to support less frequent washing. To use, massage onto wet hair and scalp, then rinse thoroughly.

Paired with Modere CellProof MicroBond Conditioner, CellProof MicroBond Shampoo is the first step in building strong hair bonds and supporting existing bonds and keratin protein to promote fuller, thicker looking hair with less breakage.

Modere CellProof MicroBond™ Conditioner helps seal damaged cuticles and repair breakage and split ends without weighing hair down. It builds new bonds for up to 3X stronger looking strands, promotes fuller and thicker looking hair, and delivers squalane to smooth the entire hair strand, helping reduce frizz while increasing manageability and shine.*

This ultra-moisturising, clean-rinse formula is perfect for all hair types. It even protects against oxidative stress from environmental damage and helps maintain colour treated hair. To use, massage through clean, wet hair. For deep conditioning, leave in for up to 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

Paired with Modere CellProof MicroBond Shampoo, CellProof MicroBond Conditioner is the second step in building strong hair bonds and supporting existing bonds and keratin protein to promote fuller, thicker looking hair with less breakage.

Shop Modere CellProof MicroBond Hair System

Whether you have visible signs of hair damage or are looking to maintain strong bonds to keep hair looking its best, Modere CellProof MicroBond Hair System helps build and protect bonds like never before with two award-winning, patented technologies tested to deliver noticeably healthier looking hair in just one use. Make the switch to the new generation of clean beauty for hair that looks as vibrant as you feel. And for beautiful skin head to toe, explore the full Modere CellProof line.

*Compared to untreated hair using fibre fatigue testing.

†Based on lab tests on European medium brown human hair samples. Smoothness results comparing CellProof MicroBond Hair System to non-conditioning shampoo, 8 hair samples. Split end results comparing untreated hair before and after, 50 hair samples. Breakage results compared to non-conditioning shampoo, 10 hair samples. Results after one use. November 2022, New Jersey, USA.

FiberHance™ BM solution is a trademark of Ashland. BioCell Collagen™ CG is a trademark of BioCell Technology, LLC.