Olaplex - The ultimate damage insurance?!

[MINAKO]

So, while i was researching updates on straightening methods i drifted off to read about gentle bleaching (my mom is a bottle blonde)
An impressive picture of a girl who had her hair taken from level 2 to level 10 without any visual damage grabbed my attention and i learned about a new product called olaplex, which apparently prevents breakage from chemical processing. It is just added to the color and that seems to be it.
Before i get caught up in explaning some kind of chemistry i don't really understand myself yet, heres a few links

http://www.olaplex.com/
http://www.modernsalon.com/features/...267216761.html
http://behindthechair.com/displayart...ID=3801&ITID=1

Not that i would ever attempt to go platinum myself, but i find the concept an technologie interesting, maybe it's still better to have virgin hair but this stuff look like at least it does what it says. I really curious tho if this would work along with a straightening serve, but it unlikely as it strenghtens the bonds of the hair in the first place. However, it though it would be interesting for those of you who are interested in coloring their hair.

If any of you already used this and can tell about their expirience, or if there are any thoughts on the science behind it and why it would or would no work, please share.

[MINAKO]

I just found out that both steps of this product can be dilluted in water and used prior and after pretty much any chemical service to reduce damage.

Lol, it took me only a few minutes to remember that i wanted gunmetal grey hair not too long ago, but decided against bleaching at any costs.
Now i want to get this for my mom and at least expiriment with my shed hair.

[Zebra Fish]

I'm too lazy to read all that text right now, but from your posts sounds interesting. I'm not planning on using anything similar any time soon, but if it works, I could always suggest it to my friends. Waiting to see others opinion and probably gonna read more about it once I finally go on vacation.

[Firefox7275]

All I can see is marketing, no published research, ingredients, microscopy images nor scientific information? "Eliminating breakage" is a bold claim that I would be surprised could be backed up. Hair looking attractive to the naked eye isn't necessarily the same as being healthier/ stronger. Persulphate bleach and peroxide damage the protein structure in the inner cortex not just the outer cuticle.

Research suggests hydrolysed soy and wheat proteins have a modest protective effect against bleach damage, coconut oil *may* too (does reduce structural protein loss when used post bleaching). The name Olaplex makes me think oil, and one of the articles mentions silicones which are artificial oils.

Edited to add
http://www.google.com/patents/US20140102469
It all seems a bit anti-Scott Musgrave and his 'detox from plastics' ethos

[MINAKO]

Thank you for chiming in Firefox!
I have seen a few (pseudo?) scientific research resuts on other websited claiming the preserved quality of the hair.
To truly undestand the chemistry of it still is a bit beyond me. I would guess that they would want it to look all fabulous to the client tho and had bad expiriences with other products that claimed likewise properties.
But as a heavy cone user i don't support the "plastic coating" theory either. not-good-for-hair is very relative here imho. I do get build up, but not severe enough to block out other active ingredients or moisture at all. It really depends on the hairtype and wether one chooses to go with the all natural movement i guess. Personally i like the added weight tho, lol.
I'm kind of on the fence, because we all know bleaching isn't beneficial to hair in any way, but some people are going to do it anyways and at shorter lengths the product might still enable a process that would otherwise cause much more apparent damage.
Still it wuldn't be reason enough for me to use anything else but Henna and Indigo, lucky me i love dark hair. My search for the perfect permanent straightening service is another question, but before i am not entirely sure i would never try anything new ever again. Ruined my hair previously to just sit in the chair and trust the promises of a stylist about a certain product. I usually prefer to get my hands on something and expiriment by myself on safe ground first.

I discovered the Olaplex stuff because i follow one of their promoting stylists on Instagram. Guy Tang sure does beautiful coloring jobs.
I will leave the link to his and also the companies FB page.
https://www.facebook.com/GuyTangHairArtist
https://www.facebook.com/olaplex

Would be really great to get a personal review from somebody independent, who got their hair done and can actually compare and review about long term results.

[Firefox7275]

I'm glad you posted, as a science nerd who lightens their hair it was interesting to read about. I'm not in the 'silicones are the debil/ always damaging' camp either - I definitely think they have their place (esp. detangling/ reducing friction damage), and modest use won't block out beneficial ingredients or all water (= moisture) or hair would stay dry in the shower!!

However I do think heavy silicone build up can both cause and disguise problems, and that is from personal experience (pre-LHC). I also think this particular product sounds like it has things in common with a layer of plastic, based on my (limited) understanding of the chemistry and on industrial uses of UV cured silicones. Seems to me Olaplex is practically gluing damaged hair together, and the fact that higher vol peroxide is needed suggests this stuff is forming a poorly permeable barrier.

[MINAKO]

I'm really glad to have your opinion on this Firefox, because i noticed your profound knowledge in other threads already.

I always wonderer in fact how nuild up occurs problematic to one hairtype but not the other.
Of course i would probably go cone free too, if i wouldn't see any benefits to it, but yes all my products still work as hey are supposed to and my moisture levels are great now relating to my naturally-dry-as-the-desert hair.

I agree that it would make sense for the Olaplex to literally glue hair together with some sort of silicone that isn't sensitive to the peroxide or even activated by it's use.
If molecules are packed too dense it could indeed become a problem later on. The stronger peroxide needed makes up for dilluting the color also i guess. 1/4 part of the Olaplex takes away the intended strength of lets say a 40%vol and roundabout turns it into a 30%, just as some people use conditioner to turn down the strength of a developer when the don't want to buy a milder one. However, it's really interesting. I'm one of those people who never stop hoping fr the perfect lab created product, not so much when it comes to color but texture for my part.

[Firefox7275]

Build up is probably a function of hair type and condition (certain ingredients are attracted to negative electrical charges on hair/ damaged areas), how much of a given product/ ingredient is used and how many products in total, cleanser type amount and technique (some shampoo the lengths others only the roots, for example). It seems to be more obvious when fine hair has build up compared with coarse, and low porosity hair compared with higher porosity (often linked to damage).

[ravenreed]

It sounds intriguing but my main concern would be easy removal if it doesn't work well. Having dealt with a flaky, waxy build up from certain conditioners, I would hate to go through all that again! However, if I could bleach my hair without much damage that would be tempting. My hair is ridiculously resistant to lifting color.

[meteor]

Bumping this thread to find out if anybody has tried "Olaplex" (by Dr. Eric Pressly and Dr. Craig Hawker) or knows anything about the ingredients / technology used.

Oh, and MINAKO, they claim that it works for relaxers and "keratin" chemical straightenings, as well. My wild guess is that it would deposit some proteins and chemicals to bind them to hair or something, and that it would wear off over time unless reapplied, but I really have no clue at all how this "bond multiplier" works.

Somehow I can't find anything to suggest that Olaplex specifically uses the bonding of silicone polymers technology (which is currently the latest word in temporary "split-end mending" technology, I believe), mentioned up-thread. Could someone please link to that? It simply claims: "Olaplex is free of silicone, sulfates, phthalates, DEA, aldehydes, and is never tested on animals. Olaplex reconnects broken disulfide sulfur bonds in the hair. Hair bonds are broken during thermal, mechanical and chemical services." Reviews by hairdressers do look very impressive in terms of its effect on severely damaged hair, so I'm extremely curious about the technology used.