I'll be the first to admit I have a ton of split ends. I can think of two explanations. The first is that my hair has always been naturally dry. That's not an excuse—I swear it's a thing. Long before I ever started coloring or styling my hair, I remember going to get a haircut in middle school. The stylist ran her fingers through my hair and exclaimed, "Whoa, we're long overdue on a deep condition!"
The second explanation is that now, in my late 20s, I do in fact color my hair. I get partial highlights every few months or so. Even though I'm only bleaching bits and pieces, my hair doesn't handle it well. Within a few days post-bleach, I inevitably see dullness, breakage, and split ends pop up.
When this happens, I start using strengthening hair products, and more specifically, bond-building hair products. The latter have high-tech formulas that target and repair any weak chemical bonds in the hair strands. This creates stronger hair that has less damage, breakage, and split ends. While I've tried my fair share of them and I have a few favorites, there's a new one that's been making a major difference in the state of my hair. In fact, it only took one use for me to see and feel a difference. Ahead, see the product in question. Plus, see a few before-and-after pictures that prove its efficacy.
Here it is. The Epres Bond Repair Treatment was developed by Eric Pressly, Ph.D., who holds more than 100 patents in bond-repair technology. It has a patented formula that promises to repair hair in just 10 minutes. Simply pour a treatment concentrate into the bottle (the kit comes with two); spray it onto dry, unwashed hair; let it do its thing for at least 10 minutes; and then hop in the shower and shampoo and condition per usual. It couldn't get any easier.
How It Works
Impressively, the formula is composed of only four ingredients, and they're all vegan and biodegradable.
According to celebrity hairstylist Matt Rez, the ingredients target and repair broken disulfide bonds that are deep in the hair structure. These bonds can break due to chemical, mechanical, and environmental damage, so this is a holistic hair-strengthening treatment. The best part is that it doesn't stop working after you wet your hair. The brand claims it continues to repair the hair for hours, even after the hair is dry.
"It takes just one step to see stronger, healthier hair with Epres," Rez says. "Epres is acid-free, which means it won’t disturb the pH of any chemical services." That means it's safe to use on all hair types, including "straightened, relaxed, permed, blow-dried, bleached, or colored" hair. "It's even safe to use on extensions," he says.
My thin, chemically processed hair is basically the poster child for damage. I'm talking about dullness, breakage, roughness, split ends, and every other less-than-ideal adjective you can come up with. Obviously, I had to try this product. The first time I used it, I followed instructions by saturating my dry, unwashed hair with the spray bottle, waiting 10 minutes, then shampooing and conditioning as normal.
The Proof
This is after one use (yes, really). In the first picture, you can see that my hair looks rough and straw-like by the way the ends don't lie flat. It lacks that silky, shiny quality I yearn for, and it generally just needs a little help.
The second picture was taken after I used the treatment, shampooed, conditioned, let my hair air dry, then brushed it out. It looked completely different. The most notable difference was the texture of my hair. For once, it didn't feel dry and rough; it felt smooth and silky. My split ends looked less numerous, and I didn't have to fight each strand with a heat tool to get it to lie nicely. I could obviously still see some frizz and breakage, but for only one use, I was impressed. According to Rez, it's not just my imagination. As he puts it, "You'll see results after just one use."
Here's a close-up look at the ends of my hair; I'm hoping this displays the transformation in texture. Before using the Epres Bond Repair Treatment, my ends were dull and rough. While it's almost impossible to photograph split ends, I had so many of them. After using the treatment, I still had split ends, but they were less obvious and the ends of my hair didn't poke out like they did before. I'm telling you, it really made a difference.
Since then, I've used it a few more times (the brand recommends using it once or twice a week), and the results have only gotten better. I'm going to continue using it in the hopes that it gets rid of my split ends for good. I finally feel like I'm on my way to healthier hair.
10 Other Hair-Strengthening Products I Love
Not only is this rich and creamy hair mask infused with coconut cream, mango butter, and banana to moisturize and strengthen hair, but it smells incredible. Trust me, this will turn your shower into a spa-like experience.
I use Olaplex too. This hair oil has been a go-to of mine for over a year. It increases shine and softness without a heavy or greasy residue.
This iconic hair mask is a personal favorite of mine. It uses a bevy of plant oils to moisturize and strengthen damaged hair. Every time I use it, my hair feels so soft afterward.
While I love the aforementioned hair mask, I think this one might be my favorite from Briogeo. It's protein-free, so it only gives my hair much-needed moisture. My dry hair basically drinks it up.
I'm a hard-core believer in silk pillowcases. If your hair is damaged and tangle-prone like mine, you need one. It reduces friction and keeps hair smooth and styled overnight.
I love this shampoo. It doesn't strip moisture from my hair and scalp, and it's not overly fragranced, yet it still washes away oil and residue.
Don't forget the matching conditioner. It moisturizes and promotes growth with Tsubaki seed oil and beetroot extract. I like that it doesn't weigh down my fine hair.
Part of Verb's new collection, this bonding mask promises to strengthen and repair hair with an amino-bond complex, a marine botanical blend, mafura butter, and manketti seed oil.
I swear this drugstore product has made a difference in the state of my damaged hair. It's lightweight, so you can leave it in overnight. I like to use it after heat styling for an extra kick of moisture. (And it's on sale!)
An easy way to improve hair health is to apply an oil before shampooing. I like this one, which is also from Fable Mane. It strengthens roots and strands, hydrates the scalp, and treats damaged hair. So, yeah, it does everything I need it to.
