Olaplex hair treatment- Anyone tried this? As good as they say?

[nearlyovertherainbow]

Hi,

Am having my hair coloured, but it's quite damaged (friggin ghds) and my hairdresser suggested Olaplex. I googled and it sounds really good. Hoping the hype is true.....

Is it?

[PitPatKitKat]

I've used the at home treatment and also had highlights done using the add-to-colour system.

Short answer is that the at home one is brilliant, the add-to-colour one is ok but not brilliant.

Let me know if you want the long story behind the short answer...

[nearlyovertherainbow]

Pit, thanks. Long version please

[PitPatKitKat]

So, I've never had highlights because I thought they would wreck the condition of my hair. Saw olpalex at hairdresser and thought, hmm, this could be the very thing...

Thought I would try the at home treatment first and then, if that was any good, go for highlights.

The at home treatment is by far and away the best conditioning treatment I have ever used. Absolutely hands down. It is brilliant. It's about £20 a bottle, but at one treatment a week that'll do 2/3 months depending how long your hair is. So a bit pricey but ok.

So trotted off merrily to have highlights with olaplex done. Extra cost on top of highlights is £45 so I was pretty much expecting a miracle. And I have to say I was a bit disappointed.

I only went up a shade or two (i.e. no bleach) and there is a definite difference in the condition of my hair. My hair was pretty much undamaged when I started (no straighteners/curlers/blow dries).

Now, the highlights haven't wrecked it, but I had hoped to be able to gradually go up another wee bit with the next set of highlights . I.e. gradually get blonder, and that would mean the next set would contain a bit of bleach. I think doing that would mean my hair would get damaged.

And olaplex is marketed as giving you the ability to go lighter/push your colour more than you have done before. Don't get me wrong, it would mean my hair being in better condition than if there was olplaex. But not undamaged, and not enough of a difference for £45, well not for me. And I don't think it would make a big enough difference for serious lightening.

So the add-to-colour treatment is ok, it will make a bit of a difference, but it's not a miracle. Especially not at £45. If it was £25 or £30 extra I would have thought it did an ok job.

The at home treatment if fantastic (especially if you leave it on ages). If I could afford to use the at home treatment 3 times a week as my normal conditioner, that plus the add-to-colour treatment in with highlights, I would say that would do it overall. But that would just bring the cost up too high.

I can see how if someone has been getting their hair lightened for years and is willing to accept the damage that causes anyway, then tries this and sees a huge difference. And then decides to push up a few shades and gets back to the level of damage they were used to anyway, but with lighter hair.

[QueenMolotov]

I'm interested too as my hairdresser has recommended it. He said I could have it added to my usual colour treatment, but that I'd see better results if it was used as a stand-alone treatment.

[PitPatKitKat]

*I meant it would be in better condition than if there was no olaplex, but not undamaged.

[nearlyovertherainbow]

Pit, thanks for all the useful info! Is it full of chemicals? Or is it just an intense conditioner? It's just that, I used to use a Brazilian hair smoothing treatment, but whereas it worked, it made my eyes stream and made me feel sick whilst I was applying it, so thought it made sense to stop using it in the end So I'm reluctant to use anything too harsh and chemically.

[PitPatKitKat]

Not that chemically, just a souped up conditioner really.