We’ve all been there. You leave the salon with snazzy bleached hair highlights, bouncy permed hair, or a gorgeous new colour, only to see your hair lose its lustre in days. Or, you spend an afternoon about town in Singapore and come home to frizzy hair akin to a bird’s nest. Thankfully, Eric Pressly, an inventor of the haircare brand Olaplex, is back with his new brand Epres. It harnesses his pioneering “bond building” technique to mitigate hair damage. The secret? Disulfide bonds.
How do hair bonds – specifically, disulfide bonds – work?
Within our hair’s internal structure are various types of bonds. Hydrogen bonds help maintain the hair’s moisture level, for example, and salt bonds contribute to its elasticity. Disulfide bonds, meanwhile, are what hold together keratin, a natural protein that provides strength and shine to hair. When hair damage happens, whether it’s through bleaching, using hot styling tools or environmental elements like the sun and heat, disulfide bonds break. Interestingly, disulfide bonds are the toughest to repair among these three types of bonds.
Eric Pressly believes that healthy, luscious locks start with addressing the breakage of disulfide bonds. That’s precisely what the two hero products of the Epres range, the Bond Repair Treatment and Professional Bond Repair, are created for. (And both are now available in Singapore!)
Breathe new life into dull bleached hair and permed hair
The Bond Repair Treatment is perfect for repairing damaged hair at home that frequently undergoes chemical treatments like bleaching and perming, as well as straightening, blow-drying or exposure to hot, humid conditions.
It’s a lightweight yet replenishing formula that comes in a handy spray bottle – a few spritzes are all you need. The product contains active ingredients and liquid molecules that penetrate deep into the shaft to nourish your hair. In just 10 minutes, you’ll find your hair is glossier and smoother. It’s also free of silicon, fragrance and preservatives, and is designed to keep your hair strong both before and after harsh processes.
Repair bleached hair and hair damage right at the salon
But what if you’re keen to minimise hair damage during the bleaching and perming? That’s where the Professional Bond Repair, designed especially for salons and hairstylists, comes in. This treatment can be mixed in with bleach, dye and re-texturising formulas without disrupting the hair’s pH levels – a leading cause of damage.
Our review of Epres’ Professional Bond Repair for coloured or bleached hair
Expat Living’s editor-in-chief Rebecca Bisset recently tried out the treatment – here’s what she had to say!
“I used the Professional Bond Repair when I last did my blonde highlights, and my hairdresser was really impressed that it was so easy to use and there was no breakage. You simply put the mix into the colour so it cuts down on one extra step of treatments. Since then, my hair has had a lovely sheen to it, and looks much healthier. I’m going to start the home version soon!”
– Rebecca Bisset
Epres’ Bond Repair Treatment and Professional Bond Repair are available for purchase online at epres.com and at these salons: Chez Vous, MOD Hair Salon, Blow+Bar and more.
Are you looking to spruce up your hair style? Check out our list of top hair salons in Singapore and read more stories like this in our Fashion & Beauty section!