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If you’ve been searching for something (anything!) to tame your frizz and undo years of damage, you might look to a hair gloss treatment for healthier hair. These buzzy products are a “quick, safe way to add instant shine,” Elena Ruiz, a hair colorist at Voel Hair Studio in New York City, tells SELF. That may seem too good to be true, but scroll through TikTok and you’ll find plenty of before-and-afters to convince you that a single bottle can provide an intense shine that no hydrating mask, serum, or oil seems to match. Yep, even for folks with dry, split ends or super-curly hair.
Whether you’re tempted to buy an at-home treatment or book an appointment at your local salon, the appeal is undeniable. But while a gloss can fool others into believing you’ve magically mended your strands, the real question is: Can this service actually repair damage, or is it just a cosmetic fix? In other words, is a hair gloss treatment for healthier hair even a thing? We asked experts (including dermatologists) what these hair products can and can’t do.
What does a hair gloss do, exactly?
Most hair transformations (like dyeing, bleaching, relaxing, or perming) work by opening the outer layer of your hair (a.k.a. the cuticle). That way, the product can penetrate deeper into the hair shaft, Uchenna Okereke, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Boston, tells SELF. While this can lead to desired results that last, it can also weaken your strands over time, leading to split ends, damage, dryness, or brassiness.
A gloss, on the other hand, is a semipermanent treatment that sits on top of the hair, coating each strand with conditioning ingredients and sealing moisture in for a sleek finish, Dr. Okereke explains. The smooth surface helps light bounce off your hair more easily, she adds, creating a glasslike sheen that should last four to six weeks—though your mileage may vary depending on how often you shampoo, what kind of gloss you use, and whether you hit up a pro for the job.
“Think of it as a top coat, like when you get your nails done,” Ruiz says. As a bonus, some glosses are pigmented, so they’re perfect for anyone hoping to enhance the vibrancy of their natural hair color.
So will it actually make your hair healthier?
A gloss can definitely make hair look silkier. But no, it won’t fix any existing damage, Lindsey Zubritsky, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Premier Dermatology and Skin Cancer Center in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, tells SELF. That’s because, as we mentioned, these treatments only coat the surface—so it’s really more of a short-term cosmetic improvement.
As for improving dryness: While some glosses contain helpful hydrators (like silicones, amino acids, and glycerin) to soften dry ends, these ingredients can’t penetrate deep enough to reach the inner structure of the hair where damage (like weakened hair cuticles and split ends) actually exists. (For that kind of result, Dr. Okereke says you’d need to regularly use more protein-based and conditioning products designed to penetrate the hair shaft’s broken bonds and “glue” them back together for that true, strengthening effect.)
Don’t be discouraged though. Glosses are still considered one of the “healthier” treatments out there, since they have a lower pH (around four to six) compared to alkaline formulas of bleach and dyes. “At baseline, our hair is on the acidic side,” Dr. Zubritksy explains. “So using acidic products can help maintain its natural pH balance, which keeps the cuticle closed and smooth”—whereas when the outer layer is lifted, your strands become more vulnerable to issues like dryness, brassiness, and breakage.
Even better, glosses are formulated without harsh chemicals like ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, which weaken keratin (the protein that keeps your strands strong). So not only are they safe to use on all hair types (straight, curly, wavy, thin, even damaged), but all the experts we spoke with agree they’re actually recommended for folks struggling with heat damage and flyaways (since again, the main selling point of a gloss is boosting shine).
As a bonus, pigmented color glosses (as opposed to clear glosses) are considered healthier alternatives to constant dyeing, Dr. Zubritsky adds. What’s great about these semi-permanent treatments is that they don’t chemically process your hair like traditional hair dyes, making them both safe and effective. That said, glosses can’t make dramatic changes—like switching from dark to light and vice versa—and the tint will eventually fade, she cautions. So you might be looking at a bit more upkeep. But if you want to enhance your natural color (say, turning dull, dark brown into a richer chocolatey shade or adding reddish undertones to blonde hair) while avoiding the pitfalls of color-treated hair, a gloss is a low-maintenance way to do just that.
How do you use a hair gloss treatment?
First, you’ll want to decide between doing it yourself and hitting up a pro. “Glosses at a professional salon tend to last longer since they’re typically made with higher quality ingredients that aren’t always available on the commercial market, and they can be tailored to your unique needs,” Dr. Zubritsky explains. According to Ruiz, pro colorists can also pair these services with more moisturizing salon treatments to give your hair that extra oomph.
Depending on the salon, glosses typically cost between $75–$100, Ruiz says, with the entire process taking about an hour (after which, you should notice an immediate difference). But there are tons of great, at-home options available at most beauty retailers and drugstores too. Ruiz shared a few of her personal favorites below.
In general, the DIY process is straightforward: Apply the gloss on damp (not dripping wet) hair, let it sit for the recommended time, then rinse everything out. As for how often you should use it, every four to six weeks is the sweet spot, all three experts agree—whether you’re seeing a pro or doing it in your own bathroom. That’s because glosses, no matter how gentle, can build up over time, since they sit on top of your head, which Dr. Zubritsky explains can potentially irritate your scalp or weigh your hair down.
Another risk to consider, while rare, is that some people may experience an allergic reaction to glosses—which is why it’s important to do a patch test on your forearm before applying it to your whole head (especially if you’ve got a sensitive scalp).
With all this in mind, though, “it’s important to set realistic expectations,” Dr. Zubritsky says. In other words, don’t bank on your split ends magically disappearing overnight, or years of heat damage suddenly reversing. Remember, glosses aren’t a miracle fix, but they are a quick, low-risk way to give dull, dry hair a temporary glow-up.
Related:
- I Really Hate My Short Haircut. What Can I Do?
- I Tried the TikTok Micellar Water Hack to Refresh My Oily Hair—Here’s How It Went
- So You Might Be Doing Dry Shampoo Wrong, According to Dermatologists
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