Hair Treatments

What Actually Are Hair Treatments — And Do You Need One?

Right, let's clear something up straightaway. Hair treatments aren't just another marketing ploy to get you spending more in the beauty aisle. They're the heavy lifters of hair care — the products that go beyond daily washing and conditioning to actually repair, strengthen, and transform your hair from the inside out. Think of them as the difference between slapping a plaster on a scratch and getting proper stitches. One covers the problem; the other fixes it.

If your hair's been through the wars — heat styling, colour processing, chlorine from summer holidays, hard water that leaves everything feeling like straw — a decent treatment is what bridges the gap between "my hair looks fine, I suppose" and "my hair actually feels healthy." Not the same thing, by the way.

The Different Types (Because Not All Treatments Do the Same Thing)

Here's where most people get tripped up. They grab whatever bottle says "treatment" and hope for the best. But protein treatments, moisture treatments, and bond-repair treatments all do fundamentally different things, and using the wrong one can actually make matters worse.

Protein treatments — keratin-based, usually — work by filling in gaps along the hair shaft where damage has broken down the natural structure. Brilliant if your hair stretches like elastic when wet and snaps easily. Terrible if your hair's already stiff and dry, because you'll just pile rigidity on top of rigidity. That crunchy, brittle feeling people complain about after salon keratin jobs? Protein overload. Every single time.

Moisture treatments do the opposite. They flood the hair with hydrating ingredients — think shea butter, aloe vera, hyaluronic acid — and they're what you want when your hair feels rough, tangles at the slightest breeze, and generally looks about as lively as a Tuesday morning. Most people with naturally curly or coily hair live in this camp, though honestly, British weather alone is enough to leave anyone's hair gasping for moisture by February.

Then there's the new kid on the block: bond repair. Products with ingredients like bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate (the active behind Olaplex and its many imitators) work at a molecular level to reconnect broken disulphide bonds inside the hair. Sounds very science-y, and it is — but the results are genuinely impressive if you've overdone the bleach or spent years straightening daily.

How to Use Hair Treatments Without Overdoing It

More isn't always more. A hair mask once a week is plenty for most people. If you're using a protein treatment, once a fortnight at most — and always follow it with moisture. The two work as a pair. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling you something (probably more protein treatments).

Application matters too. Treatments work best on clean, towel-dried hair because there's no product buildup blocking absorption. Slap it on dirty hair over yesterday's dry shampoo and you might as well not bother. Concentrate on the mid-lengths and ends — that's where the oldest, most damaged hair sits. Your roots don't need it; they're brand new.

Leave-in treatments are a different beast. Hair serums and lightweight leave-in formulas are designed to stay on, adding a protective layer against heat and environmental damage. They're not replacements for a proper deep treatment — they're the daily maintenance alongside it. A serum after washing, a deep treatment weekly. That's the rhythm that works.

Ingredients Worth Looking For (And a Few to Avoid)

Argan oil gets all the glory, but there are plenty of hardworking ingredients that don't get nearly enough credit. Panthenol (vitamin B5) penetrates the hair shaft and holds moisture from inside. Squalane adds slip without greasiness. Rice water — yes, actual rice water — has been used across East Asia for centuries and there's proper research showing it improves elasticity.

What you probably want to dodge: silicones aren't evil (dimethicone gives gorgeous slip and shine), but if every product in your routine contains them and you never use a clarifying shampoo, they build up like layers of cling film. The hair looks coated and heavy, treatments can't penetrate, and you end up thinking nothing works. It's not the treatment that's failed — it's the buildup blocking it.

Alcohol is another one that needs nuance. Fatty alcohols like cetyl and cetearyl alcohol are conditioning agents — totally fine. Short-chain alcohols like denatured alcohol or isopropyl dry the hair out. Read the label. It takes ten seconds.

Picking the Right Treatment for Your Hair Type

Fine hair? Go lightweight. Spray treatments or thin milky formulas that won't weigh everything down. Thick, coarse hair? You can handle the rich buttery masks that would flatten someone else's hair within minutes. Colour-treated hair specifically needs bond repair and UV protection — colour molecules break down in sunlight, which is why your gorgeous salon shade fades to brass within weeks every summer.

Honestly, the best approach is to rotate. A moisture treatment one week, a protein one the next, and a bond repair once a month if you're regularly heat styling. Your hair's needs change with the seasons, your styling habits, and even your water supply. What worked in October might not cut it by March. Pay attention to how your hair actually feels rather than sticking rigidly to one product because some influencer swore by it.

Browse our collection from top brands to find professional-grade treatments at every price point, and keep an eye on our deals page — salon-quality treatments at high-street prices is the kind of win everyone deserves.