Hair gloss treatments are often met with confusion these days. What exactly does it do? How are they different than hair color? And why is everyone getting them? Don't worry, we wondered the exact same things.
That's why we spoke with Paul Cucinello of Chris Chase Salon in New York City about all the ins and outs of a hair gloss treatment. Once the smoke was cleared, we discovered that it's probably in your best interest to get one this fall (especially instead of getting regular color!). Here are nine things that make a hair gloss treatment different than a classic dye job... and why you definitely should consider getting one.
1. A gloss will repair any summer damage you have. Spent a little too much time in the sun and chlorine this summer? Cucinello recommends you get a gloss. "It actually repairs your hair and undos all that damage, so you'll feel a lot better," he says. The gloss will return texture and deep condition your strands for ultimate silkiness and shine.
2. It's not as harsh or permanent as regular hair color. "A gloss is very acidic and closes the hair and the cuticle real tight. The result is a very smooth surface texture that will reflect a lot more light and have a much softer feel to it," says Cucinello. On the other hand, regular color contains ammonia, which opens up the hair cuticle and deposits color into it, therefore damaging the hair.
3. A gloss provides translucent color and intense conditioning. A gloss will work with the variation of tone that you hair naturally has, allowing for a more subdued shade. "If you have gray hair and if you put a gloss on, it will have a very tonal effect as opposed to being one solid opaque color," says Cucinello. It also automatically makes your hair super shiny and smooth. "It will even reduce a little bit of frizz, and overall, your hair feels like you had a conditioning treatment and color done at once," Cucinello says.
4. It can help tone down highlights. If your highlights end up looking a little too brassy, Cucinello recommends getting a gloss treatment right after to tone down the color. "After every color in my salon, I finish the treatment with a gloss to lock the color in and to make sure that the tone is the exact shade that I want it to be," he says.
5. You don't have to change your natural hair color to get the benefits of a gloss. There's such thing as a clear gloss, which is essentially a powerhouse of a conditioning treatment for your strands. All you'd be doing is lowering the pH level of your hair and imparting extreme conditioning properties. Cucinello says there's no better in-salon clear gloss treatment like Goldwell.
6. It's a no-commitment change. "The best thing about it is there's no commitment to it and it's going to fade on its own (within six weeks). "And if you want to change your hair, it doesn't interfere with any type of chemical change you want to do in the future," says Cucinello.
7. You can do it at home. If you want to save some money, there are gloss kits sold at your local drugstore. Cucinello recommends Clairol's Shine Happy Clear Shine Treatment or John Frieda's Clear Shine Luminous Color Glaze. But Cucinello also advises that if you choose to do it at home, it's best to opt for a clear gloss and leave the colored glosses to the salon professionals. "I always suggest going into a salon at first," he says. "But if you do it at home, don't go too far from one shade or two from where you're [currently] at."
8. It's easy to maintain. Cucinello says all you need to do is use sulfate-free products that are made for colored hair and you should be good to go. His favorites are L'Oreal's EverPure products and Kérastase's Réflection shampoo and conditioner.
9. It's totally in for fall. According to Cucinello, this season's hair trends will be "all about really rich jewel tones." His advice: If you're a brunette, go for a rich honey or espresso brown. If you're a redhead, try a deep copper or auburn. And if you're a blonde, opt for a golden tone.
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