8 Olaplex Alternatives That Will Repair Your Damaged, Wrecked Hair

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Olalex is, without a doubt, the gold standard when it comes to damage-reversing haircare products, used for years in salons by professional colorists to repair and prevent chemical breakage. While Olaplex is now available to the public and reasonably priced (for high-end haircare, that is), it’s certainly not the only product in its class. Whether you’re looking for a cheaper Olaplex alternative to align with your budget or have given the line (there are now several products ranging from No. 1 to No. 7 in the range) a try with no visible results (but do be patient, because yes, bond-building treatments do take some time to work), there are plenty of other protein-rich formulas on the market to help you get your compromised strands back to a better place.

Who Should Be Using Bond Building Haircare?

So who should be using bond builder, anyway? Well, quite frankly, if you’re reading this, you probably do. If you’ve ever wanted to go lighter (or god forbid, platinum blonde), you probably already know that failing to protect your strands can lead to spongy, cotton-candy like hair, “chemical bangs,” or falling out altogether. Whether from bleach or abusing the heat tools a little too often, if you’re suffering from major breakage, using a protein-rich bond builder can be a game-changer in the journey to repairing the damage —and well, keeping the hair you have left on your head.

And trust me, I do feel your pain — after a trip to an inexperienced colorist left me with an ombre job gone horribly wrong, I tried to “correct” that mishap myself with a bleach and toner kit from Sally’s. You can imagine how that turned out, and if you can’t, spoiler alert: it wasn’t good, and I lost half of my hair in the process trying to attempt a DIY color correction. With the help of a ton of TLC and patience, my hair finally came back to life.

Jump to the Best Olaplex Alternatives to Repair Damaged Hair

Naturally, I’ve tried quite a few conditioners, leave-ins and bond builders (it’s all about that moisture/protein balance, y’all) during my long road to recovery, but after I recently attempted to bleach my own hair again, I decided to do some extra research to track down the best Olaplex alternatives according to in-the-know Redditors who’ve also tried it all. Scroll through below to find the best miracle-worker bond builders similar to Olapex products to help heal your compromised hair.