When it comes to finding the right product for your damaged hair, it can feel overwhelming with the number of products on the market. Flat irons, curling irons, hairdryers, bleach and colour can damage the integrity of your hair, resulting in making your hair drier and weaker.
When it comes to hair restoration, Fanola and Olaplex are both among the top brands in the industry. The debate begins however when you compare Olaplex vs Fiberfix.
Which one might be better for your hair?
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The Science Behind Your Damaged Hair
Hair is made up of a fibre protein called Keratin and chemical bonds such as Disulfide bonds which create the texture of your hair. With colour and bleach treatments your hair cuticle will become injured and will expose the inner layer of your hair follicle.
When your hair becomes damaged, disulphide bonds break and your hair will lose its shine and become more fragile.
That's why products like the Fanola Fiberfix and Olaplex range are important. They work to restore the nutrients that have been stripped from your hair. The Fiberfix range was created with amino acids to help seal and repair this damage to your hair bond and nurture the keratin levels within your hair to build more sulphur bonds.
The Olaplex Range
Olaplex is designed to be used in combination with salon treatments and can be brought for at-home use. The Olaplex Bond Multiplier is designed to repair damage to your hair and create a barrier to protect you from further damage.
Olaplex is typically used when changing dye colours and doesn't contain sulphates, hemp, parabens, formaldehyde or phthalates. However, Olaplex can typically be on the more expensive side of the market when compared to its competitors.
Olaplex treatments are often used when hairdressers do not offer a protection treatment after a colour or heat appointment themselves. Their leave-in products make it easier for home use if you have long-term colour, heat or chemical damage.
The Fiberfix Range
Fiberfix, comes from the Italian brand Fanola. The Fanola Fiberfix professional range uses restructuring products to alleviate damage with a long-lasting healthy result.
Fanola Fiberfix is a restoring treatment for hair that has been coloured, bleached, permed or straightened and its formula penetrates the chemical process to deliver stronger and shiner hair.
Fiberfix helps to multiply the keratin bonds to strengthen your hair and builds more sulphur bonds to repair your damage. With an ultra-concentrated, plant-based amino acid technology, the Fiberfix range has science on its side to provide longer-lasting results.
With products like the bond fixer, bond connector and shampoo, you will find it easy to repair your hair with Fanola's treatments. The Fiberfix range is best used as a three-step process, starting with the Bond Fixer, then the Bond Connector and finally the shampoo to lock in the colour and provide cuticle protection.
From the tips to the base, Fanola's Fiberfix nourishes your hair to give it plumper and a healthy shine. Fiberfix also comes in an easy-to-use professional intro kit and isn't as expensive as Olaplex.
Fiber Fix Review
Let me tell you that my hair was a disaster a few months ago and the word 'disaster' is an understatement. I felt like my chaotic life needed no explanation other than for you to just take one look at my hair. It's the sort of hair you see and think: Girl, get your shit together!
I had Fiberfix applied to my hair in two sessions with my hairdresser Leiyah.
Session 1: Leiyah was able to lift my hair in the first sitting to a level 7-8 as I had some stubborn bits in my hair. It is always harder with coarse Asian hair to lift so this was expected. How my hair felt afterwards was amazing! It was so soft and silky that I didn't even feel like I had stripped my hair at all. Leiyah then applied an ash tone over my hair.
Session 2: Two weeks after the first appointment, I sat my second session with Leiyah where we were able to lift my hair to a level 8-9. I loved the grey colour my hair was after the toner was applied and how healthy my hair still felt after the process.
I think results speak for themselves when people comment on how great and healthy your hair looks. So many people were telling me how much they loved my hair and how soft and shiny it felt even after bleaching.
The Comparison
Fanola and Olaplex may both be designed for damaged hair replenishment but they also differ in their results and methods.
Professional Application or At-Home Use
It's recommended that the Fanola Fiberfix Bond Fixer is applied in the salon to get the best results after your treatment. The Fanola Bond Fixer is a reforming product that won't alter your final colour or lifting power, won't change your mixing ratios and won't add additional steps, leaving you with a normal processing time and a shine and colour that lasts.
The Olaplex Intensive Bond Builder helps to prime your hair as a take-home product for protection and strength. This is suited to all hair types and can be used two to three times a week.
Application Timing
Fiberfix sealing cream is ideal to use after a perm or straightening process and for coloured and lightened hair. This cream is designed to use after the colour is rinsed off and should be massaged into the hair, combed and rinsed out after 5 minutes.
The Olaplex Bond Smoother works to protect hair against frizz and colour damage and can be applied to damp or dry hair. This Olaplex product is an at-home leave-in treatment.
pH Levels
Fanola shampoo has a pH of 4.3-4.7. It locks in colour, protects your hair and builds long-lasting shine.
The Olaplex shampoo has a pH of 6-6.5 and works to reduce frizz in your hair. Fanola offers salon-quality treatments that can be built on for the best results, session after session.
Alternatively, many of Olaplex's treatments are for at-home use after your salon appointment, so can cost a bit more.
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What Olaplex and Fanola FiberFix Have in Common
Despite their differences, both Olaplex and Fanola also have a few things in common. They both have a desire and goal of creating products that nourish and rebuild damaged hair.
Both Olaplex and Fanola also target the repair of keratin bonds and resealing of the structural bonds to produce hair that is healthy and strong. Both Olaplex and Fanola are cruelty-free in their ingredients and testing and achieve a high-quality product.
What is Best for Your Hair?
No one wants to have damaged, dry or frizzy hair and brittle hair should never have to be a compromise for colour.
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The good news is that both products are effective and will help repair damaged hair after a colour change or other treatment. Both brands have engineered quality products that will help promote healthy hair.
Have a chat with your hairdresser for their recommendation on what could be good for your hair.
Do you have a favourite out of Olaplex and Fiberfix?
