Best Leave In Hair Repair Treatment

The best leave in hair repair treatment is the one that matches how your hair got damaged. Bleach and colour, hot tools, and everyday wear each leave hair in a different state, and each needs a different kind of leave in. Pick the wrong type and you either see no change or end up with hair that feels worse than before.

Work out what kind of damage you have

Take a single wet strand and gently stretch it.

• It stretches a long way and doesn't spring back, or feels gummy. The inside of the hair is weak. This is usually chemical damage from bleach, colour, perms or straightening.
• It snaps almost straight away with very little stretch. The hair is dry and stiff. It needs moisture more than strength.
• It stretches a little and springs back. The hair is in fair shape. The rough feel is most likely just dry ends.

The main types of leave in repair treatment

Bond-building leave ins are made for chemical damage. Lightening and colour break bonds inside the hair, and these work on that inner structure rather than just coating the outside. If you bleach or colour often, start here.

Protein leave ins suit hair that's weak, stretchy and breaking. Use protein too often and hair can turn stiff and straw-like, so balance it with moisture.

Moisture leave ins come as creams, milks and sprays. They suit hair that's dry, rough and tangles easily but isn't snapping. Most heat-styled hair sits in this group.

Oils and serums smooth the outside and soften the ends. They make hair look and feel better on the day, but they don't rebuild anything inside. Use them as a finishing step, not as your only repair product.

Match the texture to your hair

Pick a weight that suits your hair, as well as a type that suits the damage.

• Fine hair goes flat under rich creams. A light spray or lotion on the mid-lengths and ends is the safer choice. See our picks of leave in treatment for fine hair.
• Thick, coarse or curly hair can take a richer cream. Compare the best leave in treatment for curly hair or, for looser patterns, leave in treatment for wavy hair.
• Frizz-prone hair needs moisture plus something that smooths. Start with our best leave in treatment for frizzy hair, or go to leave in treatment for dry frizzy hair if dryness is the bigger problem.
• Coloured hair needs repair that is gentle on the colour, so check the label says it's colour-safe. See our best leave in treatment for coloured hair.

If your hair has had a lot done to it at once, such as bleach on top of regular hot tools, go to the best leave in treatment for damaged hair.

How to use it

• Apply to towel-dried hair. On soaking wet hair the product slides off before it can sit.
• Start with less than you think. Work it through the mid-lengths and ends first, where the hair is oldest, and keep it off the roots unless the pack says otherwise.
• Comb it through with a wide-tooth comb so it spreads evenly.
• If you layer products, go lightest to heaviest: bond or protein first, then a moisture cream, then oil last.
• Judge it over a few weeks of washes, not one.

What a leave in can't do

Split ends don't join back together. A leave in can smooth them so they look neater for a while, but the only real fix is a trim. If the splits run high up the strand, get the trim first, then use a leave in to look after the new ends.

And if your hair is only a bit dry and has never been coloured, bleached or straightened, you may not need a repair treatment at all. A simple leave in conditioner can be all it takes.

Build the rest of the routine around it

A leave in does its best work as part of a routine. Use a gentle shampoo, sulphate-free if you colour, and conditioner every wash. Add a rinse-out mask once a week for damaged hair, then your leave in after each wash. AMR stocks bond, protein and moisture treatments from salon brands, so you can compare the types side by side, or shop all hair treatments in one place.

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