Important Hair Care Tips For Your NBR Hair Extensions
March 1, 2021
An Olaplex treatment is a bond-building service that repairs broken disulfide bonds inside the hair using the patented ingredient Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, rebuilding strength from the inside out rather than coating the surface. At Light Styling in Longmont, Colorado, we use it during color and extension services to protect fragile, damaged hair. I'm Shannon, and as the first Colorado-certified NBR stylist, I reach for Olaplex whenever I'm working on hair that needs a little extra care. Let me walk you through exactly what it does, who it helps, and why the in-salon version matters.
Your hair holds its shape thanks to three kinds of internal bonds: hydrogen bonds, salt bonds, and disulfide bonds. The disulfide bonds are the strong ones, the internal scaffolding that keeps each strand resilient. When those bonds break, hair starts to feel weak, stretchy, and dull. An Olaplex treatment works by relinking those broken disulfide bonds, which is a different job entirely from a conditioner that simply smooths the outside of the strand (Source: OLAPLEX Inc., https://olaplex.com/blogs/news/the-science-of-hair).
This is what I love about explaining Olaplex in plain English: it is not a filler or a coating. It is a repair.
Olaplex uses a single patented active ingredient that travels inside the strand and reconnects the disulfide bonds that have been broken by chemical services, heat, and everyday wear (Source: Lab Muffin, https://labmuffin.com/how-does-olaplex-hair-treatment-work/). Because it works from the inside out, the improvement is structural rather than cosmetic. That means the strength you feel is real, not just a temporary softness that rinses away at your next wash.
Not everyone needs an Olaplex treatment, and I'll always tell you honestly if I think your hair is happy as is. But there are a few situations where it makes a genuine difference.
Lightening is the single hardest thing we ask hair to do. Every time we lift color, we're breaking disulfide bonds, and that's where damage begins. Using Olaplex during a color or highlight service helps protect those bonds as we work, so you leave with the shade you wanted and hair that still feels like hair. In a panel test of 50 women, 92 percent felt their hair had less damage and 96 percent felt it was more conditioned after using Olaplex (Source: Lab Muffin, https://labmuffin.com/how-does-olaplex-hair-treatment-work/). Those are the kinds of results I see across my color chair.
If you're a daily hot-tool user, or your hair has been through years of color, keratin, or perms, the disulfide bonds have taken repeated hits. This is the classic candidate for a bond repair treatment. When hair snaps easily, feels gummy when wet, or refuses to hold a style, that's often broken bonds talking. Olaplex gives us a way to rebuild strength before we do anything else.
Healthy hair is the foundation of beautiful extensions, which is why bond health matters so much to me. Before and during a hand-tied weft install, I want your natural hair as strong as possible so it can comfortably carry the wefts. If you're considering hand-tied weft hair extensions, Olaplex is one of the tools I use to keep your own strands in top shape underneath. It's part of my whole anti-damage philosophy.
For hair that is already compromised, bond repair is one part of a longer plan. I describe the whole approach in hair extensions for damaged hair.
Here's the honest breakdown I give every client. The Olaplex products you can buy and use at home, like No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5, are maintenance. They're wonderful for keeping bonds healthy between visits, and I genuinely recommend them. But they are not the same as the professional in-salon steps.
Think of the salon treatment as the heavy lifting and the at-home numbers as keeping that progress steady. You can browse the products I trust in my shop if you want to build a simple home routine.
In my Longmont chair, Olaplex rarely stands alone. Most often, I'm weaving it into your color service so I can protect and rebuild bonds in the same appointment we're lifting or depositing color. That pairing is where I see the biggest difference: brighter, cleaner color and hair that still feels healthy afterward.
I also use it around extension services. Because I care so much about the health of your natural hair, keeping bonds strong under your wefts is a priority for me. If you're weighing your options, my guides on how much NBR extensions cost and the differences between hand-tied vs machine wefts will give you a fuller picture of how I approach healthy, long-lasting extensions.
My promise is always the same: zero pressure and total honesty. If your hair doesn't need a bond treatment, I'll say so.
Between visits, your home routine keeps those results going. Mine is here: how to care for NBR extensions at home.
Ask yourself a few simple questions. Does your hair feel weak, stretchy, or brittle? Are you about to color, lighten, or add extensions? Has heat or chemical processing left it feeling rough or fragile? If you're nodding along to any of these, an Olaplex treatment is worth a conversation.
And here's my honest evidence note: Olaplex is well studied and the science behind bond repair is sound, but no single treatment undoes years of damage in one visit. It's a tool, and a very good one, used as part of a thoughtful plan for your hair. That's how I like to use it: realistically, and always in service of long-term hair health.
Bond repair and smoothing solve different problems. If frizz is your main frustration, read about a Brazilian Blowout in Longmont.
What does Olaplex do?
Olaplex repairs broken disulfide bonds inside the hair using a single patented active ingredient that works within the strand (Source: Lab Muffin, https://labmuffin.com/how-does-olaplex-hair-treatment-work/). Rather than coating the surface like a conditioner, it rebuilds the internal structure that gives hair its strength. The result is hair that feels stronger and healthier from the inside out.
Is Olaplex safe for color-treated and lightened hair?
Yes, and this is one of its best uses. I mix it into color and lightening services specifically to protect bonds as we work, which is why so many clients feel less damage afterward (Source: Lab Muffin, https://labmuffin.com/how-does-olaplex-hair-treatment-work/). It lets us reach beautiful color while keeping hair resilient.
Can I use Olaplex with hair extensions?
Absolutely. Keeping your natural hair strong is essential when you wear wefts, so I use Olaplex to support bond health before and during extension care. Healthy foundation hair means happier, longer-lasting extensions.
What's the difference between salon and store Olaplex?
The in-salon professional steps are concentrated bond-repair treatments I apply during your service, and they deliver deeper repair than anything you can buy off the shelf. The at-home numbers, like No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5, are for maintaining those results between visits. You need both for the best outcome.
How often should I get an Olaplex treatment?
It depends on your hair and your goals, but many clients get the in-salon treatment alongside each color service, roughly every four to eight weeks. If your hair is very damaged, we may do a few closer together at first. I'll build a schedule that fits your hair during your visit.
If you're curious whether an Olaplex treatment is right for you, I'd love to take a look and talk it through in person, no pressure at all. Come book a free consultation and we'll make a plan that keeps your hair strong, healthy, and looking its best.
