If you’re dealing with dullness, the good news is that it’s reversible. But before we get into the exact products that solve this common hair concern, let’s discuss what causes dullness in the first place.
Why does it matter? Because as with split ends and frizz, prevention is key. Discover the science behind dull hair, how it happens, and what you can do at home to help boost shine from the inside out.
what causes dull hair?
Just like other hair concerns, dullness is caused by cumulative damage to the hair. This could be from chemical services, daily mechanical and heat styling (think: brushing or blow-drying), exposure to environmental aggressors (like UV rays and pollution), or all of the above. These factors can ultimately harm the overall structure of the hair, which includes up to three layers: the cuticle, the cortex, and for some, the medulla.
The cuticle—or outermost part of the hair—protects the inside cortex from these aforementioned damaging elements. When it’s healthy, strands appear smooth and shiny. When it’s damaged and the cortex gets exposed and hair becomes susceptible to concerns like dullness, breakage, frizz, and split ends.
“When the cuticle wears away completely from damaging elements, there’s nothing to protect the rope-like system of keratin chains, peptides, and disulfide bonds of the cortex,” explains Fraser Bell, K18’s Head of Advanced Research. “This further impacts its properties and can lead to breakage and splits that also contribute to the hair looking dull.”
Bell adds that when the cuticle is smooth and intact, it reflects light better, making hair look soft and shiny. But when it’s damaged and chipped away, it scatters light making the hair appear dry and dull.
The bottom line? Keeping the hair cuticle healthy is your ultimate ticket to combatting dullness.
can dull hair be fixed?
We always say prevention is super important because it’s always more difficult to reverse damage once it’s already occurred than to prevent it. However, thanks to K18-patented biotech—it’s possible to repair damage and revive dull hair.
“Prevention is better than a cure, but the K18PEPTIDE™ in our leave-in molecular repair mask and molecular repair hair oil repairs, smooths, and helps protect from future damage,” says Bell. “These two products can also help increase shine and overall vibrancy of the hair over time.”
No matter what type of stress you put on hair, the K18 mask works on the molecular level to reverse damage from bleach + color, chemical services, and heat in just 4 minutes.* It works immediately and over time to restore the hair’s strength, softness, smoothness, and bounce, so you’ll notice even better results with continued use.
Similarly, our hair oil works from the inside out to address the deeper-level damage that leads to dullness. It’s not only clinically proven to repair damaged hair, but also to increase shine by 104% and reduce split ends by 78%.* As if that wasn’t enough, it provides 24-hour frizz control and heat protection up to 450°, too*.
All of this to say: if you’re seeking a lasting solution to dull hair—K18PEPTIDE™ has you covered. Minimizing daily damage may be hard, but reversing it doesn’t have to be.
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