What Is a Hair Gloss Treatment? (2024)

We all want hair that shines bright like a diamond. If your strands aren’t as glossy as you’d like, trust us, you’re not alone. There are plenty of factors that can contribute to dullness, like regular bleaching and coloring, heat damage, stripping shampoos, and hard water. With so many elements conspiring against your hair, no wonder it isn’t always gleaming like the manes we see in shampoo commercials. While products like hair masks, hair oils, and hair bonding treatments can help nurse your hair back to health over time, there is an overnight shortcut to achieving strands so glassy that you can almost see your reflection in them: hair gloss.

“Glosses typically help with shine and even tones,” colorist Lucille Javier of New York's Mark Ryan Salon says. Basically, the product is a multi-tasking treatment that toes the line between a dye and a deep conditioner; in one session, it can bestow upon your hair unbelievable shine and a temporary color change without fully processing it again. You can get a hair gloss treatment at your colorist’s salon, but there are also plenty of products that allow you to get the effect from the comfort of your home.

Before diving into any new hair product, especially when you’re trying it for the first time at home, it’s always a good idea to do your research. Luckily, we’ve done the homework for you. We consulted Brad Mondo, founder and creative director of XMONDO, and Javier to learn everything from how hair gloss works to how often you should use one. Discover our comprehensive guide below.

Hair gloss is a temporary fix that coats the hair and seeps into the cuticle in a way that can improve both the health of your hair and its shade. “An at-home hair gloss is typically a semi-permanent hair treatment that adds shine and benefits the overall health and softness of your hair,” says Mondo.

“Semi-permanent gloss is typically a professional product of pigment mixed with developer. Direct dyes have just pure pigment and stain the hair,” Javier says. She also notes that there are many types of hair glosses, which can be mixed to adjust your specific hair color. How often you use a hair gloss depends on the lightness or darkness of your color. As always, it’s best to check with your colorist to determine your gloss treatment frequency.

While hair gloss is great for dyed- or chemically-treated hair, there are perks to glossing virgin hair, too. “A gloss can be clear or colored, depending on your desired result,” says Mondo. “You do not have to color your hair to use a gloss. If you use a clear gloss, it will not color your hair. It will only add shine and benefit the overall health of your hair.”

“Yes, for sure!” Javier says. “If you don’t have much grey, there are ways to blend in your color. Blondes can get away with glossing their hair in different tones, even if it’s just the ends. Also, if your hair is light enough, you can just deposit tone [to color correct].”

A gloss can help “fine-tune” a shade to be more even, dark, or brighten the existing color. When done in a salon, “it’s mixed specifically for a client and their needs," she adds. “I have clients who enjoy coming in for a gloss more frequently because of the high shine and the subtle difference in the hair.”

Though she advises you to ask your salon for the best recommendations, Javier broke down the following suggestions for dyed hair:

Red/strawberry blonde: “Red is one of the colors that fade very fast. Glosses [should be] more frequent depending on how saturated the color is. Dark red or auburn hair tends to need less color, while strawberry blondes need more upkeep.”

For dark/ light blonde: “Depending on the tone of hair—think of silver-blondes or very pale white—glosses tend to be done more frequently.”

For darker hair: Javier says dark tones “can get away with coloring hair less often.”

To determine which gloss is best for you, “you must first understand what your priorities are,” says Mondo. “Are you trying to cancel the warmth in your hair and make it ashier? Trying to go darker? If so, then you’re going to want to go for a colored gloss that has the desired result you’re looking for. However, if your only desire is to add shine and make hair look healthier, then a clear gloss is great for you.”

Anyone can reap the benefits of a hair gloss, no matter how straight, wavy, or curly your hair is. If lustrous locks are your goal, this treatment will be a huge help in getting you there.

Javier says that your glossing cadence depends on how complicated the color is, but every four to six weeks is a good rule of thumb. “The more you gloss, I believe you hold a higher standard to the color,” Javier claims.

“[The treatments] last about a month, using color safe-conditioner and using cooler temperature water keeps the color in longer,” says Javier. Generally, salon glosses will last a little longer. “When it comes to doing a clear gloss at home, typically they’re semi-permanent, while in the salon, they’re typically demi-permanent and mixed with a developer. Demi-permanent glosses or glazes can last longer because they penetrate slightly into the hair, whereas an at-home gloss lays on top of the hair,” says Mondo.

Quite the opposite, actually. Hair glosses not only improve the appearance of hair health through improved shine and hydration, but most also include ingredients that nourish weak or damaged hair.

Yes! “You can definitely get a great glossing treatment at home,” says Mondo. “This is a fairly simple process, especially when using a clear gloss. All it takes is a quick wash of your hair, then apply the gloss and rinse it after about 20 minutes or as directed. It’s foolproof and as easy as using a traditional hair conditioner. I recommend our XMONDO Super Gloss because it has incredibly beneficial ingredients.”

“When it comes to doing a colored gloss, the main difference is that at a salon, you will get a mixed formula custom to you and applied by an expert. You do not get that kind of customization at home, and you will end up with a more generic color.” But, when you use the right at-home product, “you’ll notice a massive increase in shine and strength in your hair post-treatment.”

Brad Mondo is a celebrity hairstylist, influencer, and founder of the haircare line XMONDO.

Lucille Javier is a New York-based colorist at the Mark Ryan Salon.

As a leading publisher of fashion, lifestyle, and beauty content, ELLE.com is committed to highlighting the best products in various categories by personally testing the latest and most innovative products, interviewing countless experts, and vetting customer-loved items. For this piece, beauty writers Lauren K. Tappan and Carol Lee spoke with trusted hair experts and conducted research to find out more about hair gloss. They also searched the internet for hair glosses, perused reviews for dozens of popular options, and evaluated each on their features and customer reviews.

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