"Bond repair" is one of the most overused terms in hair marketing — and one of the most misunderstood. Here's the actual science, the actual product we trust, and how to use it at home.
The Science: What Are Hair Bonds?
Your hair gets its strength from millions of disulfide bonds — chemical connections between sulfur atoms that hold the protein structure of each strand together. These bonds give hair its elasticity, the way it stretches without snapping.
Three things break these bonds: chemical processing (color, bleach, perm), heat (hot tools, sun exposure), and mechanical stress (over-brushing, tight ponytails, towel-drying wet hair).
When bonds break and don't reconnect, hair becomes brittle, breaks easily, and loses its ability to hold a style. Bond repair treatments are designed to chemically reconnect those broken bonds.
What Bond Repair Actually Does
Real bond repair is not the same as conditioning. Conditioner coats the outside of the hair cuticle with moisture and smoothing agents. Bond repair penetrates the hair cortex (the inside) and uses small molecules to chemically reconnect broken disulfide bonds.
The result is hair that's structurally stronger — not just smoother on the surface. You can feel the difference: damaged hair before bond repair feels mushy or stretchy when wet; the same hair after bond repair feels resilient.
Why We Use Epres
We've tested most bond-repair systems on the market. Epres is the one we keep coming back to. Developed by Dr. Eric Pressly — the chemist who co-invented the original bond-repair technology — Epres uses a patented form of maleic acid that's smaller and more bioavailable than competitors.
What that means in practical terms: it works in less time (10 minutes vs 20+), penetrates more deeply, and the results are more durable through repeat washes.
We use Epres in salon as part of our color services and recommend the at-home Bond Repair Treatment as a once-weekly maintenance step. Shop the Epres Bond Repair Treatment →
How to Use Epres at Home
The at-home treatment is straightforward — but the timing matters.
When You Need Bond Repair (And When You Don't)
- 01If you're a regular color/balayage client, you need it. Color services break bonds — bond repair maintains structural integrity between salon visits.
- 02If you use a heat tool more than 3x per week, you'd benefit. Heat damage is cumulative.
- 03If your hair feels mushy or overly stretchy when wet, that's classic bond damage. Bond repair will help.
- 04If your hair is virgin (no color, no chemical processing) and you don't heat-style heavily, you probably don't need it. Save your money for moisture treatments.
- 05Bond repair won't fix split ends — only a haircut does that. It does prevent new ones forming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Epres better than Olaplex?
They use related but distinct chemistry. Epres was developed by the same chemist as the original Olaplex No.3 and uses an updated form of the active ingredient. Both work; Epres tends to penetrate faster and require less time. We use Epres as our salon standard.
How often should I do bond repair at home?
Once a week is the sweet spot for color-treated or chemically processed hair. Twice a week is fine for severely damaged hair during a recovery period. Daily use isn't recommended — bond repair isn't a moisture treatment.
Can bond repair fix split ends?
No — only a haircut removes split ends. Bond repair prevents new ones from forming and reduces breakage that creates the appearance of split ends.
Does bond repair work on virgin (uncolored) hair?
It can help if you use heat tools heavily, but most virgin hair doesn't need it. Save the cost for moisture and protein treatments instead.
Where can I buy Epres in Wisconsin?
Ann Michael Collective in Elkhart Lake is an authorized Epres retailer. We carry the at-home Bond Repair Treatment in salon and online with U.S. shipping.
Maintain the Work We Do in Your Chair
If you're a color client at our salon (or anywhere), Epres is the at-home maintenance step that protects your investment. Once a week, ten minutes, real structural difference.
Shop Epres → Book a color appointment