The Proper Way to Olaplex Treat Your Hair
Olaplex has become a buzzword in hair care, and for good reason. Its technology actually repairs damaged hair instead of just masking the problem. But here is the thing. Most people are using it wrong. They skip steps, leave it on too short, or treat it like a conditioner when it is not. If you are not seeing the results everyone raves about, your technique is probably the issue.
I'm Bri, a stylist at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield. I recommend Olaplex constantly, but I spend just as much time correcting how people use it as I do recommending it in the first place. Let me tell you about a client who thought Olaplex did not work for her until we fixed her routine.
When Olaplex Does Not Seem to Work
A client named Tasha came to me frustrated. She was a 29 year old social media manager in Bloomfield who had been using Olaplex No.3 for months with no noticeable improvement. Her hair was still dry, still breaking, still feeling like straw. She was ready to give up on it entirely.
"Bri, everyone says Olaplex is life changing but I do not see it," she said. "I use it every week and my hair is still damaged. Either it does not work or my hair is beyond saving."
I asked her to walk me through exactly how she was using it. She applied it to dry hair with product in it. She left it on for ten minutes while she scrolled her phone. She rinsed it out and called it done. No shampoo after. No conditioner. Just rinse and go.
That was the problem. She was skipping critical steps and not giving the treatment enough time to actually work. Olaplex is not a quick fix you can rush through. It requires the right preparation, enough processing time, and proper follow up. Once we corrected her technique, she finally saw the results she had been missing.
What Olaplex Actually Does to Your Hair
Before we get into the steps, it helps to understand what Olaplex is actually doing inside your hair. This is not a conditioning treatment. It is not adding moisture or coating your strands to make them feel softer. It is doing something completely different at a molecular level.
Your hair contains bonds that hold everything together. When you color, bleach, heat style, or expose your hair to environmental damage, those bonds break. Broken bonds are what make hair feel weak, stretchy, gummy, and prone to snapping. Traditional conditioners smooth the outside of your hair to make it feel better temporarily, but they cannot repair those broken internal bonds.
Olaplex contains a patented ingredient called bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate that actually reconnects broken disulfide bonds inside the hair shaft. It is working on the structure of your hair, not just the surface. That is why it requires time to work and why you need to shampoo it out after. It is a treatment, not a leave-in product. For more on how bond repair works, check out my blog on The Truth About Bond Builders & Treatments.
Tasha had been treating Olaplex like a quick conditioner when it needed time to actually penetrate and repair. No wonder she was not seeing results.
Step 1: Prepare Your Hair First
Before you even open the Olaplex bottle, you need to address any product buildup on your hair. If you have oils, silicones, dry shampoo, or styling products in your hair, they create a barrier that prevents Olaplex from penetrating properly. The treatment cannot repair bonds it cannot reach.
Tasha had been applying Olaplex to hair full of dry shampoo and texturizing spray. All that product was blocking absorption. No wonder she was not getting results.
Start with a light clarifying shampoo if you have buildup. Shibui Clarifying Shampoo removes product residue without stripping your hair completely. Then towel dry your hair until it is damp but not dripping. You want your hair clean and slightly wet for the best absorption.
Step 2: Saturate Your Hair Completely
Apply a generous amount of Olaplex No.3 to your towel-dried hair. Do not be stingy. You need enough product to saturate every strand. If you have Olaplex No.0, apply that first and wait ten minutes before layering No.3 over it. No.0 is a primer that helps No.3 work even more effectively.
Comb the product through your hair to ensure even distribution. Every strand needs to be coated. Tasha had been applying a small amount to just the ends and hoping for the best. That is not enough coverage for a full treatment.
The Olaplex Royal Family Pack includes No.0, No.3, and all the follow-up products you need for a complete treatment system. It is more cost effective than buying everything separately.
Step 3: Give It Time to Work
This is where most people mess up. The minimum time is ten minutes, but minimum does not mean optimal. If your hair is damaged, you need longer. Much longer. The more compromised your hair, the more time Olaplex needs to repair those bonds.
Tasha was doing ten minutes and expecting miracles. I told her to leave it on for at least 30 minutes. Ideally 45 to 90 minutes if her hair was as damaged as she described. Some people sleep in it overnight with a shower cap for maximum results.
The longer you leave Olaplex on, the more effective it becomes. There is no such thing as leaving it on too long. It is not like bleach where timing is critical. More time just means more repair. Put on a shower cap, watch an episode of something, and let it work.
Step 4: Shampoo It Out Completely
After the waiting period, rinse out the Olaplex treatment thoroughly. Here is the part Tasha was skipping entirely. You must follow up with shampoo and conditioner. Olaplex is not a conditioning treatment and it is not meant to be left in your hair. It needs to be washed out.
Use a gentle sulfate-free shampoo like Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo to cleanse without stripping the repair work you just did. Follow with Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner to add moisture and seal the cuticle.Tasha had been rinsing with water only because she thought shampooing would wash away the benefits. Actually, the repair happens during the treatment time. The shampoo removes the product while the bond repair stays in your hair. Skipping shampoo just leaves residue that makes hair look dull and feel heavy.
Step 5: Style as Usual
Once you have completed the treatment and your shampoo and conditioner routine, style your hair as you normally would. You should notice a difference in how your hair feels immediately. Stronger, more elastic, less prone to tangling.
Tasha called me after her first proper Olaplex treatment. She was shocked at the difference. Her hair felt stronger when wet instead of gummy. It did not tangle as badly when she combed it. The ends that had been snapping off were holding together. All because she finally used the product correctly.
For extra protection during heat styling, add Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil before blow drying. It provides heat protection up to 450 degrees while adding shine and reducing frizz.
Who Should Use Olaplex
Contrary to popular belief, Olaplex is not only for people with severely damaged hair. It works on all hair types whether your hair is virgin, colored, textured, or highly compromised. The treatment repairs bonds that break from everyday damage like heat styling, sun exposure, and environmental stress. Even healthy hair has some degree of bond breakage.
That said, Olaplex is a reparative treatment, not a conditioning treatment. If your hair is genuinely healthy with no damage, you do not necessarily need it. But if you color your hair, use heat tools regularly, or have any signs of damage like breakage, dryness, or lack of elasticity, Olaplex can help.
Tasha colors her hair every eight weeks and heat styles daily. Her hair absolutely needed bond repair. For hair as compromised as hers, I recommended using Olaplex No.3 two to three times a week initially, then dropping to once a week for maintenance once her hair improved.
Your Olaplex Questions Answered
Can I leave Olaplex on overnight?
Yes. There is no maximum time limit. Some people get their best results from overnight treatments with a shower cap. Tasha started doing this once a month and saw even more improvement. Just make sure you shampoo thoroughly in the morning.
Why does my hair still feel dry after Olaplex?
Because Olaplex is not a moisturizing treatment. It repairs bonds but does not add hydration. You still need conditioner and potentially a moisture treatment in addition to Olaplex. Tasha added a weekly deep conditioner alongside her Olaplex routine and that combination addressed both strength and moisture.
How often should I use Olaplex?
For damaged hair, two to three times a week until you see improvement. For maintenance, once a week is usually enough. Tasha started at three times a week and now does once weekly since her hair has recovered significantly.
Make Olaplex Part of Your Routine
Olaplex is a versatile and effective treatment, but only if you use it correctly. Tasha spent months thinking it did not work when really she was just rushing through the process and skipping steps. Once she gave the treatment proper time and followed up with shampoo and conditioner, she finally understood why everyone raves about it.
Turn an ordinary day at home into a spa day by doing a proper Olaplex treatment. Give yourself 45 minutes minimum. Watch something. Relax. Let the product actually work. Your hair will thank you.
If you need help figuring out the right Olaplex routine for your hair, book a consultation. I can assess your damage level and recommend how often you should be treating and which products to pair with it. Follow me on Instagram @themanebri for more tips.
Book at The Warehouse Salon in Fairfield at 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 1, Unit 3 by calling 973-500-4536.
Olaplex works. You just have to let it.
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About the Author
Brianna Thompson
Brianna is a highly skilled and licensed cosmetologist, stylist, and color expert at Studio 360 Salon in Chatham, NJ. She possesses a thorough understanding of hair products and the science behind hair and hairstyling.
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