- If you are going to apply chemical processes to your hair such as permanent hair coloring, bleaching, or even straightening for your hair, you should use Olaplex 0, 1, and 2 in the salon. Then, Olaplex 3 at home.
- If your hair has medium to severe damage, you can use Olaplex 3.
- If your hair has moderate to mild damage, Olaplex 4, 5, 6, or 7 will be more than enough.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: How long does Olaplex last? How often is best to use it?
Olaplex is a complete hair restructuring treatment with several stages. It’s used in different treatments, or according to your hair’s health.
For example, if you’re thinking of bleaching your hair, you should use Olaplex 1 and 2 to avoid breakage or extreme dryness.
However, if you just want to touch up your color, Olaplex 2 will be more than enough.
Most of my clients ask me one question in the salon. Do you know what it is?
Yes, the same one you undoubtedly have right now. “Ale, can I use Olaplex 3 if I haven’t used Olaplex 1 and 2?”
The good news, both for them and for you, is that… you definitely can!
For example, if you want to restore your hair’s health because you flat iron it very often, (bad decision). You may notice that your hair is rough and dry. In that case, you can apply Olaplex 3 at home even if you haven’t used Olaplex 1 and 2.
If you even want to remove frizz or have dry ends, you can use Olaplex 4 shampoo and Olaplex 5 conditioner. They’ll make your hair look new in just a few applications.
YOU MAY ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: What is the difference between Olaplex 2 and 3?
As you can see, there are several options according to the process you want to perform and your hair’s health.
But to make everything clear, I’ll share with you the cases of several of my clients and how they use the different stages of Olaplex to restore hair health.
I’m sure that you’ll identify with some of the stories.
Tabla de Contenidos
Case 1 – Marta – About to bleach her hair for the first time – Olaplex 0, 1, and 2 in the salon, followed by Olaplex 3 at home.
Marta came into the salon with a frightened look on her face. She reminded me of the terror I had of clowns when I was a child.
The reason was understandable: she wanted to bleach her hair for the first time. Still, she was well aware that bleaching is a chemical process that inevitably damages the hair, no matter how professionally it’s done.
So, to reassure her, I explained that while it was true that chemical processes change the hair structure, we could include Olaplex in the bleaching process to repair the damage.
Of course, the cost would be higher, but her hair would benefit.
Marta evaluated the advantages and disadvantages and decided to include the Olaplex treatment in the bleaching process.
We would mix Olaplex 1 with the chemicals that are used for bleaching to create chemical bonds in the hair structure that are just the ones that break during the process.
Then, we would seal those new bonds with Olaplex 2, reinforcing them for healthy, bleached hair.
When we finished the process, Marta’s hair was healthy and without any trace of frizz. She immediately asked me for Olaplex 3 to continue the treatment at home.
So, if you’re about to bleach your hair, spare no expense. Ask your stylist to add Olaplex 1 and 2 into the process because your hair will be as good as new.
Now, Olaplex 1 and 2 can also be used in other chemical processes.
If you’re going to color your hair or get highlights, balayage, or even a drastic change of look like a perm or chemical straightening, you can also include Olaplex 1 and 2.
All these processes modify the structure of the hair by damaging it. If you include Olaplex 1 and 2, you’ll protect and regenerate the hair from the core to the cuticles.
So, the Olaplex stages will heal the hair from the damage caused by the chemicals in those processes.
What you should keep in mind is that if you apply Olaplex 1, you must use Olaplex 2. Otherwise, the treatment will be half done, and you won’t achieve good results.
You should also use Olaplex 3 if you invested your money in Olaplex 1 and 2. That way, you’ll be extending the effects of the treatment.
Case 2 – Susan – Abuse of the flat iron – Olaplex 3 to mitigate damage from heat tools.
Oh, Susan. How many times have I warned her about the damage that could be caused to her hair by the abuse of the flat iron!
Susan doesn’t straighten her hair once or twice a week. She uses the flat iron every other day. Of course, she also uses the hairdryer because the flat iron is used on dry hair.
Still, Susan doesn’t listen. She looks at me with an “I didn’t do it” face, and then she really does what she wants. They call it teenage syndrome.
One day, she came to the salon in despair.
Her hair was the messiest bird’s nest you can imagine. I couldn’t think of any hair mask to restore the lost moisture.
In this case, although her hair was quite damaged, there was no need to apply Olaplex 1 and 2 because we wouldn’t use chemicals in the process. She needed something strong and powerful.
I suggested she incorporate Olaplex 3 into her hair routine.
A week later, she visited me at the salon. Although I wasn’t surprised by the change in her hair because I know the effects of Olaplex 3, her grateful face said it all.
Although Olaplex 3 extends the effects of Olaplex 1 and 2, it also strengthens the hair by nourishing and smoothing it even if you haven’t used the previous stages.
You can use Olaplex 3 once a week or every ten days and you’ll notice the changes even if you’ve never bleached or colored your hair.
Mind you, this time I made Susan swear that she would use the flat iron less often, and I must say she did. She now straightens her hair once a week and keeps using Olaplex 3 to minimize damage from heat tools.
As she wants to recover her hair, she also incorporated Olaplex 7, which gives the hair heat protection up to 450°f.
This product is not rinsed out. It’s independent of the rest of the Olaplex steps, and it will leave your hair fragrant for days.
Now, if you don’t color, bleach, or use heat tools, but your hair needs care, you can also use Olaplex. How does that work?
The same way Carmen, the main character in our next story, did it.
Case 3 – Carmen – Careless hair – Olaplex 4 and 5 to restore hair moisture.
Unbelievably, in these times of influencers proclaiming drastic hair changes to the world, some people don’t give a damn about hair color and bleaching.
They’re happy with their hair color and type, so they don’t pay any attention to it. As if hair didn’t need care, but they’re wrong.
Don’t you have an annual medical check-up to know how your body is doing? Don’t you use body cream to nourish your skin?
It’s the same with your hair. You must nourish it. Even if you don’t dye it or bleach it, external agents such as the sun and wind, or even a few days of vacation at the beach, can damage it.
That was the case with Carmen, who thought her hair was unbeatable. When she came to me asking for ideas for a hairstyle for a party, my alarm bells activated at once.
To look great, her hair had to be healthy.
So, since the event was still several days away, in addition to proposing several hairstyle ideas, I gave her a challenge: to restore the health of her hair using Olaplex 4 and 5, replacing her usual shampoo and conditioner.
I know what you’re thinking. They’re just shampoo and conditioners. So, why would they repair her damaged hair?
Because it has the same active ingredient as the first stages of Olaplex. They’re active ingredients that repair your hair as you use it.
As they are for frequent use, if you wash your hair every two or three days you’ll notice an abysmal difference in just fifteen days.
The day I styled Carmen’s hair for the party, I could show off my artistic side. Also, her hairstyle actually looked much better because her hair had recovered the moisture lost during years of carelessness.
Finally, if you haven’t identified with any of these women’s problems so far, perhaps you struggle daily with the number one enemy of women’s hair: the dreaded frizz.
Don’t be discouraged. Olaplex has a solution for you too.
Case 4 – Maria – Hair full of frizz on humid days – Olaplex 6 to control frizz.
I always remember my grandmother and her bone pains on humid days. That oppressive feeling of heat in the air also affects your hair.
Are you tired of your hair frizzing on humid days as if you’d been electrocuted?
So was Maria. I think she came to the salon to get her hair straightened on high humidity days, just so her hair wouldn’t look frizzy.
The problem is that Maria loves her curls and straightening was a torment.
A solution for Maria and all women tired of fighting frizz!
Olaplex 6, an independent stage of the Olaplex repairing treatments that you can use to reduce frizz for 72 hours.
In addition to reducing frizz, it strengthens your hair and adds softness and shine.
Maria no longer straightens her hair on humid days because she applies a few drops of Olaplex 6 to her curls so frizz is a thing of the past.
Conclusions
Tell me what your problem is, and I’ll tell you which Olaplex stage to use. Each of them can be used for specific and different purposes.
Now you know which one suits your needs.