Hair glaze is the best option for you when you decide you have had enough of dyes on your hair, but you still want to get that shine that comes pre-packaged with the product. Hair glaze is touted as the best semi-permanent hair color option to bring your hair back to life with a shine and sheen that defies dullness.
More and more benefits come with the use of hair glaze, and you don’t need to worry about any harmful effects. If you are not interested yet, you should keep on reading to understand what these amazing products are about, how they work, and the benefits hair glaze can bring to your hair.
In this article:
- What Is Hair Glaze?
- Differences Between Hair Glaze, Hair Gloss & Hair Dye
- Benefits of Using Hair Glaze
- How to Apply Hair Glaze
What Is Hair Glaze and How Does It Work?
Hair glaze is an at-home hair treatment that uses water-soluble silicones to provide a semi-permanent color and shine to hair. Hair glaze can be clear or tinted, with the former working to boost the shine and the latter using color pigments to brighten the hair color and make it glisten. It isn’t a permanent hair care solution, since the effects of the glazing products will eventually fade out as you wash your hair multiple times.
In fact, hair glaze is one of the secret ingredients your stylist uses when you want a healthy and vibrant hair look without using hair dye. While it used to be just a salon treatment, now there are at-home hair glazes you can use all by yourself. It is excellent at sealing in your newly dyed hair color, maintaining its glossy look for a longer period of time.
Hair glaze contains ceramides, which are very active in protecting your hair from external influences, so pollution, sun, and chemicals would not be able to mess with your hair. Hair glaze is also very rich in moisturizers, all to make sure your hair is elastic, plump and nicely groomed.
It’s a fantastic product to try on all hair types, from color-treated to highlighted to virgin hair. Those with virgin hair will enjoy the use of hair glaze even more, as it will help to reduce frizz and soften your hair for a better feel.
Unlike dye molecules that have protein ingredients that embed into your hair and make them hard to get out, hair glaze contains ceramides. These active components work like ‘lamination,’ and some even called the product ‘temporary lamination.’
The ceramides go into the hair to seal off the cuticle and help with hair treatment. The surface of the hair becomes very smooth and bounces off light to create that exquisite shining effect that you see.
Differences Between Hair Glaze, Hair Gloss & Hair Dye
Hair glaze, hair gloss, and hair dye are three different terms that are usually used to mean the same thing. But they are in fact very different, and the effects they have on your hair are also distinct.
- Hair glaze is a semi-temporary color and gloss treatment that can be washed off using shampoo. It makes sure that your hair shines with the addition of ceramides to seal off the cuticles and create a laminated surface for your hair.
- Hair gloss, on the other hand, refers to a haircare product that goes right into the cuticle and does all the work from within. Hair gloss lasts longer than hair glaze with about a duration of four weeks when compared to the one to two weeks duration of hair glaze. Hair gloss can also change your hair a bit but cannot be compared to the amount of change caused by hair dyes.
- Hair dye is on a whole new level. It comes with ingredients to change the entire color of your hair. Proteins within its composition stick to your hair strands and turn it into whatever color the dye is. The treatment is also permanent, which means you can’t just wash it out quickly. Additionally, hair dye comes with strong oxidizers like peroxide mixed with ammonia, which is absent in hair glaze. When you use hair dye, your hair color only fades, but there is no total removal of hair color when you wash your hair. So while hair gloss and hair glaze can wash out within a month, hair dye tends to remain for as long as you want it to.
Benefits of Using Hair Glaze
Whether it is protecting your hair color, repairing hair damage or just making your hair shine and dazzle between salon visits, hair glaze is there for you. Hair glaze adds numerous benefits to make your hair perfectly healthy. Here are some reasons why you would love to add it to your hair care routine:
Hair Glaze Rejuvenates Hair Color
Although hair glaze doesn’t have the ingredients required to change your hair color or give your hair a deeper shade of its original color, it contains a much healthier component – the ceramides that create a beautiful reflective surface for your hair. This makes your hair shine and brings dull hair back to vibrant life.
Great Hair Treatment Between Salon Visits
If you don’t have the time to visit the salon regularly, then hair glaze is a spectacular way for you to keep your hair looking beautiful before your next salon appointment. The product works to make the beauty of your hair last longer while protecting it from environmental factors.
Softens and Repairs the Hair Strands
While some treatments attack your hair and make the strands break, hair glaze protects your hair by coating it and adding strength. It thoroughly conditions your hair and protects it from elements such as air, chemicals, and pollutants with the coated surface.
Gives Your Hair an Excellent Shine
Hair glaze, as the name implies, makes your hair glisten with a fresh-from-the-oven concept. It adds a clear and clean coat that evens out all the microscopic imperfection in your hair to make it look and feel good.
Easy-to-Use ‘Frizz Tamer’
Frizziness around the hair is indeed not a good look, and you don’t want that for your hair. So use hair glaze to tame that frizz and whip your curls into shape. When you use hair glaze, your hair cuticles can’t tangle, and your hairstyle is revitalized without much effort.
In addition, the more you use hair glaze, the better the effects for your hair. So, keep using them to get the best results.
How to Apply Hair Glaze
While getting your hair glazed at a salon will normally cost you anywhere between $30 and $100, you can enjoy all the hair glaze benefits spending less right at your home. Having read all the fantastic benefits you can get from using hair glaze, here is how you can apply it to your hair all by yourself, unless otherwise stated on the glaze package you have bought.
- Get Your At-Home Hair Glaze
Get your at-home hair glaze checking out our picks for the best hair glazes to buy!
- Wash Your Hair
The first thing to do before applying hair glaze is to make sure you clean your hair.
- Apply the Product
While your hair is still wet, apply the glaze with a color brush and make sure it gets on every strand of your hair. You should also focus on your hair roots and the tips.
If you are applying a tinted hair glaze, it is very advisable that you use gloves and make sure you thoroughly rinse any area of your hair covered by the tint.
If the glaze you are using is heat-activated or contains penetration enhancers, you might need to stay under the dryer and wrap your hair with nylon for it to be more effective. - Let It Sit
Leave it in for about 20 minutes and then wash out the product completely. Since hair glaze washes out quickly, you can try it once every two to three weeks.
In conclusion, hair glaze is not only good for bringing your hair back to life, but also it adds strength, beauty and a whole lot of other benefits to it. And what’s more, it saves you the time and money of having to visit the salon all the time. That’s pretty exciting, right?
Photos via @erin.mills, Instagram