Your hair goes through a lot–from frequent washing and styling to exposure to environmental elements like pollution. But how do you know when it needs a targeted repair treatment or conditioning protection? We sat down with Casey Yee, professional stylist + K18 Senior Global Director of Education, to get expert insights on when to pick which for your hair and its specific needs. 

understanding the basics: repair vs. protection

No matter your hair texture, everyone can benefit from both repair and protection. Repair treatments are essential for correcting specific hair issues resulting from damage, such as environmental aggressors or chemical treatments like coloring and bleaching. Yee highlights that you can get damage for all sorts of reasons—even the simple act of styling your hair can contribute to it. This is where daily protection comes in to safeguard your locks from any potential damage. 

signs you a need a reparative treatment 

How do you know if your hair is crying out for repair? Yee suggests looking for signs like excessive dryness, breakage, or persistent tangling. 

“If your hair is tangling a lot that means that it's damaged. It’s essentially ripped apart, and those rips are catching on each other,” Yee explains.

Repair treatments, like the K18 leave-in molecular repair hair mask, focus on correcting specific problems, such as damage from environmental stressors like pollution or chemical treatments such coloring + bleaching. 

“Our K18 leave-in molecular repair hair mask has the patented K18PEPTIDE™ which uses biomimetic technology to permanently repair damage sites in the hair by mimicking a peptide that naturally exists in the hair but is lost when hair becomes damaged,” Yee explains. 

when you need daily conditioning protection

Whether you’re seeking a smoother finish, undergo frequent hair color changes, or need protection from environmental elements, everyone would benefit from daily conditioning protection. 

“The great thing about the DAMAGE SHIELD protective conditioner is that because it was designed to provide weightless conditioning, it can be used daily,” Yee explains. The nourishing and protective conditioner guards your hair against UV rays, daily mechanical styling, and environmental stressors. Using DAMAGE SHIELD protective conditioner is a proactive step in preserving the integrity of your strands.

In the salon, your K18 pro stylist will apply the K18 leave-in molecular repair hair mask first before sealing your hair with the DAMAGE SHIELD protective conditioner for added detangling and softness. 

“It's super important these products are applied in this order because otherwise, you will not get the maximum penetration of the K18PEPTIDE™  into your hair,” Yee says.