A hair gloss treatment penetrates hair's cuticle to deposit color, while glazes only coat hair's surface.
If you want a quick color pick-me-up, a hair glaze is the best choice, as it helps remove frizz. A gloss is a long-term fix if you have lackluster hair. While hair gloss and glaze can be used at home, they also have the potential to change hair color completely.
Hair glazes coat the outer layer of hair, adding shine and subtle color enhancement for 1-2 weeks. Hair glosses penetrate the cuticle, offering longer-lasting results (4-6 weeks) and more significant color impact. Both treatments boost shine, reduce frizz, and improve overall hair appearance.
Cons of a Hair Gloss
"Do not put a light pink over dark brown hair and expect to emerge with a pink tint. Glosses will not lighten your hair," says Heemskerk. They also can't cover gray hair (you need conventional dye to do that), but they can be used to make silver strands more vibrant.
Hair glazes can be used to play around with different colors before fully committing, change an unwanted hair color, or cover gray hair. In addition, glazes act as a deep conditioning treatment, with benefits similar to a hair mask.
Using natural ways to cover grey hair can make it look good and help nourish it. You can try remedies like coffee and chamomile tea. These options provide different shades and support healthy hair. Give these gentle choices a try instead of chemical dyes.
SUBTLE COLOR CHANGES
By adding a gloss, your stylist can tone down that yellowness and add in a new hue. So, the hair will still be blonde, but the gloss will allow your stylist to make the color either more golden, ashy toned blonde or any other variation they choose!
So not only are they safe to use on all hair types (straight, curly, wavy, thin, even damaged), but all the experts we spoke with agree they're actually recommended for folks struggling with heat damage and flyaways (since again, the main selling point of a gloss is boosting shine).
How Long Does A Glaze Last? Because of the gentler formula, hair glaze treatments are unable to penetrate the hair shaft, and as a result, have a limited lifespan. Typically, a glaze will last one to two weeks, depending on the number of times the hair is washed.
Gloss+ is great at giving hair a boost of color and shine, but it's not formulated to permanently cover gray, whether all-over or just the roots. Our Root Touch Up Kits are great to instantly cover gray roots.
If you opt for an at-home hair gloss, Perkins says that you can expect to pay around $30 for a bottle or tube of gloss. If you choose to make an in-salon gloss appointment, Kandasamy says that it typically costs between $50 and $100 based on location, the salon you go to, and the colorist who applies it.
Ensure strands are fully saturated for an even finish. Step 3: Develop for up to 20 minutes, emulsify the glaze with water, then wash the formula away with shampoo and conditioner. Note: you can skip the post-color treatment; it's not needed, as the pH is already balanced.
A gloss is great for shifting colors, neutralizing brassiness, and blending grown-out roots, plus boosting shine. On the flip side, a glaze is ideal for adding shine to the hair and making frizzy hair more manageable, with a hint of toning. Also, glazes typically don't last as long as a gloss, adds Hirsch.
Glazes extend your salon color's life as they protect your hair. A glazing treatment forms a semi-permanent clear layer over each hair shaft that helps prevent your permanent color from fading.
“You can definitely get a great glossing treatment at home,” says Mondo. “This is a fairly simple process, especially when using a clear gloss. All it takes is a quick wash of your hair, then apply the gloss, and rinse it after about 20 minutes or as directed.
The cons of glazes are that they gradually fade with every shampoo and don't cover grays.
Pronounced BAH-LEE-AHGE, balayage is actually a French word meaning 'sweeping,' as in to sweep on a hair lightener to create highlights. Balayage is the technique of free-hand painting highlights onto the hair, creating a soft and natural gradation of lightness towards the ends.
On gray hair, a glossing service will gently shift the shade and correct any unwanted tones, allowing you to refresh your client's silvery hue. The trick is to mix up a gloss that's close to their existing base color, so it subtly veils their locks in a subtle tint without dramatically changing the tone.
No, hair gloss isn't typically damaging—in fact, most formulas are designed to help reduce the appearance of damage. However, as with any haircare product, it's important to choose the right formula and use it as directed to achieve your desired results.
This could range anywhere from $30 to $150. Urban areas like Los Angeles and New York City tend to have steeper prices for gloss treatments (amongst other hair services) but often include styling with the treatment.