The Importance of Prepping & Priming Hair – OLAPLEX Inc.

Key Takeaways

• Hair primer is the foundation of healthy hair, and priming hair can repair existing damage and strengthen the hair internally so that treatments, styling, and color perform better with less damage over time.
• Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment repairs hair at both the cortex and cuticle, improves the 5 visible signs of hair health, and protects against future damage, making it a faster, easier, and more comprehensive upgrade from the original Nº.3 Hair Perfector®.
• Creating a comprehensive haircare routine inclusive of a hair primer helps to create a healthy canvas that can hold color better, style smoothly, and resist breakage from environmental stress more effectively. 

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Prepping the skin and priming before makeup isn’t new to the beauty world, but what about priming your hair? Just like your skin, hair needs a healthy, resilient foundation to perform its best. When hair isn’t properly prepped, things like treatments, styling, and color services don’t deliver the same results, and hair doesn’t look as healthy overall. 

At OLAPLEX, priming hair starts with repairing it from the inside out through bond-building science, which is ever evolving through new products like the OLAPLEX Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment. Learn how this universal, professional-inspired treatment helps to repair damage from past and present, while creating the ideal foundation for healthy hair, so your hair is primed and ready for anything.

What Is Hair Primer?

A hair primer is a treatment step that prepares hair by working through existing damage and fortifying it against future stress. It’s the act of properly preparing the hair so that treatments, styling, and color perform can better and cause less damage over time. Instead of just coating the hair, a true primer works internally, strengthening the hair structure from the inside out so that everything that follows can work better and the hair appears healthier and stronger.

OLAPLEX hair priming is powered by patented Bond Building TechnologyTM, which helps to target broken bonds often caused by chemical, thermal, mechanical, and environmental damage. 

What Does Hair Primer Do?

A hair primer works within the hair fiber to strengthen, smooth, and protect. Unlike traditional masks or conditioners that focus mainly on softness, a primer improves the quality of the hair itself.

By leaving Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment on the hair for 3 minutes, hair is:

• Repaired internally at the cortex and externally at the cuticle
• Instantly revived for softness and manageability
• Strengthened to reduce breakage and split ends
• Better prepared for styling, heat, color, and other types of environmental stress

Think of it as setting the stage. When hair is healthy at the core, everything you do next is destined to shine.

Finding the Ultimate Hair Primer

When it comes to a hair primer, you want something with fast results, easy use, and more comprehensive hair repair. OLAPLEX Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment builds upon the cult‑favorite Nº.3 Hair Perfector®, for a more universal primer with even better results. 

Key Benefits of Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment

• Repairs all three bond types in hair
• Delivers immediate softness in just 3 minutes
• Improves the 5 visible signs of hair health: strength, smoothness, softness, shine, and shape
• Protects against future damage
• Color-safe, vegan, and suitable for all hair types

When used consistently, Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment has the ability to transform damaged, dry, or compromised hair into a stronger, healthier canvas.

A Haircare Routine for Maximum Results

Healthy hair behaves differently. It holds color better, styles more smoothly, and resists breakage from heat and stress. When you prep and prime hair regularly, you’re not just fixing damage but also preventing further damage from happening, which is why having a good haircare routine is so important.

1. Prime & Repair

Apply OLAPLEX Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment to damp hair from mid‑lengths to ends. Leave on for at least 3 minutes, then rinse.

Cleanse & Condition

Shampoo with OLAPLEX Nº.4 Bond Maintenance® Shampoo and follow with Nº.5 Bond Maintenance® Conditioner.

Use a Hair Mask When Needed

Adding a hair mask to your routine is a great way to keep hair healthy and hydrated. Use the Rich Hydration Mask on medium to coarse hair, or the Weightless Nourishing Mask on fine to medium hair about once a week to boost hydration, smoothness, and shine.

Protect & Style

Apply Nº.6 Bond Smoother® before styling to hydrate and reduce breakage, and OLAPLEX Nº.7 Bonding Oil™ for instant shine and protection.

Stay Consistent with Your Haircare

Bond repair is permanent until hair is damaged again, which is common with all of the heat styling, UV exposure, chemical services, and other kinds of stress we put on our hair, compromising it over time. Like skincare, consistency is key. Regular use of a hair primer keeps hair resilient, healthy, and ready for anything.

Hair primer is a fundamental step in modern haircare. With the new OLAPLEX Nº.3PLUS Complete Repair Treatment, priming hair becomes faster, easier, and more effective than ever before. If you start with a strong foundation, then the hair will perform at its best.

Treat your hair like your skin. Prep it. Prime it. Repair it.