2012 Beauty Breakthroughs

Photo by: David Cook

Tresemmé Split End Remedy

Unless your God-given texture is straight and glossy, smooth hair comes at a cost-and the price tag is split ends. Flatirons, blow-dryers, hair color, brushing, and combing all damage the oldest, driest part of the hair shaft, and until recently, the best solution was to cut your losses with regular trims. Now, scientists from Unilever, the com­pany that owns Tresemmé and Nexxus, have developed a ... more 

Photo by: David Cook

Tresemmé Split End Remedy

Unless your God-given texture is straight and glossy, smooth hair comes at a cost-and the price tag is split ends. Flatirons, blow-dryers, hair color, brushing, and combing all damage the oldest, driest part of the hair shaft, and until recently, the best solution was to cut your losses with regular trims. Now, scientists from Unilever, the com­pany that owns Tresemmé and Nexxus, have developed a split-end treatment that uses charged-polymer technology to temporarily glue each frayed strand back together.

HOW IT WORKS: When a hair splits, it gets a negative charge. The combination of two tiny polymers found in the Nexxus ProMend line (excluding the shampoo and heat protectant) and the Tresemmé Split Remedy line (excluding the shampoo) has a positive charge. This means that when applied to hair, they're attracted to the damaged area and line up along both sides of the split. Still with us? The thin film of product on each half of the split is in turn drawn toward the damaged hair on the other side, bonding the frayed ends together. Company clinical data shows that the effects of the repair are still visible after three washes and may last even longer. The formulas also include conditioning ingredients that help prevent future damage.

WHAT AN EXPERT SAYS: "For women with split ends, this technology finally gives them the ability to repair that damage at home," says Hammer. "And while t less