Bond building treatments and hair masks are both used to nourish and strengthen the hair, but they differ in their specific functions and formulations.

The main difference is that bond builders work internally in the cortex of the hair and conditioning masks work externally on the cuticle.

First let’s learn more about the hair itself:

• Tiny blood vessels at the base of every follicle feed the hair root to keep it growing. But once the hair is at the skin's surface, the cells within the strand of hair aren't alive anymore. The hair you see on every part of your body contains dead cells.
  

This translated means that it’s important to look after the hair as it’s growing and use preventative measures to protect and look after your hair.

Once the hair is damaged, products can certainly help it but the further away from the head (I.e long hair) the harder it is to keep it looking alive and healthy.

The hair will sometimes get to a point when there not much you can do to save it’s condition and this is the time you need to seriously consider cutting the dead ends off.

Bond building treatments are typically used to repair damaged hair by strengthening the hair fibers from within. These treatments work by restoring the natural bonds within the hair shaft that are damaged or broken due to chemical processing or other environmental stressors. They contain ingredients like keratin, amino acids, and other proteins that help to rebuild and reinforce the hair's structure. Bond building treatments are often used as a standalone treatment or as part of a larger hair care regimen to maintain healthy hair.

The most popular way to use them is to add it to the colour products during the service to prevent any damage whilst colouring or lifting the hair.

Then a second step is completed once you rinse off the colour at the basin and applied to all of the hair to further impact the protection of the internal part of the hair.

Bond builders do not usually leave the hair feeling cosmetically smooth and soft at the end as they are doing a very specific job internally.

Hair masks are designed to provide deep conditioning and hydration to the hair. They are typically formulated with ingredients like oils, butters, and other emollients that help to nourish and moisturize the hair. Hair masks are used to improve the overall appearance and texture of the hair, making it smoother, softer, and more manageable.

Hair masks usually achieve a much more cosmetic feeling of soft and smooth after use.

They can also provide some degree of repair to damaged hair, but they are not specifically designed to rebuild the hair's natural bonds like bond building treatments.

In summary, bond building treatments are focused on repairing and strengthening the hair fibers from within, while hair masks are focused on providing deep conditioning and hydration to improve the overall health and appearance of the hair.