Hair bonding treatments are incredibly popular right now, but this one is my absolute go-to for curly-haired girls.

Hey there, natural hair enthusiasts! I’m Liz. I have multi-textured, Type 4, low-porosity natural hair, and this year, I’ve been facing some setbacks with my curls. You know that frustrating moment when your curls don’t quite bounce back like they used to? Well, that’s been my reality lately.

Here’s the situation: I’ve been using heat more often for blowouts, but I noticed that although my curls were still intact, they felt flatter and frizzier, probably from some heat damage. After searching for solutions online, I discovered the wonderful world of ✨bonding treatments✨.

What is a bond-repair treatment? These are specially designed haircare products aimed at fixing damaged, over-processed, or dry hair — plus, they help prevent split ends and breakage. Originally used in professional salons, these treatments have recently become widely available for at-home use. Bond-repair products come in various forms, such as shampoos, conditioners, hair masks, and oils.

Trichologist Anabel Kingsley explained to Today that bonding treatments can help reinforce the disulfide bonds in your hair, providing it with strength and elasticity. These bonds are often weakened by heat styling and/or chemical treatments.

If you regularly use heat or undergo chemical treatments on your hair, incorporating a bond-repair product into your routine might be beneficial. While there are many bonding treatments to choose from, Kingsley recommends a pre-shampoo treatment, which tends to be the most effective. She advises clients to use them once or twice a week (based on the extent of damage) but ultimately suggests following the manufacturer’s instructions.

A quick look on TikTok reveals numerous reviews and tutorials, with influencers sharing their experiences using bonding treatments from well-known brands like Olaplex, K18, and Redken, which offer some of the most popular products available today.

For my choice, I decided on the Redken Acid Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment, which is a pre-shampoo product. But before trying it, I first checked out the brand's description of what it promises to do.

Redken's Intensive Treatment is formulated with citric acid, a type of alpha hydroxy acid that helps lower the pH in haircare products, and offers a variety of benefits for hair health and appearance.

Although other bond-repair treatments are great choices, there were particular reasons why I opted for this one:

1) I watched numerous videos, and I saw this treatment used on multiple hair types, including other Black women with a similar hair texture to mine.

2) I was *extremely* impressed with the immediate results and positive feedback I found online.

3) Bond-repair treatments can be quite expensive, and this one also offers a travel-size for $13, which I considered if I needed a smaller option.

Regarding the bond-repair benefits, Redken's website states that the Intensive Treatment uses citric acid to "reinforce weakened bonds" in the hair, claiming to reduce breakage and make the hair "2x stronger" and "14x smoother."

Keep in mind: This treatment is only one part of Redken's Acidic Bonding Concentrate haircare system, which also includes a shampoo, conditioner, liquid mask, and perfecting leave-in. According to Redken, the complete system, suitable for all hair types, helps to "strengthen and repair damaged hair" and prevents color fading and breakage.

It seems that with this system, you can begin noticing changes like enhanced curl definition after just ONE USE. (I was really intrigued at this point.)

For the purpose of this review, however, I’m testing the Intensive Treatment by itself to assess its effectiveness as a pre-shampoo treatment alongside my regular wash-day routine — particularly considering all the benefits it is claimed to provide on its own.

✨ Here’s what I aim to evaluate as I test out the pre-shampoo treatment:

1) FEEL: How does my hair feel after the treatment? Is it softer? More hydrated and less dry?

2) APPEARANCE: How do my curls look post-treatment? Is there less frizz and more definition?

3) STRENGTH: Do I observe less breakage after using the treatment? 

I'm beginning with hair that has been blow-dried and is definitely in need of a wash. It felt a bit dry, and since my natural curls have been stretched for a while, I was curious whether the treatment would help restore them.

1️⃣ STEP ONE: Following the instructions, you need to apply the treatment on damp hair. So, I sprayed my hair with water, divided it into sections (to make it easier to apply), and started working the product in.

The treatment is a very lightweight cream with a lovely, flowery scent. It absorbed easily into my hair, and I noticed that my natural texture started coming back immediately upon application.

2️⃣ STEP TWO: Following the instructions, once I had applied the product to all sections, I allowed the treatment to sit on my hair for 10 minutes.

3️⃣ STEP THREE: To finish, I rinsed out the treatment and proceeded with the rest of my wash-day routine (shampoo, conditioner, etc.). Since I wasn’t using the complete Redken system for this review, I incorporated some of my regular products: I cleansed with Cantu Apple Cider Vinegar Root Rinse, followed by Camille Rose Sweet Ginger Cleansing Rinse as a moisturizing shampoo, and for deep conditioning, I used Amika Soulfood Nourishing Mask.

AFTER RINSING: This is how my hair looked immediately after rinsing out the treatment, before shampooing and conditioning, and without any additional products. Here's what I observed:

✨ FEEL: Even without conditioning, my hair felt incredibly soft and plush. My curls had a light, bouncy feel, with no stiffness at all. While it didn't feel stripped, I could tell it lacked some moisture, though I understood that this was just the first step in my wash day. I was curious to see how my hair would feel after shampooing and deep conditioning.

✨ APPEARANCE: While my hair felt great, I wasn't fully impressed by the curl definition after just one use. My curls and coils have been struggling with definition lately due to more heat styling. With different textures in my hair, some curls were more defined than others, and I still noticed frizz in several areas. Personally, I don’t mind frizz, especially with tighter curls, but I felt my hair could have been more hydrated and defined. Here are some close-up shots to show you the details:

✨ STRENGTH: I was pleasantly surprised by how little hair I shed after working the product through my hair and rinsing it out—especially compared to previous wash days. I couldn’t help but wonder if the treatment had already worked to reduce breakage, or if it was too early to tell.

AFTER WASH DAY: On my first try, I was curious to see if the treatment would make any difference to my overall wash-day routine (shampooing and deep conditioning)—and much to my surprise, it did.

After shampooing and deep conditioning without applying any product, my hair remained incredibly soft. The treatment made it easy to detangle my curls, which allowed the rest of my routine to go smoothly. I barely experienced any breakage, even after using a brush for detangling. The moisture left my curls more defined, and they were bouncy and shiny.

AFTER STYLING: I tried a braid-out for the week, and my curls stayed soft, shiny, and moisturized for days. After this first experience with the treatment, I was convinced it was definitely worth repeating.

For my natural hair routine, I wash my hair weekly, so I tried out Redken's Intensive Treatment for the second time my very next wash day, at the end of the week.

AFTER RINSING: I followed the exact same steps as before, and here were my results immediately after rinsing out the treatment, without any product:

✨ FEEL: My curls felt soft and lightweight once again, and this time around, my hair stayed SO much more moisturized and hydrated after rinsing out the treatment.

✨ APPEARANCE: I saw a HUGE difference after trying this treatment for the second time. My curls had much less frizz compared to the previous week, and they were shiny, bouncy, and had plenty of definition — even before the rest of my wash-day routine. I was extremely impressed.

✨ STRENGTH: Just look at how little breakage I had! This is all the shed hair I had after rinsing out the product, and I was in shock, honestly. It was much less than the first try, so I 100% believe my hair strands were getting stronger.

AFTER WASH DAY: I finished my wash day by shampooing and deep conditioning with the same products as last week, and I continued to see positive results.

Here's my hair without product after shampooing and conditioning. Once again, my curls remained soft, bouncy, shiny, and moisturized. I was loving every bit of it.

After trying out Redken's Intensive Treatment just two weeks in a row to revive my curls, I can safely say: YES it works, and YES I saw results.

I loved how the product made my hair feel, but the biggest differences I noticed were: 1) how quickly it reduced breakage and 2) how it reduced frizz and gave me better curl definition.

Here's a side-by-side comparison showing how it reduced breakage:

And here's a look at how it improved curl definition:

✨ If you're interested in trying out the treatment for yourself, just keep in mind that everyone's hair is different, so results may vary. And like me, you may not see some results right away, but I'd recommend following the instructions and trying it a few times to see if you notice any changes.

All in all, I'm excited to use this treatment in my regimen and see more improvement over time.

If you'd like to see me test the product, check out my TikTok video below. Don’t forget to follow my page @naturalwithliz for more reviews and tips on your natural hair journey.