5 of the Most Powerful Hair Strengthening Products

Whether you're on a hair growth journey or just trying to boost your hair's condition, improving the strength of your strands is key to keeping split ends and breakage at bay. So, how do you ensure your hair routine is building up strength – and not breaking it down? Here are five strengthening hair products to transform weak, dry, brittle hair...

What Does 'Hair Strengthening' Mean?

Strengthening hair means improving its structure from the inside out, so breakage is reduced throughout the lengths and your mane looks healthier overall. By nature, hair is designed to be resilient, but daily friction, styling, and chemical treatments can wear down its protective barrier, leaving it weak and brittle. That’s why you need bond-building care to reinforce a compromised hair cortex, along with nourishing ingredients that support the outer layer.

What Causes Hair to Weaken?

There are a number of reasons your hair might be feeling dry, weak and brittle. So, before breakage and hair loss happen, let's look at (and target) the most common culprits:

• Heat damage: Without the right protection, excessive heat styling can strip moisture away from the hair shaft, leaving it vulnerable to snapping and split ends. Make sure you're shielding strands while you style with a hard-working protectant, like ULTIMATE REPAIR 5-in-1 Protective Leave-In.
• Mechanical damage: Daily wear and tear is normal, but when it goes too far, your hair can start to break. Brush gently, dry with a microfiber towel, and protect hair while you sleep with a silk pillowcase and ULTIMATE REPAIR Night Serum.
• Too-harsh hair products: Your hair care routine should add to the strength of your hair – not take it away. So, be wary of harsh shampoos and treatments that remove the natural oils needed for healthy hair.
• Environmental aggressors: Pollution, sun exposure, humidity and extreme weather can all wreak havoc on your hair, leaving it fragile. The Metal Purifier in all Wella Professionals shampoos will neutralise damaging metals, while ULTIMATE REPAIR 5-in-1 Protective Leave-In protects against UV rays, frizz and breakage.

The Best Strengthening Hair Products by Wella Professionals

• Best Strengthening Shampoo and Conditioner: ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner
• Best Strengthening Hair Mask: ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask
• Best for Colour-Treated Hair: ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask
• Best for Hair Damage Repair: ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue
• Best Nourishing Hair Oil: ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum
• Best Protective Product: ULTIMATE REPAIR Protective Leave-In

1. The Wash Day Duo: ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner

When hair is weakened, it’s not just the outer layer that suffers; damage runs deep, causing stress to the internal bonds and cortex too. That's why it’s crucial to use hair care products that repair your hair from the inside out, like ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo and ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner.

The two make a skincare-inspired dream team, giving your hair and scalp the same level of care as you usually reserve for your face. The shampoo’s rich lather washes away breakage-causing impurities from root to tip, while the conditioner’s infusion of AHA and Omega-9 envelops weak strands to leave hair stronger and healthier. It’s sumptuously creamy yet rinses completely clean, so hair feels fresh, light and cared for. Plus, the two suit all hair types, from fine to coarse and straight to coily.

How to Use It: First, massage ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo into wet hair, taking care not to rub too hard. Too much friction is one of the leading causes of hair loss and breakage. Then, gently squeeze out excess water so it doesn't dilute your conditioner, and apply ULTIMATE REPAIR Conditioner through mid-lengths and ends. Let it absorb for up to three minutes, rinse thoroughly, and enjoy softer yet stronger hair.

2. The Strengthening Hair Mask: ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask

When strength is your goal, a hair mask is non-negotiable. With its concentrated formula, ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask penetrates deeply to give weakened strands the intense care they need to withstand daily wear and tear. It’s specially formulated to repair damage from UV, hot tools, extensions, elastics and bleaching, working alongside the ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo for a complete strengthening system.

Enriched with smart conditioning agents, it’s able to identify and treat the weakest parts of your hair, so you get a bespoke treatment every time. Meanwhile, Metal Purifier detoxifies hair from harmful metals found in the water you wash with. Use it at least once per week or whenever your hair needs extra strengthening power. You'll notice a difference from the very first wash.

How to Use It: After washing with ULTIMATE REPAIR Shampoo, squeeze out excess water and smooth ULTIMATE REPAIR Mask through the mid-lengths and ends of your hair. Let it absorb for five minutes – just enough time to put on a face mask, too – then rinse thoroughly.

3. The Post-Colour Hair Mask: ColorMotion+ Structure+ Hair Mask

If you want to give your hair some structural support after lightening or colouring, ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask is the intensive mask for you. The sumptuous formula takes a triple-powered approach to repairing and replenishing coloured hair, so you get a boost of strength, shine and smoothness when you need it most.

First, there's the WellaPlex strengthening agent. This is a Wella-exclusive ingredient that helps to reconstruct inner bonds for stronger, healthier hair. The formula also features the Hair Surface Polisher, which smooths the cuticles, so your hair is better able to reflect the light. It's responsible for lustrous shine that helps your colour glow. Finally, the Metal Purifier works to neutralise the metals that are commonly found in water (such as copper), so your hair is protected and perfected.

How to Use It: Every 1-2 weeks, apply the mask through the mid-lengths and ends of clean, damp hair. Make sure you've squeezed out excess water first, so the mask's ingredients aren't diluted. Then, wrap your hair in a warm towel and let the mask absorb for five minutes. Rinse thoroughly, and repeat whenever hair needs extra strength.

4. The Hair Repair Treatment: ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue

Damage is one of the biggest culprits behind split ends and hair loss, so if your strands feel brittle and weak, it's important to address the underlying issue. A powerful leave-in treatment, like ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue, makes this easy, as it repairs every type of hair damage in 90 seconds¹ with a skincare-inspired blend of potent ingredients.

Working to repair the internal bonds, there's AHA, an acid so small that it's able to penetrate and care for the deepest layers of your hair. Meanwhile, Omega-9 fatty acid recreates the protective outer layer, so you enjoy inside-out replenishment in a weightless mist. The game-changing formula is so strengthening that it gives you 99% less breakage², while leaving hair 12x smoother³. No wonder it's called a 'miracle'.

How to Use It: Mist ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue from root to tip through clean, damp hair, then let it absorb for the full 90 seconds. It's that simple to kick-start your hair repair journey.

5. The Deeply Nourishing Hair Oil: ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum

One of the first things to happen before hair becomes weak is each strand's natural oils are stripped away. The good news is, you can boost moisture levels by adding a hair oil to your routine. Try ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum to give dry, frizzy hair the nourishment it craves. Even suitable for fine hair, the luxurious elixir is a mega multitasker, with the smoothing power of a hair serum, the deep hydration of an oil, and a built-in UV and heat shield.

Plus, because the oil is packed with a blend of Squalane and Omega-9, it's able to penetrate the hair cortex to transform weak, frizzy hair from the inside out. This paves the way for fast and long-lasting results, giving you nourishment in 30 seconds and silky smoothness that lasts up to 3 days⁴. So, if you find it hard to tame breakage-prone hair, it's ideal for locking in a blow-dry that goes the distance.

How to Use It: Apply the hair oil to damp hair before blow-drying or dry hair in between washes. If you're using a flat iron or curling iron, protect against heat damage by smoothing ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum through lengths first. You can also use it as a pre-shampoo treatment to protect your hair while you wash, or add a drop to ULTIMATE SMOOTH Intense Mask to charge the creamy treatment with added moisture.

By using these products together, you'll have a hair strengthening routine that delivers results in as little as 90 seconds¹. Keep your routine consistent for beautiful hair that keeps getting stronger and healthier.

¹ When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue.

² When using ULTIMATE REPAIR Miracle Hair Rescue. Instrumental test vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.

³ Vs. non-conditioning Shampoo.

⁴ If unwashed for 3 days, vs. untreated.