This past fall, Keune Haircosmetics launched its three-phase bond-building system, Bond Fusion. Because seeing (and testing out on our own heads) is believing, when given the opportunity to try Bond Fusion ourselves in a salon service, we were quick to give an (overly) enthusiastic YES!

So, we visited Alicia Dixon, a stylist, salon owner and Keune educator, at her salon, Cellar Door Salon & Studio in Chicago, for a detailed step-by-step demonstrating how stylists can incorporate Bond Fusion into services at their own salons.

Two editors heads meant two ways to see the bond builder in action—a cut and style service and a color service. And lucky for us, Dixon rose up to the occasion to do both. Dixon completed a Vidal Sassoon Advanced Training Program that specified in classic, structured cuts as well as a trained in a Tony & Guy cutting program, practicing shattered, texturized styles. With Keune, Dixon teaches color classes at salons across the country. Safe to say, she is well-versed in everything hair.

Dixon has a love for blondes and specializes in dimensional balayage. Lucky for MODERN blondie Elizabeth Jakaitis, that’s exactly what she had in mind.

“My natural color is a dark blonde that can look kind of drab on its own,” Jakaitis said. “I’ve always been hesitant with color, going with just light highlights so that it’s easier to maintain. With spring on the way—I hope!—I decided to really go for it with a full balayage for a brighter, sunkissed look.”

The most popular salon services like hair color and texturizing treatments break down disulfide bonds, which are essential for strong, resilient, healthy hair. 

"If you have a rope bridge and cut pieces of rope, eventually the bridge is going to fall," explains Dixon. 

Bond Fusion repairs and rebuilds broken bonds, and even creates new ones, as it protects the inner structure of each strand, restoring and maintaining the hair’s integrity.

Incorporating Bond Fusion into a color service requires no special reformulating or extra processing time. It’s specially designed to work beautifully with Keune’s permanent hair color lines and lifting products. It can also be used with any other color brand. Dixon's salon now incorporates Bond Fusion in all color services, and raised prices so it is an automatic add-on for all clients. 

Elizabeth before and after her Bond Fusion color service.

Elizabeth before and after her Bond Fusion color service.

Phase 1 of Bond Fusion is added to color and lifting mixtures, as it was in Jakaitis’ color service to rebuild and strengthen hair as well as reduce breakage and restore elasticity. Phase 2, the Keune Bond Enhancer, is a deeply nourishing and restorative treatment that strengthens and seals the bonds in each individual strand to ensure that hair stays in the best condition for as long as possible. After rinsing the color, Bond Enhancer was applied from roots to end, and left in for at least five minutes, then rinsed thoroughly.

Lightener Formula: 20g cream bleach + 30g 30 vol + 2ml of Bond Fusion Phase 1

In addition to maintaining hair health, Dixon likes to use Bond Fusion because it makes color services and even cuts easier to execute. 

"When you put Bond Fusion in the lightener, for balayge specifically, it helps blend it in because it makes the consistency of the lightener just smooth enough to help you blend," Dixon says. "Using it before a razor cut causes the razor to not drag as much so that the hair melts away."

This was great news for MODERN’s Jamie Newman, who came to Dixon for a “modern-day shag” style cut. 

“I’ve had pretty much the same style for years,” Newman said. “Aside from switching off between long and medium lengths, it’s always with long layers and subtle face-framing angling. I have fine hair—but a lot of it—so I wanted something to give it movement and attitude while still keeping some length.”

Jamie before and after her Bond Fusion cut and color service.

Jamie before and after her Bond Fusion cut and color service.

Newman usually has a low-maintenance hair routine during the week, applying leave-in conditioner or sea salt spray and allowing hair to air dry into her natural waves. This style requires to be worn messy and imperfect in order to achieve “it” style status, making it a perfect option for her.

In the same way that Bond Fusion added to a color service results in healthier hair, applying Bond Fusion before a cut or style service leaves strands stronger, more flexible and better-conditioned. Newman had color done before her cut, so Bond Fusion Phase 1 was mixed into the semi-permanent color formula, followed by an application of Phase 2.

Chocolate Color Formula: 40g 5.35 + 80g Semi Activator + 6ml Bond Fusion Phase 1

If a client came in for just a cut, then the small measurement of liquid Phase 1 can be mixed into Phase 2, which has a lotion-like consistency. For this, mix one part Phase 1 with two parts Phase 2, apply throughout hair and let process 10 minutes. Yes, it really is that easy! Strands will be left with greater comb-ability for an easier cut, and clients will notice that their hair is left feeling softer.

The third component of Keune’s Bond Fusion system is an at-home treatment. This nourishing maintenance product for use by clients for just a few minutes every five days at home prolongs the continuous results of the Bond Fusion salon treatment.

Want to try Bond Fusion for yourself? Enter Keune’s Blonde’s Best Friend Bond Fusion Contest for a chance to win a trip to New York City to participate in MODERN SALON’s exclusive photoshoot workshop, Artist Session.  10 finalists will be chosen who will each receive the three-part Bond Fusion system from Keune to create a whole new blonde look, which will be shared on modernsalon.com for public voting to determine the winner. Follow the link to submit your favorite blonde look you’ve created on a model or client: https://www.modernsalon.com/featured/keune-blonde-s-best-friend-bond-fusion-contest

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