Buzz has been building about the new Acidic Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment from Redken. It’s a next-level bonding and strengthening innovation with a maximum concentration of bonding care complex for intensive strength repair inside and out*. Stylists are reporting healthier looking hair after just one use—even on severely damaged strands. Intrigued? Here are six things to know about ABC Intensive Treatment and how it can transform all types of hair damage.

IT'S A SECRET WEAPON FOR THE WORST DAMAGE

“The first client I used it on was someone who had used an at-home lightener spray which caused severe breakage in the front hairline,” says Redken Brand Ambassador Adrienne Dara. “After the first treatment, I can honestly say I saw a visible difference. The hair was less gummy, and during the blow-dry, we did not get additional breakage. Intensive Treatment claims to reinforce weakened bonds and promote 1/3 less breakage* and it delivered on those claims. Due to the severity of this client's breakage I not only applied the Intensive Treatment at the back bar, I also instructed her to use it at home.”

IT ELEVATES EVERY COLOR SERVICE AND PRESERVES COLOR QUALITY

Redken Brand Ambassador Philip Foresto is 100 percent color focused, and he now incorporates ABC Intensive Treatment into all of his color services. “I see less color fading, noticeable strength and growth, and added shine and moisture,” he says. “Acidic Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment also goes home with my clients to maintain their healthy and expensive-looking hair color.”

BUT IT’S NOT JUST FOR COLOR CLIENTS

Damage is damage, and ABC Intensive Treatment can come to the rescue in a wide range of scenarios, including heat damage, mechanical damage, dryness and even damage that can occur when shampooing. It’s ideal for any hair type, including curly and highly textured. “I recommend the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment to any client with  damaged hair,” says Dara. “It could be a client with breakage from heat styling or someone with hard mineral build-up that has weakened the hair. I tell these clients to apply the Intensive Treatment 1-2 times per week before using the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo. They should apply it in a lathering motion to their hair, allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes, rinse thoroughly and then apply the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner. It provides strengthening benefits to hair that truly needs repair.”

THE SCIENCE IS SERIOUS

To get down to the science of it all, it’s important to understand that ABC Intensive Treatment is an acidic, rinse off formula that works by infusing a high concentration of bonding actives to the hair. This bonding infusion adds strength by attaching to the weakened bonds in the hair fiber that have been damaged by lighteners, color treatments or heat styling tools resulting in 1/3 less breakage, 11x smoother hair and increased resilience.* It also balances the hair pH. In the salon, use ABC Intensive Treatment as a pre-shampoo treatment. It can also be used by clients at home.

IT'S PART OF A COMPLETE SYSTEM AND CAN BE ADDED TO ANY EXISTING ROUTINE

Many stylists and clients have already been using Redken’s ABC Shampoo and Conditioner. The new Intensive Treatment really rounds out the program because it contains a significantly higher amount of bonding active than the ABC Conditioner. According to Foresto, it pre-strengthens the hair fiber and prepares it for the full benefits of the ABC Shampoo and Conditioner or a client’s existing range. And it’s not a hard sell. “Clients love the fragrance, and people with most hair types are excited to have a highly moisturizing system that isn’t too heavy on their hair,” he says.

IT’S A STRENGTH BOOSTER AND ALSO A BUSINESS BOOSTER

ABC Intensive Treatment doesn’t just bring more strength to clients’ hair—it also strengthens your business by improving the outcome of your services, boosting client satisfaction when it comes to the condition of their hair and building revenue. There are several ways to incorporate the Intensive Treatment into your pricing. For Foresto, it’s folded into the overall service. “I have the cost built into my pricing” he explains, “because it allows me to offer a more premium product and service. Except in rare instances, I find it suits the majority of my color clients.” 

Dara works on an hourly rate and builds the cost of the treatment into that rate, “However,” she says, “if a stylist works with a la carte pricing, I recommend viewing this product as a specialty treatment. It’s a luxury reparative service, so charge accordingly. One great approach is to charge the full retail price and advise your client that this will include the bottle for at home use. At this point, it’s a good idea to do a 5-10 minute instructional to walk them through the benefits of the product and how to properly use it at home.” 

Summer is here and with it comes damage. Why not protect your clients’ hair health with this newest member of the Redken ABC family? That way, everyone can enjoy silky strands and a stress-free season. https://www.saloncentric.com/redken-acidic-bonding-concentrate-pre-shampoo.html

*With continued use of Acidic Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment, Shampoo and Conditioner.
**When used with a system of Acidic Bonding Concentrate Intensive Treatment, Shampoo, & Conditioner vs. non-conditioning shampoo.