I got to thinking last week more about Olaplaex and using it specifically on scalp. I kept remembering Tracey Cunningham in the introductory video saying: With Olaplaex, less is more. That kept playing over and over in the back of my mind. So I wondered if I didn't want to up the developer on scalp, and I used only a few drops, would that even help. Because as you know with some products you must use specifically what they say. No more and no less. I went to Olaplex's FB page and read a comment by the company. They stated that indeed Olaplex is not a protein. Since this summer, I'd wondered if it was a protein substance. I really liked reading that it was not.
So I emailed them my thoughts asking if even just a few drops would work with on scalp lightener. They are swamped with emails and I love that they take the time to respond. I've found their customer service top notch and that's very important to me. This is what Slim replied:
To answer your on scalp question, even a few drops will make a difference. Anything you add to your lightener will dilute it although, a few drops shouldn't dilute it too much where you would have to bump up your developer. Many balayage specialists that don't want to use higher than a 40 volume to balayage often use a few drops and get great protection and results. If you can, bump your volume up to 15 volume or even 20 volume you can use 1/16th oz Olaplex and have better results. Whatever you feel comfortable with.
To me, that was the green light to let me experiment with it on scalp. I had an on scalp root touch up this afternoon. She's a friend, but also a stylist. We experiment on each other. She's a base 5-6 (we always debate what she really is because of intense ash) and her roots lift very clean with usually only 3% - volume 10- mixed with lightener. However, sometimes I do boost the developer up to 15. And that's what I did today. Blonder soft cream was the lightener and mixed in volume 15. After it was mixed well and whipped up, I added about 10 drops of Olaplaex and then mixed again. It did not make the lightener swell. As I moved towards the front of her head, I needed to mix up a new batch of lightener so we decided this time to try Olaplex with Davines cream lightener. Within a minute of adding about 10-12 drops of Olaplaex to Davines lightener, it swelled. But we both agreed to try it anyway. It applied well to the roots and I let her develop. Usually on scalps I let sit for nearly 50 minutes. The back with the Blonder cream and Olaplaex developed very well, but the front with Davines developed a bit slower and not as clean. After 50 minutes I had to touch up a bit of the front again. Even though I normally don't use heat, I did put a plastic cap over her hair for about 6-10 minutes. In total I let her develop about 1 hour and 15 minutes. I like to spray rene furterer karite dry oil over some on scalp clients because truly after a while every lightener will dry out. Even cream ones. As I rinsed her hair, it did feel nice. Nothing like OMG miraculous, but it did feel a bit different in a very good way. She did something stupid in the summer and put castor oil on her scalp and slept in it. It caused a lot of breakage that she is now growing out. It caused a lot of her hair to be fragile in the crown and top area. Since the whole breakage meltdown, when I do her roots, it always makes me nervous. There was no new breakage today. (Phew.) The hair and root area felt stronger than it has in a while. Her roots didn't lift as sparkly clean as I normally like, but by no means were they orange. A few strands were brassy. And I always tone so they were perfect after toning.
In conclusion, I love that even a few drops of Olaplaex helps. I may work my way up and bump clients up to 20 volume on scalp, but for now I'm going to keep most of them at 10 or 15 and keep using what I did today: Not the full amount of Olaplex required for on scalp, but several drops and enough to hopefully make a difference. My go-to on scalp is always Silk Lift and I don't want to add Olaplex to that because it already has its own little vials of solution you add and I don't know how the two would react together. However, I will use it on scalp with Blonder Soft Cream. I think the two worked really, really well together. And if you have blondorexic clients like me and some that are growing out breakage, I really like Olaplex. I really love that even if you add a few drops, it helps.
Lord, this was long. But I really wanted everyone to know where I was coming from. It was very relieving to me that they let me know: Yes, even a few drops of Olaplex will help if you are hesitant and don't necessarily want to bump up developer on scalp. And even off scalp as you can read above from Slim's advice.
