Written By: Rachel Amico
For ladies (and the occasional men) who burn their locks with blow dryers and flat irons, the Nexxus ProMend hair care system promises to not only make hair shiny and smooth, but to actually repair dry and damaged split-ends.
According to the Nexxus website the Split End Treatment Shampoo works to prepare hair for repair by cleaning away impurities and giving it nourishment, while the Split End Binding Conditioner targets the splits – binding them together in just three washes.
For most women, this sounds like a dream come true. After being constantly told that the only way to remove splits is by lopping them off – there is an amazing product from a salon-quality brand promising to save us the four inches we can’t bear to lose!
Since I’ve been sizzling my hair since I was sixteen, I decided to check out both the Split End Treatment Shampoo and the Split End Binding Conditioner. While I did find that my hair was shiny and soft after use (after all, this is Nexxus), I was disappointed by my split-end improvements. Where the Conditioner promises to bind split ends in just three washes – I saw no real decrease in my splits after weeks of use, and even after I’d used up both bottles. As someone who frequently zones out while searching for splits and pulling them apart – I’d say my examination of the results was thorough.
Now, I wasn’t expecting a miracle – to just wake up and see that my hair was completely perfect – but I was hoping to see some sort of improvement, especially with the “three-washes” promise promoted on the Nexxus website and commercials.
Not only were the results lack-luster, but the products were relatively expensive. I paid roughly $15.00 at CVS for each product, and both came only in one small size – 13.5 oz. Though I would be more than willing to pay for the advertised product, I found the results of use no better or worse than when I used Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo – which I was able to get a 25oz bottle of for about $8.00 at CVS.
While I personally had pretty bad results from this product – there are several on-line reviews claiming the product really is a miracle worker. On Amazon.com, “Delaney” wrote “The whole set will fix your hair, I didn’t believe it either, but it does”, and on the Nexxus website “AWall” wrote “This fixed my split ends the first time I used it!!!”. On the Nexxus website reviewers can list their hair type, age, and hair texture – but surprisingly, positive and negative reviews sometimes came from people with similar hair profiles.
Based on my own experience – and the full spectrum of reviewer responses online – I feel that the product line’s success is entirely dependent on the specific makeup of each individual’s hair. I don’t recommend spending close to $30 on a hair care system that may or may not work for you, but if you are desperate to fix your splits without spending salon prices to cut them off – Nexxus ProMend Shampoo and Conditioner may be worth a shot.