What Is A Hair Gloss Treatment & Is It Worth The Money?

It’s the hair trend taking over TikTok, but what is a hair gloss and do we really need to be adding one to our haircare routines?

Our obsession with “glass” beauty trends hasn’t waned, with countless videos of how to achieve glass skin or glass nails continuing to flood social media.

Glass beauty is coming for your hair now, too, a trend pointing to hair that appears polished or ultra-shiny, with a high-gloss or mirror-like finish.

Achieving this level of reflective shine isn’t always straightforward, especially if your hair is bleached, coloured or damaged. Yes, hair masks and hair oils can step in to restore strength and health to hair, but if you’re after next-level shine then it’s time to turn to hair gloss.

The name is rather self-explanatory: a hair gloss is designed to leave hair looking glossy, healthy and shiny.

Unlike hair dye, a hair gloss doesn’t contain ammonia or require processing, meaning it’s kinder to hair (not to mention faster and more affordable).

If you’re a regular at the hair salon, hair glosses are available as either a standalone treatment or as an add-in to any colour service, but there are also a handful of excellent at-home treatments that promise to achieve similar results in your own bathroom.

Unsure if a hair gloss is right for you? We consulted freelance hairstylist Tessa Burlison (@hair.bytess_) for everything you need to know about hair glosses, including how they work and how often you should use them.

What is a hair gloss?

Depending on the type of hair gloss used – clear (considered more of a hair treatment) or coloured – hair gloss can be used to breathe life back into a recent dye job, help to extend your salon colour or to enhance your natural hair colour.

“In the salon, a gloss is like a tint – a liquid toner that adds shine and translucent colour to the hair,” says Tessa, adding that colour gloss treatments can alter the tone of the hair by cancelling out any unwanted tones or adding in fresh ones.

“It can be so nice in between colours. If you need a colour refresh when your hair is feeling a bit dull after a month and your roots don’t need doing yet, a gloss can be a really nice option.”

While coloured hair gloss won’t add depth to hair, Tessa explains it can add richness to darker colours like brown or copper.

Unlike traditional hair dye, coloured hair gloss is free from peroxide or ammonia, meaning it has no lift. It can’t change the colour of your hair, but it can alter its tone or deposit colour on top of your natural hair.

For example, coloured hair gloss can’t take you from brown to copper, but it could take you from a cool to warm tone, or add tints or reflects to your existing colour.

“It’s not damaging to hair, it sits on the outside of the hair shaft. Plus it has the added bonus of being a glossy colour so it leaves the hair much shinier,” Tessa says.

Which hair types does a gloss treatment work well on?

“Gloss is lovely, but it’s a lightweight treatment. You’d need a lot more hydration to properly moisturise textured or curly hair,” Tessa says.

“But glosses are nice for people with fine hair, hair that’s a bit straighter or is prone to being limp. Regular hydration treatments can be a bit too heavy for people with this hair type.”

But you don’t have to have coloured or chemically-treated hair to use a gloss either, and the benefits of ultra-shiny, ultra-healthy hair extend to those glossing their virgin hair.

Tessa loves using an ashy gloss over a natural grey, or a rich chocolate gloss over natural brunette for what she calls “fun, glossy coloured hair, without having to put a permanent colour through it”.

How often should you use a hair gloss and how long does it last?

The lifespan of your hair gloss will depend on how often you wash your hair. Coloured glosses are designed to last approximately three or four weeks.

Clear, treatment glosses wash off more easily, but again it depends on the shampoo you’re using on your hair afterwards.

“If you went in with a sulphate-based shampoo, then you’re going to take that gloss off after the first wash. It’s not penetrating the hair, which is good because it doesn’t weigh the hair down, but that also means it’s easier to wash off,” Tessa says, adding it could be more of a weekly treatment (or every third wash) for this reason.

How much does a hair gloss cost and is it really necessary?

Tessa says that while coloured glosses have peaked in popularity recently, they’re not always needed. “It depends what people want to achieve from a treatment – they want ‘glossy’ hair. But that could be achieved through a moisture treatment rather than using something that’s a gloss,” she says.

If you do decide to go down the glossy route, expect to pay between $30 and $40 for a clear gloss treatment, when added to any salon appointment, or upwards from $55 for a coloured gloss.

While standalone coloured gloss treatments are also available (from $120), Tessa says similar results can be achieved from home.

“I’m not a huge fan of sending people to the salon when they don’t need to be there, especially when there’s at-home things they could use,” she says.

“It’s so nice to go and spend time in the hair salon, but I think you can give yourself that experience at home.”

Tessa says her decision to use a gloss in the salon chair depends on what a client’s hair needs at the time. For example, if that’s a lightening service, she’s more inclined to reach for a protective moisture or protein treatment like K18 or Olaplex, rather than a gloss.

Gloss your hair at home with these high-shine hair glosses

Colour Wow Money Masque, $39, was developed in collaboration with celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton. Despite its deeply hydrating properties, this masque is surprisingly lightweight. Its serum-like texture won’t leave behind any waxy build-up, making it a great option for those with fine hair. Not to mention it’s Tessa’s pick for making hair ultra glossy.

Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat + Sheer, $55, serves a dual purpose as both a transparent gloss treatment and hair protectant, helping fend off UVA and UVB rays as well as environmental aggressors. It’s suitable for use on all hair types, lending shine and vibrancy to tresses without weighing it down.

Mr. Smith Pigment Honey Blond, $62. Stretch out your time between colour appointments with Mr. Smith’s colour gloss treatment, which deposits a golden blonde hue to hair while adding gloss and strength to strands. Whether you want to enhance a natural colour or blend greys, results can last up to six washes.

Oribe Mirror Rinse Glass Hair Treatment, $105, is by far the most expensive gloss treatment on this list – but what it lacks in affordability it makes up for in convenience. Smooth onto mid-lengths and ends in place of your regular conditioner and leave on for up to one minute before rinsing thoroughly. Et voila! Hair that feels hydrated and silky soft with mirror-like shine.

L’Oreal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss Lamination Treatment, $26, is said to restore shine and strength to dull or porous hair when used as part of the brand’s four-step Elvive haircare system. It harnesses glycolic acid to restore the hair fibre from the inside out, improve its quality and seal in shine for up to 10 shampoos.

Ouai Hair Gloss, $69, takes only five minutes in the shower, and can be used to protect colour and boost shine on hair, while addressing frizziness and damage. It contains a blend of hyaluronic acid and rice water, with results said to last for up to three washes.

IGK Expensive Amla Oil Hi-Shine Topcoat, $55. Add sheen to your shower ritual with this weightless gloss treatment, which levels up shine while lending extra depth and dimension to colour-treated hair.

Kerastase Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss Treatment, $80, lends the ultimate shine to colour-treated hair. It does so with lactic acid, which helps to trap dulling minerals and restore colour vibrancy.

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