If you're looking to take your hair routine up a notch, for salon-like, sleek length, all you may need is a serum. Giving you the best of both worlds, hair serums do the job of a hair care as well as a hair styling product. Whether you’re battling frizz, dullness, dryness, or just want your hair to look shinier and feel softer, a serum can make all the difference. But what exactly does a hair serum do, and why should you be using one?
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What Is a Hair Serum?
In simple terms, a hair serum is a lightweight, often oil or silicone-based treatment that coats the outer layer of your hair. Think of it as a protective veil that helps smooth frizz, boost shine, and protect against heat and humidity. Some serums also have active ingredients that go deeper to nourish and repair your hair over time.
Generally, serums are applied after washing your hair, usually when it’s damp, and to get instant results. They leave your lengths looking polished, softer, and protected from pollution, UV rays, and heat styling tools. Now that you know what is a hair serum, it’s time to understand what is hair serum used for.
Why You Should Use a Hair Serum?
If you’ve always thought of serums as optional, it’s time to reconsider. A great serum doesn’t just make your hair look good; it helps your hair become healthier too. But what does a hair serum do to aid this transformation? Here’s all you need to know -
● Manageability
If you’re struggling with frizz, static, or manageability, a serum comes in handy. Serums smooth raised cuticles, giving your hair a sleek, polished finish.
● Adds Instant Shine
Dullness and flatness are common hair concerns, especially a few days after washing. A lightweight serum helps you add shine and revives healthy, luminous lengths, saving you a hair wash.
● Protects from Heat Damage
Most serums double up as a heat protectant, forming a barrier between your hair and hot tools like straighteners, curling wands, or blow-dryers.
● Prevents Split Ends
While all hair serums may not fix split ends, a serum helps you smooth them while making your hair look fresher, healthier, and more manageable. Using serums also prevents your ends from drying up, preventing new split ends in the process.
● Adds Softness
Whether you have dry, coarse, or chemically treated hair, a serum will instantly turn it smoother and softer after the wash.
The Best Hair Serum for Your Hair Type
All equipped with ‘what is a hair serum’, it’s time to learn which one suits your hair type. Not all serums are created with the same formula, and the best one for you depends on your hair’s texture and needs. Check out the wide range of expert-led L'Oréal Professionnel serums and identify which one suits your hair type -
For Dry And Damaged Hair
You’ll want a serum that does more than just gloss over your problems—it should nourish your hair from within. Try the L’Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair 10-in-1 Oil serum. A lifesaver for dry, over-processed hair, the Absolut Repair serum is packed with ingredients like PROTEIN + OMEGA-9 to help you reduce surface damages by 77%* while making your lengths 7x shinier hair**, all with a lightweight touch.
*Shampoo+ Instant Resurfacing Masque after 5 applications
**Shampoo+ Resurfacing Golden Masque vs classical Shampoo
For Frizzy And Unruly Hair
Is humidity making your hair go wild? A smoothing serum is your go-to for keeping things sleek and under control. Formulated with Evening Primrose Oil, the L'Oréal Professionnel Liss Unlimited serum gives you up to 96 hours* of frizz control. It helps you smooth out dryness and unmanageability to keep your lengths softer and shinier.
For Breakage-Prone Hair
If your lengths tend to break off midway and wither out towards the ends, the benefits of a hair serum can come in handy. Try to wash your hair with lukewarm, soft water, and turn to the L'Oréal Professionnel Metal DX concentrated oil to treat breakage. The leave-in serum helps you treat breakage caused by hard water minerals and is enriched with ingredients like Glicoamine, which lead to 97%* less hair breakage and also help with 100% true-to-tone long-lasting hair color.
*Instrumental test: Metal DX pre-treatment + shampoo + mask vs. Non-conditioning shampoo
For Overprocessed Hair
If you have straightened or smoothened your hair and want to give it a bit of nutrition and nourishment after the treatment, try the L’Oréal Professionnel Xtenso serum. With key ingredients like Pro Keratin + Incell, the serum boosts moisture level in your hair while controlling its volume. **
**Instrumental shampoo + masque + leave in vs classical shampoo
For Very Damaged Hair
Sometimes hair damage goes beyond the surface of your hair. It could happen due to color or chemical treatments, leaving your hair dry, lifeless, and prone to breakage. Try the Absolut Repair Molecular rinse-off serum by L’Oréal Professionnel to restores your hair’s strength and repairs up to 2 years of damage** in one use*. The ARM formula breaks down peptides and injects them into your hair fiber to give you smooth, strong, and healthy lengths. The serum goes beyond a surface fix and rebuilds your hair's molecular structure*** to reverse the damage.
*Instrumental test on the fiber macromolecular structure after application of Absolut Repair Molecular shampoo, rinse-off serum & leave-in mask.
**Damaged hair: damage caused by daily brushing, use of straightening iron and one bleaching process.
***Instrumental test after 15 applications of Absolut Repair Molecular rinse-off serum.
For Thinning Hair
If you’re worried about thinning or limp hair, it’s time to look beyond surface-level styling and give your scalp the support it needs. The L’Oréal Professionnel Serioxyl Advanced Hair Growth Serum is a scalp serum that goes right to the root. With potent ingredients like Stemoxydine and Resveratrol, it multiplies the number of hair with daily use to deliver denser hair*. Now you can get 1000+ new hairs in 6 weeks.*
Results from 6 weeks*.
*Clinical study with 79 women during 12 weeks.
For Hair Loss
If you’re losing a lot of hair from the scalp, it’s time to give your hair an expert-formulated fix. Try L’Oréal Professionnel’s Aminexil Advanced anti-hair loss serum, an advanced scalp serum to reduce hair loss and get healthy, voluminous hair. With potent ingredients like Aminexil 1.5%, the scalp serum helps strengthen your hair from roots to give you fuller and +87%** stronger hair in only 6 weeks*.
*Clinical study with 130 men for 6 weeks.
**Instrumental test after 1 application of tested products versus classical shampoo
How to Apply Hair Serum the Right Way
Using a hair serum is easy—but there’s a right way to do it if you want the best results. Here’s how to get the most out of every pump:
- Step 1: Start with 1–2 pumps, rub between your palms, and distribute it evenly on damp or towel-dried hair for better absorption.
- Step 2: Finger-comb your serum through mid-lengths and ends, where hair tends to be dry.
- Step 3: Use your hair serums consistently, especially if you’re using them for repair or growth.
Whether you want smoother, shinier hair or you’re targeting specific concerns like breakage or thinning, a good serum is the easiest way to level up your hair game. It’s fast, effective, and makes your hair look like you’ve just stepped out of the salon, even when you’re on day three of a wash. Try the Hair Quiz by L’Oréal Professionnel to get the best serum for your hair type.