The Future of Hair Health: How Olaplex Is Redefining Repair Through Biotech and Longevity Science

Lavinia Popescu, Chief Scientist at Olaplex, shares how new peptide technologies, epigenetic research, and region-specific innovation are shaping the next era of professional haircare.

The new science of hair resilience

In 2025, haircare is evolving beyond repair, it’s entering a new age of biotechnology. As consumers demand both performance and personalization, brands are turning to science to decode the biology of hair itself. Few companies illustrate this transformation as clearly as Olaplex.

At Beautyworld Middle East, Lavinia Popescu, Chief Scientist at Olaplex, discussed how the brand is advancing its research to meet the demands of extreme environments like the Gulf region while pioneering longevity-driven innovation.

“Middle Eastern climates are truly unique,” she explains. “The humidity, extreme heat, chlorine, and dust all contribute to serious hair damage. These environmental stressors demand advanced solutions.”

For Olaplex, that solution has always begun at the molecular level. Its patented bond-building technology, built around bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate, remains the backbone of the brand. But in regions like the Middle East, Popescu notes, protection products such as No.9—which shields against UV and pollution, are becoming essential, while its reparative shampoos and conditioners help “restore, protect, and replenish the hair, especially the cuticle.”

Repairing from within: The professional foundation

Olaplex’s identity is rooted in salon science. “We began in the professional salon world in 2014,” says Popescu. “Our founders, Dean and Darcy Crystal, created Olaplex as a solution for blondes whose hair was suffering extreme damage from repeated bleaching.”

Today, those professional formulas remain at the heart of Olaplex’s credibility. Products No.1 and No.2—used during and after chemical services—continuously repair broken disulfide bonds throughout the coloring process. “When used properly,” she says, “they transform damaged hair. It won’t be ‘virgin’ again, but it will feel supernatural, healthy and resilient even in harsh environments like Dubai.”

This commitment to professional-grade efficacy has established Olaplex as a bridge between salon science and consumer innovation, setting a new standard for measurable repair.

The next frontier: Peptides and biotech innovation

Olaplex’s recent acquisition of Pürvital, an MIT-affiliated biotech company specializing in protein and peptide research, marks a turning point. Popescu sees it as the start of a new scientific chapter for the brand.

“Since hair is made of keratin, a protein, these new peptides can actually build stronger, healthier hair than you were born with,”

she explains. “They influence how color adheres, how hair repairs itself, even how fine hair becomes more manageable. This is the next frontier.”

By integrating biotech research directly into its formulation pipeline, Olaplex is moving from restoration to optimization, developing ingredients that work with the body’s biology rather than against it.

Longevity and the epigenetic revolution

The intersection of hair health and longevity science is one of the most exciting frontiers in beauty today. Popescu believes the principles driving skincare’s longevity revolution are now extending to scalp and hair biology.

“Longevity is at the heart of everything in beauty and wellness,” she says. “It’s rooted in epigenetics, how your environment affects gene expression. You can’t change your DNA, but 80% of aging is caused by external factors like UV, pollution, stress, and inflammation.”

By studying how these stressors influence gene expression, known as DNA methylation, Olaplex aims to develop technologies that could prevent damage at its source.

“Imagine being able to stop UV damage at the genetic level,”

She says. “We’re getting very close.” This research has particular relevance for women experiencing hormonal transitions such as perimenopause and menopause, where thinning and weakening hair fibers become common. “Traditional treatments like minoxidil help temporarily,” Popescu explains, “but once you stop, the benefits go away. We’re working on biotech-driven peptides that target the exact gene expressions behind these changes, creating sustainable, long-term improvements.”

Toward personalization and predictive diagnostics

The future of haircare, Popescu emphasizes, will be both diagnostic and deeply personal. Olaplex is exploring advanced tools that measure an individual’s epigenetic age using what scientists call an “aging clock.”

“It allows us to see not just your chronological age, but how your body is responding to the environment,” she says. “Once we understand that, we can recommend tailored treatments, whether your genes overreact to UV or are linked to hair loss.

This level of personalization will change everything.”

That same logic of customization is already visible in Olaplex’s latest launch: a new range of synergistic hair masks designed for specific textures. “Fine hair needs volume, coarse hair needs more oils,” she explains. “These masks are like skincare for hair—the more you use them, the better the results.”

About Lavinia

Lavinia Popescu is Chief Scientist at Olaplex, leading global research into bond-building, peptide technology, and epigenetic innovation. With a background in biochemical engineering, she is driving the brand’s evolution from professional repair pioneer to biotech beauty leader, redefining the science of hair health for the decade ahead.