A treatment built specifically for hair that has lost its shine and smoothness from heat styling. Curling irons, flat irons, and blow dryers weaken the hair's cuticle over time, leaving strands dull, rough, and harder to style cleanly. THE ANSWER EX Gloss Treatment targets that damage with a high-concentration formula of malic acid and lanolin fatty acid, the two repair ingredients Kao identified as most effective for restoring gloss and smoothness to heat-damaged hair, alongside all five of the essential hair-beautifying ingredients developed through 100 years of Kao hair care research.

Heat damage disrupts the hair cuticle, the outermost layer of each strand, causing it to lift and roughen. A lifted cuticle scatters light instead of reflecting it, which is why heat-damaged hair looks dull rather than glossy. Malic acid, present here at high concentration, smooths the cuticle back down, restoring the flat, even surface that gives hair its shine. Lanolin fatty acid, also at high concentration in this variant, replenishes the fatty acids that heat depletes from the strand, adding softness and weight that helps hair lie smooth. The rich, stringy texture coats each strand evenly and holds in place while the ingredients work before rinsing clean.