No — hair glosses are not damaging to hair when used correctly. Semi-permanent gloss treatments deposit pigment and shine onto the hair shaft without the oxidative process that permanent color uses, which means the structural integrity of the hair strand stays intact.

Most of the damage concerns attached to hair glosses trace back to misuse: applying a gloss treatment over already-compromised hair, leaving it on beyond the recommended time, or confusing a gloss with a hold product and layering it incorrectly into a routine. The Sportin Waves High Five Gloss, for example, is a clay-based finish treatment meant to go over an established wave routine — not a daily pomade substitute. Using it as one adds unnecessary product weight and residue without the hold benefit, which is where frustration and scalp buildup complaints originate.

  • Semi-permanent glosses like the High Five Gloss do not use peroxide, so no oxidative hair damage occurs.
  • The Sportin Waves High Five Gloss is a clay-based, 8 fl oz semi-permanent treatment — not a pomade or daily hold product.
  • Hair gloss treatments are finish-layer products; applying them without an established wave routine underneath produces no hold benefit.
  • Build-up risk with gloss products increases when layered over petroleum-based pomades that have not been fully rinsed out first.

Safety Notes

  • Damaged or chemically treated hair: Don't apply the Sportin Waves High Five Gloss over bleached, relaxed, or heat-damaged hair — porous strands absorb product unevenly and trap residue.
  • Unrinsed petroleum base: Applying High Five Gloss over Murray's, DAX, or any petroleum pomade that hasn't been fully removed locks residue against the scalp and accelerates buildup.
  • Overuse frequency: High Five Gloss is a finish treatment, not a daily product — using it every session adds clay residue that a single shampoo may not fully clear.
  • Scalp contact: Apply High Five Gloss to the hair shaft only; direct scalp application of a clay-based gloss clogs follicles faster than a gel-pomade base would.