Smoothing services are having a moment, but this time around, smoothing means something completely different. Clients are not necessarily looking for hair that is pin-straight or overly sleek. They are asking for hair that feels easier to manage, is less affected by frizz, and quicker to style day to day.
Smoother, straighter hair is the number one most requested service in the salon¹, while 50% of clients say they’re worried about frizz, dryness, or manageability¹. That trend is suggesting that texture is still a major concern, but what many clients want now is not permanent straightening, they’re after a smoother, more controlled finish that still looks and feels like them.
This shift is especially important for color clients. As blonding appointments increase around this time of year, so does the conversation around what happens after the color service. Clients love adding brightness to their look, but they also want hair that holds up to humidity, takes less time to blow-dry, and looks more polished between visits. For stylists, this makes smoothing a natural addition to lightening services, especially when a client is already investing in a lighter result that requires more maintenance.
Manageability Over Everything Else
Most concerns aren’t just about texture, but how texture behaves. From frizz to uneven porosity, humidity and the impact of daily heat styling, all these factors can effect manageability and the finished style. Whatever the concern, the goals is usually less about removing texture entirely and more about making hair easier to live with.
That is why smoothing feels especially relevant now. Clients want hair that responds better to styling, holds its shape easily, and feels softer and more polished without losing natural movement. For blonding clients especially, smoothing can help make a lighter result feel more wearable day to day.
Why Smoothing Feels More Relevant
Traditional straightening services are designed to alter the natural structure of the hair. The goal is often to eliminate curls or waves and create a permanently straight result. That can also mean longer appointments, multiple steps, post-service restrictions, and a visible line of demarcation as the hair grows out.
Today, clients aren’t necessarily looking for that, they are looking for something more flexible. They want reduced frizz, easier and faster styling, and smoother results without committing to a permanent texture change or adjusting their entire routine around the service—that’s exactly where SmoothFiller fits.
Where SmoothFiller Fits In
SmoothFiller is a salon-exclusive, demi-permanent smoothing service created to improve manageability without permanently altering the hair’s natural texture. The formula does not contain keratin or protein. Instead, through thermal activation, its Smart Delivery System delivers the active ingredient into the hair fiber, where it fills porosity gaps by forming new, stable bonds within the hair’s protein structure.
That matters because porosity gaps can lead to frizz and make styling more difficult, particularly in humid conditions. By reinforcing the hair internally rather than coating the surface, SmoothFiller helps reduce frizz and support easier styling. Results can last up to three months and gradually soften over time without visible regrowth. And for curly/coily hair, SmoothFiller provides softness and easier manageability while maintaining the hair’s natural texture pattern.
SmoothFiller
A More Modern Smoothing Service
What makes SmoothFiller stand out is how easily it fits into daily salon routines. The service is completed in under two hours, with a 20-minute processing time and no additional rinsing required after heat activation. It uses one product and has no post-service restrictions, so clients can wash their hair, work out, or even swim the same day.
It is designed to fit into how clients already live, which makes smoothing feel more approachable for clients who may have been hesitant about it in the past.
The formula contains only eight carefully chosen ingredients and is silicone-free, mineral oil-free, fragrance-free, vegan, and low-fume. That cleaner, more streamlined approach is part of why services like this feel more in step with what clients are asking for now.
Designed to Work With Color Services
BlondorPlex 9 Powder Lightener
SmoothFiller can also be performed the same day as color services, allowing smoothing and color to be completed within one appointment. Grey coverage and lightening services³ such as highlights or balayage are best before the smoothing service. While glossing² can be applied immediately after SmoothFiller, allowing for a smooth and shiny finish in one appointment.
For blonding clients, this creates a natural service flow. BlondorPlex 9 Powder Lightener can be used first to support the lightening process, then SmoothFiller can follow as the smoothing step once the blonde work is complete. Instead of treating manageability as a separate concern for another visit, stylists can address brightness, frizz control, and daily styling ease in one appointment.
A Perfect New Service Pairing
SmoothFiller also opens up a stronger consultation moment. When a client is booking highlights, balayage, or a blonde refresh, they are already thinking about change, maintenance, and how their hair will fit into their routine. If they mention frizz, styling time, puffiness, or difficulty blow-drying, SmoothFiller becomes an easy service to introduce.
For salons, adding SmoothFiller to a blonding appointment can help increase the value of the visit while giving clients immediate results with hair that is softer, more controlled, and easier to style at home. It is not about adding another unnecessary step, but creating a hair goal and building the appointment around it.
Who It’s Best For
SmoothFiller + BlondorPlex 9 Powder Lightener is best for clients who want to go lighter while keeping their routine manageable. It is perfect for blonding clients who love the look of highlights, balayage, or brighter face-framing pieces, but have a hard time with frizz, blow-drying, or hair that feels harder to control between appointments.
It is also a strong option for clients who are naturally frizzy, frequently heat style, or struggle with humidity. BlondorPlex supports the lightening service and SmoothFiller helps improve manageability after for a finish that feels more wearable day to day.
How ULTIMATE SMOOTH Supports
Once hair feels brighter, smoother, softer, and easier to style, clients want to keep it that way. That is where ULTIMATE SMOOTH helps extend the result at home.
ULTIMATE SMOOTH is designed to deliver 96 hours of frizz control⁴ while supporting manageability, shine, and long-lasting smoothness as part of a healthy home care regimen. Starting with ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo and ULTIMATE SMOOTH Conditioner, hair is gently cleansed while helping remove metal buildup and replenish moisture for a smoother, more polished feel.
ULTIMATE SMOOTH Shampoo and ULTIMATE SMOOTH Conditioner
For anyone looking for additional smooth, the ULTIMATE SMOOTH Mask can be used weekly to restore smoothness and enhance shine in hair prone to frizz or dryness.
ULTIMATE SMOOTH Mask
To finish, the ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum nourishes hair in 30 seconds while providing heat and UV protection, helping maintain smoothness that lasts up to 3 days⁶, 96 hours of frizz control⁵, and up to 85% smoother hair⁷. Formulated with Squalane and Omega-9, it supports softness and manageability without weighing the hair down.
ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum
When used together, SmoothFiller and ULTIMATE SMOOTH create a perfect regimen from in-salon service to at-home care, so hair continues to feel manageable, polished, and easier to style between visits.
¹Source: H&P Care 2022, 8 countries (US BRA MX IT UK DE CHN JP), Women 15+ users of hair category / Circana US/ UK/ Germany 2023. H&P Styling US UK DE. Usage in the P12M
²Shinefinity and BlondorPlex Cream Toners are not recommended right after SmoothFiller. They are safe to use; however, the tone will not be as rich/not true-to-tone as expected.
³When using BlondorPlex, do not use WellaPlex No. 2. Up to 97% less breakage results are not guaranteed.⁴When using ULTIMATE SMOOTH Miracle Oil Serum.
⁵If unwashed for 3 days vs. untreated
⁶When using Miracle Oil Serum
⁷Vs. non-conditioning shampoo
