In Situ Tensile Deformation Characterization of Human Hair with Atomic Force Microscopy

December 2007 in “ Acta materialia ”

Indira Seshadri, Bharat Bhushan

human hair cuticle structure tensile stress virgin hair chemically damaged hair mechanically damaged hair conditioner-treated hair stress-strain behavior tensile properties cuticle damage hair fibers hair repair products

Studysummary This study conducted in situ tensile loading experiments with atomic force microscopy to observe how conditioning treatments affect the tensile response of virgin, chemically damaged, and mechanically damaged Caucasian hair.

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This study utilized atomic force microscopy (AFM) to examine the response of human hair fibers, particularly the cuticle structure, to tensile stress. The research compared virgin, chemically damaged, mechanically damaged, and conditioner-treated hair samples. Key findings included the ability to systematically track deformation and morphological changes in hair fibers, the distinct stress-strain behavior of human hair, and the impact of chemical and mechanical damage on hair's tensile properties. The study highlighted the importance of understanding cuticle damage for developing targeted hair repair products.

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