DSC Investigations of Alpha-Keratins and the Specific Effects of Chemical Treatments on Human Hair

January 2006

FJ Wortmann, G Sendelbach, C. Popescu

TLDR Chemical treatments weaken hair's thermal stability and structure.

The study investigated the effects of chemical treatments on human hair using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to analyze the thermal stability of alpha-keratins. It was found that the denaturation temperature of hair increased with the cross-link density of the matrix, influenced by cystine. European human hair subjected to oxidative (bleaching) and reductive (perm-waving) treatments showed that both intermediate filaments (IFs) and IF-associated proteins (IFAPs) were similarly affected by bleaching, while reductive damage was more pronounced in IFs. The study revealed that oxidative treatments led to a decrease in denaturation temperature from 158°C to 138°C after seven treatments and a 40% reduction in native alpha-helix content. The kinetic analysis suggested that the matrix's viscosity plays a crucial role in controlling the denaturation process, with oxidative treatments potentially affecting the crystalline structure of IFs inhomogeneously.

View this study on escholar.manchester.ac.uk →

Discuss this study in the Community →

Related Community Posts Join

6 / 506 results

community here is why isotretinoin might cause hair loss and maybe why dupa happens.

in Research/Science 7 upvotes 2 years ago

Isotretinoin may cause hair loss by increasing DHT through a precursor androgen, DHEAS. Treatments like topical antiandrogens (RU58841, pyrilutamide) and drugs increasing PPAR-y expression (pioglitazone) might prevent this hair loss.

community Two Great Articles on NCBI That Summarize What We Actually Know About Finasteride Side Effects

in Finasteride 80 upvotes 6 years ago

The side effects of taking finasteride as a treatment for hair loss, with particular focus on its sexual and psychiatric side effects; research has indicated that there are high and low outliers in terms of prevalence of sexual side effects, but it is usually between 3-5%, while evidence of lasting sexual side effects comes from lower quality sources.

community Summary of Procapil video by Haircafe

in Minoxidil 2 upvotes 4 months ago

Procapil is marketed as a natural hair loss treatment but lacks strong evidence and is industry-biased. Minoxidil and Finasteride are the only FDA-approved treatments for androgenetic alopecia.

community New & Improved Hair Growth Stack for Maximum Results

in Treatment 4 upvotes 9 months ago

A user shared a hair growth stack using minoxidil sulfate, valproic acid, bimatoprost, blue copper peptide, and other ingredients, emphasizing a gel-based formula for better skin tolerance. Another user suggested adding a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor like finasteride or dutasteride for more effective long-term results.

community Bryan (the guy who reversed aging) shares treatment that reversed his hair loss

in Treatment 1095 upvotes 1 year ago

A person improved hair loss from Norwood 3 to Norwood 2 using a topical formula with minoxidil, dutasteride, and tretinoin, plus oral minoxidil and red light therapy. There is skepticism about the treatment's effectiveness and concerns about misleading comparison photos.

community Finasteride doubled my testosterone & estrogen

in Chat 232 upvotes 2 days ago

Finasteride increased testosterone and estrogen, stopped hair loss, and promoted regrowth. Users discussed side effects like libido changes and considered adding minoxidil and aromatase inhibitors.

Related Research

1 / 1 results

research Intermolecular Disulfide Cross-Linked Structural Change Induced by Permanent Wave Treatment of Human Hair with Thioglycolic Acid

1 citations , January 2013 in “PubMed”

Permanent wave treatment with thioglycolic acid changes hair structure by altering disulfide bonds.