Investigation of Human Hair Using ToF-SIMS: From Structural Analysis to the Identification of Cosmetic Residues
TLDR The conclusion is that a new method can identify cosmetic residues on hair and match them to their products.
The study explored the use of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for analyzing human hair, overcoming challenges posed by the hair's curvature and surface scales through delayed extraction and planar sectioning. The researchers successfully characterized the entire structure of human hair by longitudinally sectioning it and used atomic force microscopy (AFM) to assess surface variations due to cosmetic residues. They demonstrated that combining AFM with ToF-SIMS and principal component analysis could identify unknown cosmetic residues on hair, matching them to their original products. This method shows promise for investigating human hair and developing hair styling products within the cosmetic industry.
