Multimodal Evidence of Mesostructured Calcium Fatty Acid Deposits in Human Hair and Their Role on Hair Properties
September 2018
in “
ACS applied bio materials
”
calcium fatty acid deposits cuticle layers synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence X-ray scattering focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy scanning transmission electron microscopy X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy Fourier transform infrared imaging Raman imaging mesostructured calcium C16/C18 saturated fatty acids sebum X-ray microtomography FIB/SEM calcium deposits cuticle X-ray fluorescence FIB-SEM STEM EDS FTIR imaging saturated fatty acids microtomography
TLDR Calcium fatty acid deposits found in human hair can change its appearance and feel.
The study provided conclusive evidence of exogenous calcium fatty acid deposits in human hair, which formed between cuticle layers and grew large enough to affect the hair's optical and mechanical properties. Using a multimodal analytical approach, including synchrotron micro X-ray fluorescence, X-ray scattering, FIB-SEM, scanning transmission electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared and Raman imaging, the researchers identified these deposits as meso-phases composed of calcium C16/C18 saturated fatty acids from natural sources like sebum. X-ray microtomography and FIB/SEM revealed the deposits' location and volumetric shape.
