Prevention of Lipid Loss from Hair by Surface and Internal Modification

The study investigated methods to prevent lipid loss from hair caused by surfactants during washing, focusing on surface and internal modifications. Surface modification with highly charged cationic polymers reduced the loss of fatty acids and cholesterol by 22-32%, while internal modification using a carbodiimide reaction prevented 52.0-81.3% of squalene and wax esters from being lost. The study concluded that different lipids are affected by distinct mechanisms, with surface treatments primarily preventing the loss of amphipathic lipids and internal modifications effectively retaining hydrophobic lipids. The findings provided insights into surfactant-induced lipid loss and suggested strategies for protecting hair lipids.