Raman Spectroscopy and Electronic Microscopy Structural Studies of Caucasian and Afro Human Hair
May 2019
in “
Heliyon
”
thermal treatment bleaching straightening Raman spectroscopy scanning electron microscopy S-S bond C-S bond C-C bond S-O bond protein structures morphological analysis heat treatment bleach hair straightening Raman SEM disulfide bond carbon-sulfur bond carbon-carbon bond sulfur-oxygen bond protein structure morphology
TLDR Hair treatments cause significant structural changes, especially with excessive heat, regardless of ethnicity.
The study analyzed structural changes in Caucasian and Afro hair after thermal, bleaching, and straightening treatments using Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It found that treatments altered important molecular bonds (S-S, C-S, C-C, S-O) and protein structures. Excessive heat caused the most significant changes in Raman spectral band intensity. Multiple treatments on the same hair led to more pronounced structural changes. Morphological analysis revealed distinct deformation patterns for each treatment. Differences between the two ethnic groups' hair were minimal for each treatment.
