TLDR Permanent waving weakens hair by altering its protein structure.
The study used Raman spectroscopy to analyze structural changes in permanent waved white human hair, revealing that the β-sheet/random coil content increased and α-helix content decreased in the cortex region, indicating a shift from α-helix to random coil forms in hair proteins. Despite this, the SS band intensity in the cortex matrix remained unchanged. Transmission electron microscopy showed significant disturbance in the cortex's macrofibril structure, while the cuticle remained largely unaffected. These changes in the cortex proteins were concluded to cause the reduction in tensile strength of the hair post-treatment.
29 citations,
August 2005 in “Biopolymers” L-cysteine slows down the breaking of bonds in hair due to electrostatic interactions.
52 citations,
February 2005 in “Biopolymers” Chemical hair straightening changes hair proteins and mostly fixes broken bonds.
16 citations,
October 2003 in “Journal of applied polymer science” 2-iminothiorane hydrochloride improves hair waving permanence without damage.
October 2024 in “Cosmetics” ATG effectively reduces hair frizz without damaging hair strength.
December 2023 in “The journal of physical chemistry. B (1997 : Online)” Human hair keratin might be good for filtering out harmful substances from water.
August 2024 in “Cosmetics” K18® and Olaplex® both effectively repair bleached hair, improving its strength, smoothness, and overall health.
Using enzymes to link proteins makes hair repair treatments more effective and long-lasting.
2 citations,
July 2023 in “Cosmetics” Surfactants in shampoos and conditioners remove some but not all lipids from hair, and more research is needed to understand their full impact.
