Why we need proper hair
care - the science behind it
With
the proper understanding of how the different parts
of the hair are affected by the way you care for it,
it will be easier for you to take proper care of you
hair and reduce hair loss.
What's
in the hair
The
hair on your head is dead. It is made up of dead cells
produced at about 1/4 inch below the skin. The hair
bulb is an active factory that is responsible for making
the hair.
Hair
Bulb
Human
hair is made up of an outer rubbery layer called the
cuticle. The cuticle has inner individual bundles
of hair called the cortex. The cuticle gives
the hair its rounded shape. If we strip away this coating,
it will reveal a bundle of cortex looking like a series
of bundled wires.
These
bundles, called spindles are made up of even smaller
bundles that twists when they are made. The hair of
ethnic Africans are 12 times as twisted as the Caucasions'.
They are also more vulnerable to damage.
The
Effect of Combing
Like
scales on a fish, the scales on the cuticle are laid
the same way. When you comb against the grain, you can
do damage to the cuticle.
The
scales on the cuticle also make it porous to make it
breathe. Combing your hair in the same direction as
the scales help this breathing.
Natural
bonding of the hair
Bonds
help to hold the hair in a certain direction. They can
be broken or rearranged when the the hair is permed
or straightened. There three types of bonds that determine
the strength or lift of the hair.
Hydrogen
Bonds
These
bonds break down easily and give flexibility to the
hair. Wetting your hair will make it come apart. They
come back again when the hair dries.
Salt
Bonds
These
are temporary and easy to rearrange because they are
water dependent and esily dissolved when your hair is
washed. Weak alkaline products such as ammonia or acid
solutions that contain chlorine or copper peptides can
easily break salt bonds. So can changes in pH. These
bonds can be formed again by normalizing the pH level
of the hair with normalizing solutions.
Disulfide
Bonds
These
bonds are stronger than hydrogen or salt bonds but there
are fewer of them.They are relatively permanent and
can only be changed with perming and relaxing agents.
They cannot be broken by heat or water.
You
can stretch wet hair by as much as 30 percent. When
you put rollers on wet hair, the hydrogen bonds assume
the shape of the rollers.
Sebum
keeps the hair greased
The
sebaceous glands underneath the scalp constantly supply
a waxy material called sebum that keeps your
hair healthy. The sebum is secreted through the pores
of the skin and works its way to the hair as hair moves
against each other. The shorter the hair, the higher
the concentration of the sebum. There is nothing you
can do about oily hair other than washing it with shampoo.
Many
teenagers suffer from greasy hair because their subaceous
glands are more active. Many people believe that there
is a link between DHT hormone levels and sebum production
but there is no scientific evidence for this.
Important read on better hair care below:
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