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Showing posts from September, 2013

Update to Penetrating Oils Post

This is the original post , with the updated list. I've done a little more research and this may be more accurate. Because all these oils have not been tested side-by-side using the same technology, it's a little tricky to guess which ones actually will do what is predicted. And of course, your hair will be the best judge of which oil may work best for you.

Different Porosity, Same Hair

It's fairly common to have hair that is porous on the ends, but not at the roots. That means different parts or your hair require rather different care. How easily your hair becomes porous with just normal wear and tear and weathering depends on a lot of things. In fact, the kind of porosity your hair accumulates can be very different from person to person. How can the ends of your hair become porous? The ends of your hair are the oldest - they have had the most time to accumulate damage. While you up to 11 layers of cuticles covering your hair, if your hair is long there may be few layers left on the ends.  Brushing, combing, detangling, sleeping, wearing hats and collars, blowing around in the wind, wearing ponytails and braids and barrettes; these activities cause cuticles to chip or break away completely. Even more dramatic is over-washing the hair (especially if using strong or concentrated detergents), bleaching, highlighting or lightening the hair, permanent dyeing the hair ...

More About Protein

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I have been researching protein for use in hair products to see whether there is any background for predicting which proteins will work well for which hair (if they are helpful at all). ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 What have I found? Not much that is well-tested. What does that mean? You're on your own?! I think there are some guiding themes not so much in your hair's thickness or density or curliness - but in the effect you want and the composition of the proteins themselves. I don't believe I can create a "mix and match" guideline, but at least you'll have more information to explain your hair's reaction.   ©Science-y Hair Blog 2013 Proteins condition your hair. First of all, protein is regarded as a conditioning  ingredient in two respects. One in that it can in some cases bond to hair and also that it can soften, reduce static and improve the feel and luster of hair. Being oil-free and not waxy nor oil-based makes proteins well-suited conditioners for hai...

Update to Hydrolyzed Protein List

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I have been updating my list of hydrolyzed proteins by weight, you can find the new list in this old post. I also learned that hydrolyzed collagen and gelatin (partially hydrolyzed collagen) contain significant concentrations of amino acids which are beneficial to hair strength - many of which are found naturally in high concentrations in the cuticle of hair, already serving a functional role. Those include Proline (not found in most other hydrolyzed proteins), Glutamic acid, Valine, a little Cysteine and Histidine. © Science-y Hair Blog 2013 Hydrolyzed collagen adsorbs (temporarily bonds to) hair, increasing it's resistance to breaking under tension. The more concentrated the collagen in a formula, the more will bond to hair - at least up to a point. The smaller the collagen molecule, the better it bonds to hair - so hydrolyzed collagen will bond to hair better than and longer-lasting than gelatin you can buy over the counter. If your hair is damaged (on the ends, for example) it ...