Novel Hair Conditioning System to Modulate the Cuticle Bi-Metallicity

Abstract

Damage to the cuticle layer makes it more difficult to smooth comb and style. In particular, the bleaching treatment not only degrades the main substrate, melanin, but also increases the friction of the hair surface due to lift-up of the cuticle. In this study, we investigated the mechanism of cuticle damage by bleaching treatment for the purpose of cuticle care. As a result, it was recognized that the bimetallic effect caused by ionization of the side-chain carboxyl group of proteins promotes lift-up of the cuticle. We proposed the term “Cuticle Bi-metallicity” for this mechanism and found glutamic acid as its modulation factor. Furthermore, it was revealed by a novel visualization and quantification system that glutamic acid treatment significantly decreased cuticle removal because of combing. These results suggest that glutamic acid modulates the cuticle bimetallicity by repairing the ionization of carboxyl groups in the cuticle layer caused by bleaching treatment.