Impact of Acid ("Progressive Brush") and Alkaline Straightening on the Hair Fiber: Differential Effects on the Cuticle and Cortex Properties.

Background: Glyoxylic acid has emerged as a safe alternative to formol (formaldehyde) use as a hair straightener/relaxer. However, the possible damage to the hair fiber after its application is low known and/or published in the literature. Aims: This work aims to characterize hair locks treated with glyoxylic acid compared to traditional alkaline straighteners such as sodium and guanidine hydroxide and ammonium thioglycolate. Materials and Methods: The morphology of the hair cuticles was observed by scanning electron microscopy. Protein loss was assessed by the Lowry method modified by Peterson and as mechanical properties that were expressed in terms of tensile strength. Results: All products (sodium and guanidine hydroxides and ammonium thioglycolate) caused protein loss of about 2.5 µg/g, except glyoxylic acid that caused the worst damage (3.5 µg/g), in relation to the untreated (virgin) hair (1.12 µg/g), indicating that the chemical treatments can cause hair damage in both cuticles and cortex. The force to break the fibers treated with traditional straighteners based on sodium hydroxide, guanidine hydroxide, and ammonium thioglycolate was statistically the same. Conclusion: The treatment with glyoxylic acid showed rupture tensile statistically equivalent to the alkaline straighteners. The mechanism of action of glyoxylic acid does not appear to be based on breaking and rearrangement of disulfide bridges, but altered them, that influenced the hair strength. However, it is also essential to consider other factors relevant: technical application technique, reaction time, and interval of reapplication of the product, as this can change the pattern of the results obtained.

Protein loss in human hair from combination straightening and coloring treatments.

BACKGROUND: Hair chemical treatments, such as dyeing and straightening products, are known to cause damage that can be assessed by protein loss. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the hair protein loss caused by combined chemical treatments (dye and relaxer) using the validated bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method. Three kinds of straighteners, based on ammonium thioglycolate, guanidine hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, were evaluated and the least harmful combination indicated. METHODS: Caucasian virgin dark brown hair tresses were treated with developed natural brown color oxidative hair dyeing and/or straightening commercial products based on ammonium thioglycolate, sodium hydroxide, or guanidine hydroxide. Protein loss quantification was assessed by the validated BCA method which has several advantages for quantifying protein loss in chemically treated hair. RESULTS: When both treatments (straightening and dyeing) were combined, a higher negative effect was observed, particularly for dyed hair treated with sodium hydroxide. In this case, a 356% increase in protein loss relative to virgin hair was observed and 208% in relation to only dyed hair. The combination of dying and relaxers based on ammonium thioglycolate or guanidine hydroxide caused a small increase in protein loss, suggesting that these straightening products could be the best alternatives for individuals wishing to combine both treatments. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicated that when application of both types of products is desired, ammonium thioglycolate or guanidine hydroxide should be chosen for the straightening process.

Avaliação in vitro do efeito de diferentes processos de alisamento químico/térmico na fibra capilar / In vitro evaluation of the straightening effect by different chemical/thermal processes in the hair fiber

A aparência dos cabelos é de fundamental importância na sociedade atual. Estando em moda, cabelos mais lisos e com menos volume, os consumidores que antes os alisavam com produtos químicos e força mecânica, passaram a utilizar um tratamento térmico, além do secador de cabelos: as piastras ("chapinhas") que atuam em valores de temperatura ao redor de 230°C. Esse procedimento ocasiona além dos danos mecânicos e químicos também dano térmico, tornando os cabelos ainda mais fragilizados. O escopo deste estudo foi avaliar o dano na fibra capilar, de amostras não tratadas e nas que receberam aplicação de alisantes/relaxantes tradicionais e alternativos. O estudo foi dividido em cinco capítulos que avaliam: aplicação dos alisantes/relaxantes com ingredientes ativos distintos; danos mecânicos, perda Protéica; análise térmica e microscopia eletrônica de varredura. As amostras de cabelo utilizadas em todos os estudos foram tratadas como descrito no primeiro capítulo. Foram aplicados produtos comerciais contendo os seguintes ingredientes ativos: Hidróxido de Sódio, Tioglicolato de Amônio, Hidróxido de Guanidina (reação de hidróxido de cálcio com carbonato de guanidina), formaldeído e ácido glioxílico isolado e em combinação com carbocisteína. O uso de formaldeído e ácido glioxilico em formulações de alisantes/relaxantes está proibido pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária. Todos os produtos aplicados alisaram os cabelos; os procedimentos que utilizaram a piastra tornaram os fios mais lisos. Os alisantes/relaxantes à base de ácido glioxilico e formaldeído reduziram de forma expressiva a tensão de ruptura dos cabelos tornando-os mais frágeis. A maior perda protéica foi observada na amostra tratada com carbocisteína (1,74 mg/g cabelo). Nos estudos de análise térmica, na fase de desidratação a amostra tratada com carbocisteína apresentou maior perda de massa (15,17%); na fase de denaturação da proteína, a tratada com hidróxido de sódio (51,06%); e na fase de eliminação do material carbonáceo, todas as amostras apresentaram perda de massa maior que a amostra não tratada; as menores temperaturas de pico foram as das amostras sem tratamento alisante (630°C) e ácido glioxílico (640°C). Observando-se as imagens de microscopia eletrônica nota-se modificação nas bordas das cutículas das amostras indicando que sofreram agressão; o hidróxido de guanidina deixou adicionalmente resíduo; as amostras tratadas com ácido glioxílico e formaldeído apresentaram a formação de filme superficial como um "envelopamento" da fibra. Os resultados sugerem que não há predominância de um procedimento mais danoso que os demais; porém os que utilizaram a piastra (alisamentos/relaxamento ácidos) acentuaram os danos

The appearance of the hair is of fundamental importance in today's society. Being in fashion, hair straight and with less volume, consumers that before straighted hair with chemicals products and mechanical strength began to use a heat treatment, in addition to hair dryers: the hot plates ("chapinhas") acting on temperature values around 230°C. This procedure causes not only mechanical and chemical damage but also thermal one, making the hair more fragile. The scope of this study was to evaluate the damage to the hair fiber, in untreated samples and these receiving straighteners/relaxers application of traditional and alternative products.The study was divided into five chapters that evaluated: application of straighteners/relaxers with different active ingredients; mechanical damage, protein loss; thermal analysis and scanning electron microscopy. The hair samples used in all studies were treated as described in the chapter one. Commercial products containing the following active ingredients were used: Sodium Hydroxide, Ammonium Thioglycolate, Guanidine Hydroxide (calcium hydroxide reaction with guanidine carbonate), Formaldehyde and Glyoxylic Acid alone and in combination with Carbocysteine. The use of Formaldehyde andGlyoxylicAcid in straightening/relaxing formulations are prohibited by the National Agency for Sanitary Vigilance. All applied products, straight the hair samples; the procedures that used the hot plates become the hair more straight. The straightening/relaxing based on Glyoxylic Acid and Formaldehyde reduced significantly the hair break point making them more fragile. Most protein loss was observed in the sample treated with Carbocysteine (1.74mg/g hair).In the thermal analysis studies at the dewatering stage, Carbocystein treated samples showed greater weight loss(15.17%), at the protein denaturation stage this treated with Sodium Hydroxide (51.06%) and in the carbonaceous material elimination phase all samples showed mass loss greater than the untreated sample;. The lower peak temperatures were observed in the samples without treatment (630°C) and with Glyoxylic Acid (640°C). Observing the images of electron microscopy is noted the change in the cuticle aspect of the samples showing that the edges were damaged, Guanidine Hydroxide, left further residue: the samples treated with Glyoxylic Acid and Formaldehyde showed the formation of surface film as an "enveloping" fiber. The results suggest that there is not a predominance of a more harmful treatment than other, but those using hot plates(straightening/relaxing acids) emphasize the damage

Relaxing/straightening of Afro-ethnic hair: historical overview.

Afro-ethnic hair, when compared with naturally straight hair, presents some important variations such as differences in diameter in many points of the thread, ellipsoidal threads, and low trend of hydrating the scalp thus turning the hair drier, because the natural sebum distribution is irregular along the thread. This kind of hair may be straightened through both chemical and thermal methods. Straightening is a chemical process by which excessively curly hair is straightened in an irreversible way. Generally, the products used are formulated in a cosmetic emulsion with high pH. In this review, we present the historical development of hair straightening or relaxing through the evolution of the product categories.