Jeni Giles
Well-Known Member
Fingernails, Crab, Lobster, Clams, Sponges what do all of these things have in common with hair? THEIR STRUCTURE!! They all share a similar protein called Keratin. Keratin is one of 22 amino acids found in nature and one that hair messers and nail fixers play with on a daily basis.
We all know that Keratin starts out as a soft, pliable cell and dies, dries and flattens on the way to becoming a cuticle cell. We know that our fingernails are comprised of Keratin and that we have keratin in our skin. The hair fiber is made almost entirely of keratin protein. 97% of our hair is keratin protein the other 3% is trace minerals. This ratio is an average and can be changed by diet, medication, pregnancy and illegal drugs. Any thing you eat, drink or smoke will remain in your hair for up to 6 months. In the US they are beginning to use hair samples for random drug testing because it is more accurate and you cannot erase what has been left behind in your hair.
OK, so now we know that hair is like a fingernail but really, who cares??
Well....apparently from the amount of questions that have been posed about what should I use and what would be best for my hair, we all do. The best answer I can give for that is, YOUR HAIRSTYLIST. They are the ones who know the chemicals that have been used, processing times and see your hair on a regular basis, for those of you who "shop hop" find someone and stick with them!!
Having said that, the hair fiber itself is comprised of 3 layers, 2 of which are found in all hair and the 3rd found predominately in non pigmented and very coarse hair. The outermost layer is the cuticle, which is actually layer upon layer of clear, compact, tightly packed together cells that protect the inner structure. Think of a crab leg, the hard outer covering protects the soft inner structures. When the hair is in good condition the cuticle is mostly flat and reflects light back to the eye. Shampoos and conditioners that claim to repair or fill in gaps are usually composed of methylparaben, a highly effective preservative, that adheres to the raised surface and coats it. The hair feels nice but may not be structurally sound. It will however be preserved in its present state for oh...7,000 years or so.
The inner layer of the hair is the cortex, this is what concerns hairstylists and colorists most. This is where chemical reactions take place, once this structure is altered, it is permanent until that hair is grown out and cut off. Just because you colored it dark after you had been double process blond does not mean that your hair integrity has been restored. The cortex has side chains that hold the keratin protein in line and make the structure we call hair. People who have very coarse hair or people with very curly hair have more of these side chains. This can be an advantage when performing chemical services because there is a more resilient structure to work with.
Hmmm, that 3rd layer, the one not everybody has....well it's the medulla. Simply put it is a hollow space with no known function. It is typically not found in fine hair, often not in curly hair either until it turns grey. The scientific consensus seems to be that once the pigment is no longer being produced, it leaves a hollow space. Ever notice how that one grey hair stands straight up? Well, that's the medulla at work. It's similar to the principle of a flag pole, flag poles are hollow so they stay more rigid, the hollow structure allows them to withstand wind, heat expansion and cold contraction with out breaking down. A solid piece of metal at the same length is flexible.
Now lets talk about coarse and fine, coarse hair has more cortex, less cuticle about 10% cuticle to 90% cortex. Fine hair has more cuticle less cortex close to 60% cuticle and 40% cortex. Medium hair or what we would consider "normal" may fall anywhere between. This would be why it is so important to get recommendation from your stylist for home care products. They are able to assess the type of hair you have and what kind of product you need. Typically people with coarse or curly hair need humectant or moisturizing products and those with fine hair need protein based products but too much of one or the other can cause problems.
The whole point knowing what your hair is made of and why we should care is so that we understand better why our stylist has made certain recommendations, like we do with solar oil and after care leaflets, so that we will make the same investment in our hair that we expect our clients to with their nails. Your stylist really does know best!
We all know that Keratin starts out as a soft, pliable cell and dies, dries and flattens on the way to becoming a cuticle cell. We know that our fingernails are comprised of Keratin and that we have keratin in our skin. The hair fiber is made almost entirely of keratin protein. 97% of our hair is keratin protein the other 3% is trace minerals. This ratio is an average and can be changed by diet, medication, pregnancy and illegal drugs. Any thing you eat, drink or smoke will remain in your hair for up to 6 months. In the US they are beginning to use hair samples for random drug testing because it is more accurate and you cannot erase what has been left behind in your hair.
OK, so now we know that hair is like a fingernail but really, who cares??
Well....apparently from the amount of questions that have been posed about what should I use and what would be best for my hair, we all do. The best answer I can give for that is, YOUR HAIRSTYLIST. They are the ones who know the chemicals that have been used, processing times and see your hair on a regular basis, for those of you who "shop hop" find someone and stick with them!!
Having said that, the hair fiber itself is comprised of 3 layers, 2 of which are found in all hair and the 3rd found predominately in non pigmented and very coarse hair. The outermost layer is the cuticle, which is actually layer upon layer of clear, compact, tightly packed together cells that protect the inner structure. Think of a crab leg, the hard outer covering protects the soft inner structures. When the hair is in good condition the cuticle is mostly flat and reflects light back to the eye. Shampoos and conditioners that claim to repair or fill in gaps are usually composed of methylparaben, a highly effective preservative, that adheres to the raised surface and coats it. The hair feels nice but may not be structurally sound. It will however be preserved in its present state for oh...7,000 years or so.
The inner layer of the hair is the cortex, this is what concerns hairstylists and colorists most. This is where chemical reactions take place, once this structure is altered, it is permanent until that hair is grown out and cut off. Just because you colored it dark after you had been double process blond does not mean that your hair integrity has been restored. The cortex has side chains that hold the keratin protein in line and make the structure we call hair. People who have very coarse hair or people with very curly hair have more of these side chains. This can be an advantage when performing chemical services because there is a more resilient structure to work with.
Hmmm, that 3rd layer, the one not everybody has....well it's the medulla. Simply put it is a hollow space with no known function. It is typically not found in fine hair, often not in curly hair either until it turns grey. The scientific consensus seems to be that once the pigment is no longer being produced, it leaves a hollow space. Ever notice how that one grey hair stands straight up? Well, that's the medulla at work. It's similar to the principle of a flag pole, flag poles are hollow so they stay more rigid, the hollow structure allows them to withstand wind, heat expansion and cold contraction with out breaking down. A solid piece of metal at the same length is flexible.
Now lets talk about coarse and fine, coarse hair has more cortex, less cuticle about 10% cuticle to 90% cortex. Fine hair has more cuticle less cortex close to 60% cuticle and 40% cortex. Medium hair or what we would consider "normal" may fall anywhere between. This would be why it is so important to get recommendation from your stylist for home care products. They are able to assess the type of hair you have and what kind of product you need. Typically people with coarse or curly hair need humectant or moisturizing products and those with fine hair need protein based products but too much of one or the other can cause problems.
The whole point knowing what your hair is made of and why we should care is so that we understand better why our stylist has made certain recommendations, like we do with solar oil and after care leaflets, so that we will make the same investment in our hair that we expect our clients to with their nails. Your stylist really does know best!
