Trend: beautiful and healthy hair

Elena Mospanova , Ph.D. Sc., associate professor, dermatocosmetologist, leading certified trainer of DermaQuest, scientific director of the Karse Group training center

“Everything in a person should be beautiful” - it’s hard to disagree with the classic. And the trend of recent years - beautiful and healthy skin - is only getting stronger. A modern girl or woman cares less about camouflage; for her, the even color and texture of the skin and the absence of rashes are more important. And the beauty market satisfies the needs of contemporaries, offering a wide range of cosmetic skin care products.

I would like to note another trend that has been clearly observed in recent years. And this is a trend for beautiful and healthy hair.

Beautiful hair is the calling card of a representative of the fair half of humanity. Having thick, shiny hair without split ends, a woman finds harmony with the world around her, her actions become confident, and her back straightens.

It should be recalled that hair, as an appendage of the skin, is a litmus test of the general physical and mental state of its owner. Chronic psycho-emotional stress and fatigue will definitely affect the condition of our clients’ hair. Therefore, first you need to advise them to reconsider their work schedule, daily routine, reduce stress levels and relax more, meditate, listen to relaxing music.

Of course, along with the search and rational treatment of the main cause of hair loss, weakening of hair, you should pay attention to cosmetic products for the care of the scalp. Hair products are an important tool in helping patients better tolerate alopecia and scalp treatments.

Surely both specialists and consumers have met and even believed marketing promises:

• Blondes have weaker hair than brunettes;
• “innovative” combs for the price of an airplane to prevent hair breakage;
• Shaving a child’s head bald in the first year of birth is a guarantee of thick hair in adulthood;
• “Horse” shampoo guarantees chic, shiny, thick hair;
• Sulfate-free shampoo guarantees healthy hair, etc.

What do experts say about this? Does shampoo really prevent hair loss?

Hair is a system with special chemical and physical behavior. It is a complex structure of several morphological components acting as a whole. The hair shaft is divided into three main zones (Fig. 1):

• cuticle;
• bark;
• brain matter.

The cuticle is a chemically resistant area and consists of scales (keratinocytes) overlapping flaps, like shingles on a roof. The shape and orientation of cuticle cells are responsible for the differential friction effect in hair. Each cuticle cell contains a thin protein membrane covered by a lipid layer that includes 18-methyleicosanoic acid (18-MEA) and free lipids. 18-MEA is responsible for the hydrophobicity of hair, and removing the lipid layer through alkaline chemical beauty treatments can damage the hair by increasing hydrophilicity.

Exposure to detergents, unprotected drying, sunlight, and alkaline chemical treatments reduces the lipid content of the cell surface, moving it from a hydrophobic state to a more hydrophilic, negatively charged surface (Figure 2).

Based on the above, hair damage caused by the use of chemical treatments can be minimized, avoided or corrected through the correct use of hair care products.

Hair cosmetics:

• increases hair hydrophobicity;
• strengthens the cuticle;
• minimizes electrical charges and frictional forces.

I would especially like to draw attention to the fact that cosmetic products are intended exclusively for the regrown part of the hair and scalp. Cosmetic products cannot have an impact on the embryonic structure.

Depending on the point of impact, hair care products can be divided into 2 categories (Figure 1).

Let's look at the most popular cosmetics

Shampoos . This group of drugs is most endowed with mythical power. What promises does the consumer not hear? And naturally, it tries to achieve the declared effect. But the hair didn’t grow and still doesn’t grow.

First of all, the consumer must understand that shampoos are designed to cleanse the hair and scalp. And the developer of the formulation of a cosmetic product takes into account precisely this aspect.

Traditionally, shampoo includes:

• surfactants (surfactants);
• foaming agents;
• conditioning agents;
• thickeners;
• viscosity regulators;
• pH regulators;
• preservatives;
• additives and other substances.

And this is where the consumer’s dilemma arises. On the one hand, the use of aggressive shampoos causes difficulties in detangling strands and the effect of abrasion. On the other hand, if shampoo formulas are not properly formulated, the abrasion of the fibers will be exacerbated.

I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the key ingredient that you should pay attention to when choosing a shampoo is surfactants. Table 2 presents the classification of surfactants and their nomenclature.

Table 2. Classification and nomenclature of surfactants

When choosing a shampoo, surfactants are recommended depending on the initial condition of the hair (Table 3).

Table 3. Selection of surfactants depending on the problem

So, you don’t need to believe magical marketing promises when choosing a shampoo, but you do need to pay attention to suitable surfactants. A correctly selected composition, with good cleaning properties, good foaming, and gentle treatment of the hair will bring pleasure from use and a beautiful appearance of the hair.

And one more point, very important: do not be afraid of sulfates!

Hair conditioner. It is this cosmetic product that will untangle tangles, make combing easier, give hair shine, softness, and protect it from erosion.

Sebum is by far the best natural hair conditioner. But it only covers the proximal 4 centimeters of the hair shaft. During the combing process, sebum is distributed distally and evenly throughout the hair.

The ideal conditioner, if it really existed, would match the components and natural properties of sebum, that is, a combination of free saturated/unsaturated fatty acids, squalene, cholesterol and triglycerides.

To meet the need, manufacturers include in air conditioners:

• mineral oils;
• vegetable oils;
• fatty alcohols/esters;
• humidifiers;
• hydrolyzed animal proteins;
• glycerol;
• stearalkonium chloride;
• propylene glycol;
• silicones (dimethicone) and others.
• It is these components that allow the air conditioner to perform key functions:
• improve combing;
• imitate the outer layer of natural hair lipid - 18-MEA;
• restore hydrophobicity;
• “seal” the cuticle;
• minimize frizz, friction - neutralize the negatively charged network;
• Add shine, smoothness and manageability to hair.

Different types of conditioners include rinses, leave-in rinses, and hair masks.

The effect of the conditioner can be compared to the effect of a facial moisturizer. After cleansing the skin with gels and foams, there is often a feeling of tightness, which immediately disappears after applying a moisturizer. Likewise, after cleansing with shampoo, hair receives a softening and moisturizing effect and delights with its beauty. Therefore, despite the extra five minutes of time that you need to spend on applying the conditioner, the effort will not be in vain - your hair will shine with a healthy shine.

Is it possible to harm your hair with excessive care? The answer is unequivocal - yes. Intensive hair care can be just as bad as no hair care. And if the volume of the hair has decreased, and a feeling of heaviness has appeared, if styling difficulties have arisen and the hair has become unruly, it is obvious that the excessive use of conditioning agents has negatively affected the condition of the hair.

I would like to share some more thoughts on the use of shampoos and conditioners. Following simple rules will lead to the long-awaited result:

• shampoo should be aimed at the scalp more than the hair;
• the entire scalp should be covered with shampoo from front to back, and a small amount of shampoo should be applied to each area of the scalp under the hair;
• applying shampoo to the top of the head is incorrect, as it will increase hair friction and cause tangling;
• after completely rinsing the shampoo, carefully dry your hair with a towel and apply conditioner along the entire length, avoiding contact with the scalp;
• the air conditioner must be completely rinsed;
• using hair conditioners after shampoo will reduce friction and make combing easier;
• if your hair is curly, you can use leave-in products when combing wet;
• Using leave-in products on straight hair can cause hair to look greasy and dull.

Conclusion. In the modern world, there has been a shift in emphasis from cleansing to proper care and respect for hair. Gone are the days when cosmetics served the sole purpose of cleansing. And also the days when “healthy hair” was simply disease-free hair. Today, important indicators of hair health are elasticity and shine, volume and smoothness, strength and absence of frizz. The use of cosmetics individually selected for your client will ensure the beauty and health of his hair.

Literature:

1. Maria Fernanda Reis Gavazzoni Dias. Hair Cosmetics: An Overview // Int J Trichology. 2015. - Jan-Mar; 7(1): 2–15.

2. Dauber R. Hair: its structure and reaction to cosmetic preparations. // Clin Dermatol. 1996. - 14: 105–12.

3. Madnani N, Khan K. Hair cosmetics. // Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2013. - 79:654–67.

4. Swift JA. The mechanics of fracture of human hair. // Int J Cosmet Sci. 1999. – 21:227–39.

5. Ralph M Trueb. Shampoos: ingredients, efficacy and adverse effects // J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. – 2007. - May;5(5):356-65

This and other interesting topics can be read in the magazine PRO Cosmetology by “Cosmeologist” No. 5-6, 2020