- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Quality Better in Northeast, Midwest
- Obesity May Raise Kids' Allergy Risk
- Folic Acid Might Offer Allergy Relief
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Ginkgo No Shield Against Alzheimer's
- Soybean Chemicals May Reduce Effects of Menopause
- Needling Away Your Headaches With Acupuncture
- ANIMAL CARE
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Rheumatoid Arthritis Hits Women Harder
- Tequila Plant May Help Fight Bone Loss
- Healthy adults have potential autoimmune disease-causing cells
- CANCER
- Physical Activity May Prolong Survival After Colon Cancer
- Yoga May Bring Calm to Breast Cancer Treatment
- Smokeout '08: The Perfect Time to Quit
- CAREGIVING
- Many Hospital Patients Can't ID Their Doctors
- Study Casts Doubt on Influential Hospital Safety Survey
- For Dialysis Patients, More Pills = Lower Quality of Life
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Night Shift Work Hard on the Heart
- Review Confirms Links Between Diet, Heart Health
- Grapefruit-Heavy Diet Helped Spur Dangerous Clot
- COSMETIC
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- Mouse Study Finds Molecule That Tells Hair to Grow
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- Scientists Find Gene for Tooth Enamel
- Biological Product Shows Promise Against Gum Disease
- DIABETES
- Strict Blood Sugar Lowering Won't Ease Diabetes Heart Risk
- Older Diabetics With Depression Face Higher Death Rate
- Whole Grains Take a Bite Out of Type 2 Diabetes Risk
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Compound in Berries May Lessen Sun Damage
- Fish Oil's Benefits Remain Elusive
- Quick Weight Loss May Be Best for Long-Term Success
- DISABILITIES
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Disinfectants Can Boost Bacteria's Resistance to Treatment
- Restaurant Sushi May Have More Mercury Than Store-Bought Fare
- Preparing for a Chlorine Gas Disaster
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Kids Who Spend More Time Outdoors Have Better Vision
- Thyroid Problems Boost Glaucoma Risk
- Too Much Sun, Too Few Antioxidants Spell Eye Trouble
- FITNESS
- Exercise Key Player in Knee Replacement Recovery
- Marathoners Go the Distance on Heart Health
- Simple Exercise Precautions To Help Keep Baby Boomers Fit
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Research Confirms How Valuable A Healthy Lifestyle Can Be
- Can a Bad Boss Make You Sick?
- Eating Healthy : You Can Live Longer
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- Magnet Therapy May Ease Hard-to-Treat Depression
- Using Light Therapy to Silence Harmful Brain Activity
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- B-Vitamins Help Protect Against Stroke, Heart Disease
- Irregular Heartbeat Tied to Alzheimer's Disease
- Vigorous Exercise Cuts Stroke Risk for Men, Not Women
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Viral Infection Might Trigger High Blood Pressure
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Older Adults May Have Some Immunity to Swine Flu
- KID'S HEALTH
- Wood Fires Can Harm the Youngest Lungs
- Daily Exercise at School Yields Rewards
- School Meals Need to Get Healthier
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Whole Grains, Bran May Fight Hypertension in Men
- Strenuous Daily Workout May Keep Cancer at Bay
- More Vitamin C May Mean Less Chance of Gout
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Keeping a Healthy Holiday Balance
- Have a Goal in Life? You Might Live Longer
- Using the Mind to Heal the Heart
- PAIN
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- PREGNANCY
- Sleeping Could Help Women Lose The Baby Fat
- Breast-Feeding Benefits Moms and Babies
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- SENIORS
- Boost In Elderly Population Will Be Felt Worldwide
- For a Healthier Retirement, Work a Little
- Rapid Weight Loss in Seniors Signals Higher Dementia Risk
Science May Banish Bad Hair Days
By eHolistic.com Published: 08/18/2008
MONDAY, Aug. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Whether it's frizzy or flyaway, nearly everyone puts up with an unruly head of hair from time to time. Now scientists have trained their microscopes on hair to find out why it misbehaves -- and how to tame it.
In a new study, said to be the first of its kind, German researchers say they've gotten extreme-close-up views of how hair fibers interact. Their insights could lead to products that banish bad hair days for good, they say.
"At the moment, it is not known why hair feels good," explained study co-author Eva Max, a doctoral student in chemistry at the University of Bayreuth in Germany. That, in turn, makes it difficult to scientifically study hair care products, which make up a $60 billion industry worldwide.
In the new study, Max and colleagues explored the workings of hair with an atomic-force microscope and samples of Caucasian female hair. The study authors were scheduled to present their findings Aug. 17 at the American Chemical Society's national meeting, in Philadelphia.
According to the team, damage to hair causes scaly projections to protrude from hair fibers. These projections create friction with other fibers and make hair feel rough to the touch and hard to comb.
The researchers also found that electrical charges build up on hair, causing friction.
The next step is to figure out what happens to the hair when it's exposed to hair-care products such as shampoo and conditioner.
"There are several changes that take place at the same time when hair is exposed to hair care products, and it will help greatly to understand which of those changes is crucial for optimizing hair care," Max said. "If, for example, it would turn out that there is an optimum friction between single hairs for pleasant (touch), the molecular composition of hair-care products can be optimized to achieve this friction."
Steven Shiel, who studies hair at Proctor & Gamble, said the German research could help shed more light on how hair fibers interact and lead to better hair care products. "Those invisible-to-the-eye changes have a great impact on how the ingredients in the products affect the hair," he said.
Hair styling products have become more sophisticated in recent years, and this has much to do with science, said Shiel, an associate director with P&G Beauty.
"A lot of this is based on this fundamental understanding of hair's underlying structure and properties," he said. "Fundamentally understanding the hair structure is really important in terms of developing products that really deliver."
-Randy Dotinga
More information
Learn about hair loss and disease from the National Institutes of Health.
SOURCES: Eva Max, doctoral student, University of Bayreuth, Germany; Steven Shiel, Ph.D., associate director, Proctor & Gamble Beauty, Cincinnati; Aug. 17, 2008, American Chemical Society National Meeting, Philadelphia
Last Updated: Aug. 18, 2008
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