- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- Air Pollution May Raise Blood Pressure
- Herbal Remedy Could Halt Peanut Allergy
- Climate Change Could Sting Allergy, Asthma Sufferers
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Indian Spice May Thwart Liver Damage
- Holistic Treatment for Candida Infection
- Indigo Ointment Benefits Psoriasis Patients
- ANIMAL CARE
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- Beware of Dog Bites
- BONES & JOINTS
- Genes May Help Drive Rotator Cuff Injury
- Sea Worm Inspires Novel Bone Glue
- Soccer's a Winner for Building Bone Health in Girls
- CANCER
- Hypnosis Cuts Hot Flashes for Breast Cancer Survivors
- Women Smokers Lose 14.5 Years Off Life Span
- Some Spices Cut Cancer Risk That Comes With Grilled Burgers
- CAREGIVING
- Robots May Come to Aging Boomers' Rescue
- Study Links Pesticides to Birth Defects
- Injected Medication Errors a Major Problem
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- An Apple a Day May Help Keep Heart Disease Away
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- COSMETIC
- What to Do If You Have Unsightly Veins
- New Genetic Links to Baldness Discovered
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- DENTAL, ORAL
- A Sweet Way to Shield Baby's Teeth
- An Oral Approach to Heart Disease
- Acupuncture May Ease Anxiety Over Dental Work
- DIABETES
- Arthritis Hits More Than Half of Diabetics
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
- DIET, NUTRITION
- Occaisonal Dieting May Cut Breast Cancer, Study Says
- Eating Free Range
- 6 Million U.S. Kids Lack Enough Vitamin D
- DISABILITIES
- Review Finds Marijuana May Help MS Patients
- Could Your Cell Phone Help Shield You From Alzheimer's?
- ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- Population-Based Strategy Urged to Cut U.S. Obesity Rate
- Plastics Chemical Tied to Aggression in Young Girls
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Americans Losing Sight of Eye Health
- Kids' Eye Injuries From Golf Clubs Rare But Severe
- Sports Eye Injuries Leading Cause of Blindness in Youths
- FITNESS
- School Phys. Ed. Injuries Up 150 Percent
- Exercise Extends Life of Kidney Patients
- Exercise May Prevent Prostate Cancer: Study Shows
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Peppermint Oil, Fiber Can Fight Irritable Bowel
- HRT Use Raises Risk of Stomach Trouble
- Intestinal Bacteria Trigger Immune Response
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Air Pollution May Raise Blood Pressure
- Proven Strategies for Avoiding Colds and the Flu
- Any Old Cane Won't Do
- HEAD & NECK
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Combating Myths About Seasonal Allergies
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Shedding Light on Why Omega-3 Fatty Acids May Help the Heart
- Brown Rice Tied to Better Heart Health in Study
- Women Who Run May Benefit From Extra Folic Acid
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic Says W.H.O.
- Surgical Masks Could Prevent Flu, Maybe
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- KID'S HEALTH
- Wood Fires Can Harm the Youngest Lungs
- Guard Kids' Eyes Against Long-Term Sun Damage
- Breast-Feeding May Protect a Woman's Heart
- MEN'S HEALTH
- More Vitamin C May Mean Less Chance of Gout
- Countdown to Hair Loss
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Music Soothes Anxiety as Well as Massage Does
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- A Simple 'Thank You' Brings Rewards to All
- PAIN
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Alleviating Rheumatoid Arthritis
- PREGNANCY
- Pre-Pregnancy Weight Linked to Babies' Heart Problems
- Acupuncture May Relieve Acid Indigestation In Pregnancy
- Acupuncture May Ease Depression During Pregnancy
- SENIORS
- Memory Loss Help from Brain Supplement Prevagen
- Exercise Benefits Even the Oldest Old
- Tai Chi May Help Ward Off Knee Pain in Seniors
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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