- ALLERGY, RESPIRATORY
- 'Safe' Ozone Levels May Not Be for Some
- Combating Myths About Seasonal Allergies
- Childhood Food Allergies on the Rise
- ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE
- Regular Yoga May Improve Eating Habits
- Supplement Hampers Thyroid Cancer Treatment
- Maggots as Good as Gel in Leg Ulcer Treatments
- ANIMAL CARE
- Separation Anxiety, Canine-Style
- 'Comfort Dogs' Come to Emotional Rescue
- Animals Respond to Acupuncture's Healing Touch
- BONES & JOINTS
- Childhood Dairy Intake Boosts Bone Health Later On
- Soccer's a Winner for Building Bone Health in Girls
- Bone Density Predicts Chances of Breast Cancer
- CANCER
- Omega-3 May Safely Treat Precancerous Bowel Polyps
- Green Tea May Help Prevent Oral Cancer
- Multiple Screening Strategy Boosts Cervical Cancer Detection
- CAREGIVING
- Caregiving May Lengthen Life
- Hispanic Children More Likely to Have Hearing Loss
- Study Casts Doubt on Influential Hospital Safety Survey
- CIRCULATORY SYSTEM
- Years of Exposure to Traffic Pollution Raises Blood Pressure
- Bye, Bye Back Fat?
- Obesity Linked to Heart Failure Risk
- COSMETIC
- Wrinkle Fillers Need Better Label Warnings: FDA Panel
- The Acne Drug Accutane More Than Doubles Depression Risk
- Study Evaluates Laser Therapies for Hair Removal
- DENTAL, ORAL
- Gum Disease Might Boost Cancer Risk
- Gum Care Helps Control Type 2 Diabetes and Its Complications
- Good Oral Hygiene May Protect Against Heart Infections
- DIABETES
- Vitamin K Slows Insulin Resistance in Older Men
- Red-Grape Compound May Improve Diabetes
- Fish Twice a Week Cuts Diabetics' Kidney Risks
- DIET, NUTRITION
- HELP TO LOSE WEIGHT ON A LOW CAL BUDGET
- Holiday Eating Without the Guilt -- or the Pounds
- Mediterranean Diet May Help Prevent Depression
- 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
- Database Helps Assess Your Breast Cancer Risk
- Rainy Areas in U.S. Show Higher Autism Rates
- EYE CARE, VISION
- Just Like Skin, Eyes Can 'Burn' in Strong Sun
- Thyroid Problems Boost Glaucoma Risk
- Vision Test for Young Children Called Unreliable
- FITNESS
- Super Bowl Loss Can 'Kill' Some Fans
- Early Exercise Boosts Outcomes for ICU Patients
- As Temperature Plummets, It's Still Safe to Exercise
- GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS
- Soothing Imagery May Help Rid Some Kids of Stomach Pain
- New Yogurt May Ease Stomach Ulcers
- Olive Oil May Protect Against Bowel Disease
- GENERAL HEALTH
- Heal Your Life® Tips for Living Well
- Asparagus May Ease Hangover
- Stressed and Exhausted: An Introduction to Adrenal Fatigue
- HEAD & NECK
- Zen May Thicken Brain, Thwart Pain
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Ski Helmets Encouraged for All
- HEALTH & TECHNOLOGY
- Save Your Aging Brain, Try Surfing The Web
- Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works
- E-Mailing Your Way to Healthier Habits
- HEART & CARDIOVASCULAR
- Small Cuts in Salt Intake Spur Big Drops in Heart Trouble
- A Little Chocolate May Do the Heart Good
- Omega-6 Fatty Acids Can Be Good for You
- INFECTIOUS DISEASE
- Swine Flu Loves a Crowd
- Swine Flu Now Reported in All 50 States
- More Medicinal Uses for Pomegranate
- KID'S HEALTH
- Scorpion Anti-Venom Speeds Children's Recovery
- Many Children Will Outgrow Headaches
- Teen Internet Addicts More Likely to Self-Harm: Study
- MEN'S HEALTH
- Lots of Sex May Prevent Erectile Dysfunction
- Low Vitamin D Levels May Boost Men's Heart Attack Risk
- Drinking Green Tea May Slow Prostate Cancer
- MENTAL HEALTH
- Most Depressed Teens Don't Get Treatment
- Bullying Seems to Affect Kids Years Later
- Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed
- PAIN
- 'Cell Phone Elbow' -- A New Ill for the Wired Age
- Tai Chi May Help Ease Fibromyalgia
- Acupuncture, Real or Fake, Eases Back Pain
- PREGNANCY
- For Baby and Mom Alike, Breast-Feeding May Be Best
- Obesity May Affect Fertility in Young Womene
- Heart Defects in Newborns Linked to Antidepressants
- SENIORS
- Vitamin D May Help Keep Aging at Bay
- Want Better Health in the New Year, Add Exercise to Your Day
- High-Impact Activity May Be Good for Old Bones
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
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
More articles at www.eholistic.com
