Saffiyah Botanicals Holistic, LLC

Tutorials

Hair Chemistry 101

Hair is made of up of protein which starts off in the hair follicle. As the hair cells mature, they fill up with a fibrous protein called keratin. These mature hair cells travel up the hair follicle and become dead material once they leaves their roots - the reason why it doesn’t hurt when you get a haircut. In other words, hair is dead material.

Hair is composed primarily of proteins (88%).
These proteins are of a hard type (keratin)
Comprised of many amino acids
- Cysteine
- Aspartic acid
- Serine
- Alanine
- Glutamic acid
- Proline
- Threonine
- Isoleucine
- Glycine
- Tyrosine
- Leucine
- Phenylalanine
- Valine
- Histidine
- Arginine
- Methionine
With cystine which gives hair much of its strength, being the most abundant
The amino acids are joined together by "peptide bonds” which are;
–     Hydrogen bonds
–     Cystine bonds
–     Salt bonds
–     Sugar bonds
These bonds are link together to form the hair structure;
- The "alpha helix“ a coiled coil structure

The Hair Chemical Bonds

The Hydrogen Bond

This bond is responsible for the ability of the hair to be stretched;
- its elasticity and return back to its original shape.
The hydrogen bonds allow us to change the shape of the hair temporarily with the aid of water or heat
It is the most readily broken down and the most readily reformed.
It is responsible for approximately 35% of hair strength and close to ~ 100% of hair's elasticity

The Salt Bond

Similar to the hydrogen bond
It is also responsible for approximately 35% of the strength of the hair but 50% of the hair's elasticity.

The Cystine Bond

Also known as the disulfide bond, sulfur bond, or just S bond
- Formed by cross-links between cystine residues (amino acids) of the main polypeptide chains.
- The main amino acid of hair (sulfur)
  - Responsible for
    –    Hair's toughness or abrasion resistance
    –    Holding the hair fibers together
    –    Hair type (genetic mark up)

The Cystine; Sulfur bond

This bond is largely resistant to the action of acids but the can be broken apart by alkali solutions
Which what enables us to permanently straighten or wave the hair.
Permanent relaxers (straighten naturally curly hair)
– Breaks the disulfide bonds causing the hair to loosen up for reshaping. (a reducer)
Perms - acid based hair relaxers
– curl or wave naturally straight hair
– instead of breaking up the disulfide bonds totally, it weakens the internal structures of the bonds. (an oxidizer)

The Sugar Bond

Gives the hair toughness but little strength (5%).
Contributes to hair moisture

The Cystine Bond

Responsible for hair type (genetic mark up)
Hair is curly or straight;
– depending upon the number of disulfide bonds between hair proteins found in the hair shaft.
The greater the number of links
– the curlier the hair,
– and the fewer the number of links; the straighter the hair.

Hair Products’ pH

A pH's of 3.0 to 3.5

Will not only close the cuticle but more importantly compact it. This:

1) Adds natural shine
2) Detangles
3) Adds elasticity
–     The lower the pH, the higher the positive charge.
–     This in turn brings hydrogen bonds from a beta state (weak) to and alpha state (strong).

Hydrogen bonds account for nearly 100% of the hair's elasticity.
4) Locks in moisture and protein
–     A compacted cuticle will not allow evaporation or dissociation as much as an open cuticle.

Categories

Tutorials

Hair Chemistry 101

The Hair Chemical Bonds

The Hydrogen Bond

The Salt Bond

The Cystine Bond

The Cystine; Sulfur bond

The Sugar Bond

The Cystine Bond

Hair Products’ pH