HAIR CARE - P&G Beauty & Grooming

HAIR CARE
RESEARCH UPDATE
CONTACT INFORMATION
To talk with a P&G scientist or to learn about ongoing research at P&G Beauty, contact:
Lauren Thaman Hodges
P&G Beauty Science
513-626-1370
Heather Cunningham
P&G Beauty Science
513-626-2606

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEFINING ISSUES
Introduction 1
Biological Facts
Getting to the Root of the Problem 1
Growing Concerns 2
Advances In Science
It Started With Shampoo 3
Deposition Technology Delivers 4
Lab Notes
Stranded 5
Repaired 5
Emotional Attitudes & Behaviors
Hair Hurts and Heals 5
WHAT WORKS
New Beauty Intelligence
Amino Acid Technology Rebuilds
Hair From the Inside 6
Chroma Technology Intensifies
Color Perception 7
Complete Regimes Improve Efficacy 8
Did You Know?
Weighing-in On Hair, and Its Care 9
WHAT’S COMING
Promising New Areas
Scientists Connect With Consumers With
New Research in China 10
Research Into the True Cause of Ethnic
Scarring Alopecia 10
SUMMARY 11
REFERENCES 12
CD-ROM
Images for Presentation 13
DEFINING ISSUES
Introduction
For a substance that is technically dead, hair has a
remarkable life of its own. From the biblical Samson,
whose hair was a source of mythical strength, to the
fairy-tale tresses of Rapunzel, hair is firmly rooted in
the histories of all cultures as a statement, a style and
a sign of the times.
Beyond its biological function of keeping the head
protected and warm — as much as 30 percent 1 of a
person’s body heat leaves through the head — hair’s
true value lies in its ability to act as a highly personal,
highly visual statement about one’s self. Hair can reflect
culture, socioeconomic status, political views, marital
status, even emotions. The lack of hair can also tell a
story of health, genetics and even fashion sense.
Today, sales of hair care and styling products add up
to a multi-billion dollar industry. From braids to extensions,
perms to highlights, 24-hour styling aids to hot
combs, constantly improving technology is giving
people more control over their hair — and its health —
than ever before.
Biological Facts
Getting to the Root of the Problem
Hair is comprised of two distinct parts: the hair follicle,
the point from which the hair grows, and the hair shaft,
the visible hair strands. Hair is composed mainly of dead
cells that have turned into keratin and binding material,
along with water. Keratin, a complex protein made up
of amino acid chains, is found primarily in the cortex,
the inner layer of the hair, and its strength allows it to
withstand damage caused by daily manipulation from
hair dryers, chemical treatments, brushes and combs.
medulla
cortex
hair cuticle
cuticle of inner root sheath
huxley’s layer
henle’s layer
connective tissue layer
A cross-section of the hair shaft reveals the hair layers, the most
fundamental of which are the cortex, which provides the hair’s strength,
and the cuticle, which protects the cortex fibers from mechanical damage
and is responsible for surface properties of hair such as shine and
smoothness.
The color of hair is due to the presence in the cortex of
granules of pigment called melanin. Melanin is found in
two forms. Eumelanin is the dark pigment that
predominates in black and brunette hair. Phaeomelanin
is a lighter pigment, found in red and blond hair. Most
people have a unique mixture of the two, determined
by genetics, with the mixtures also varying across one
person’s head.
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The inner cortex is protected by the cuticle, the outer
layer made 4-8 overlapping layers, arranged like
treatments, have to alter the structure of the hair to
produce their cosmetic effect and if done repeatedly
(the intermediate phase) and telogen (the shedding
phase). Ultimately, growth depends on genetics —
ADVANCES IN SCIENCE
shingles on a roof.
The “f-layer”, (or 18- methyleicosanoic acid) is
covalently bound to the cuticle surface of virgin hair
and is hydrophobic in nature. The hydrophobicity
protects the hair shaft against water and friction.
When healthy, the cuticle reflects light on its surface,
resulting in a visual shine band. However, environmental,
chemical and mechanical manipulation can
cause uplifting of the cuticle scale edges, which makes
hair feel rough and look dull or, worse, can completely
remove the entire cuticular layer, leading to breakage
and splits in the shaft.
can rough up the cuticle while also leaving it more
fragile so that future heat styling can quickly tear off
areas of cuticle, leaving the cortex exposed. If a high
conditioning rinse-off conditioner is used after every
shampoo, chemical treaters can help shield the fragile
cuticle from the damaging effects of heat styling.
one person’s hair may stay in the anagen phase longer
than another before it reaches the telogen phase —
producing longer hair over the same period of time.
Each of the scalp’s 100,000 plus follicles will generally
produce 20 new hairs across a lifetime and shed at
random times. Follicles start to slow down production
with age, as seen with hair thinning in elderly men
and women, or due to genetic balding when follicles
produce only very fine, pigment-free hairs. Hair
thickness is also genetic — cutting it won’t result in
denser hair, and scientists still don’t know what signals
individual hair follicles to initiate the different phases
of growth and shedding. 2
It Started With Shampoo
The word shampoo, derived from words meaning
“massaging,” did not appear in the English language as
a “soap formulated for washing the hair,” until the mid-
1800s. Since then, scientists have developed products
that can improve hair quality in as little as 30 seconds,
or the amount of time most shampoos stay on hair.
Shampoos consist primarily of three agents — surfactants,
silicones and cationic polymers — along with
preservatives, perfumes, and, sometimes, dyes and
anti-dandruff ingredients. 3
• Surfactants contain both hydrophobic ingredients,
those attracted to oil, and hydrophilic ingredients,
those attracted to water, allowing shampoo to bind
Hair that has never been styled with heat displays little damage, as
shown in the photo of an Asian woman who lets her hair air dry after
washing.
to and emulsify dirt, sebum and styling products in
the hair and then remove them when rinsing.
• Silicones are responsible for lubricating the hair,
Damage to the hair cuticle due to repeated chemical treatments (left),
backcombing or teasing (middle) and excessive heat and brushing (right).
Growing Concerns
Hair growth is of particular interest to people — how
allowing for easier brushing and a smoother look
and feel to the hair when dried.
• Cationic polymers provide unique wet-conditioning
Environmental damage occurs slowly over time through
exposure to UV light, which works in a similar way to
bleach, oxidizing the melanin pigments in hair,
changing its color and breaking down the keratin
protein in the cortex of the hair, making it significantly
weaker. The most serious mechanical damage occurs
to make hair grow faster, slower, or to grow at all.
Even though growth can be influenced by external
and internal factors (e.g. hormones, medication,
severe nutritional deficiencies), it is very difficult to
permanently, or even temporarily, stop a follicle from
growing a new hair.
and delivery benefits, allowing many consumers to
forgo a separate conditioner if their hair is already in
good condition.
Conditioners contain many of the same ingredients
found in shampoos but in concentrations and amounts
to provide different benefits. In conditioners, cationic
from backcombing (“teasing”), where the hair is
combed in a reverse direction, thus lifting the cuticle
scale edges up and back, permanently damaging the
cuticle. Chemical treatments, such as perms and color-
On average, hair grows at a rate of 1 centimeter
(~1/2 inch) per month. The hair growth cycle consists
of three phases: anagen (the growing phase), catagen
polymers are attracted to damaged areas on the hair’s
cuticle surface and fortify weak areas while adding
structure and body to the hair. 4 Higher levels of
conditioning are found in conditioners designed to
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smooth, reduce frizz or provide higher moisture.
Another form of conditioner is the leave-in treatment,
which is designed to stay in the hair and be focused in
areas (i.e. ends) that need additional hydration and
protection. Some styling products such as creams,
lotions/milks and pomades not only provide style
achievement benefits with their polymer holding
ingredients, but also provide moisture and shine
enhancement through the addition of conditioning
ingredients such as dimethicone.
Untreated
Shampoo, Conditioner, Calming Masque
The same hair, treated and untreated, highlights the benefits that
conditioning agents can provide.
Trends in recent years have moved towards a wide
range of shampoos and conditioners specifically
targeted for individual types of hair, from color-treated
to dry, fine or curly.
Deposition Technology Delivers
Science has transformed shampoos from simple soaps
to complex chemical products employing deposition
technology that allows agents within the shampoo to
perform independently at different stages. Formulators
have reengineered ingredients to consist of smaller
particles, allowing for better coverage, a lighter-feeling
shampoo and higher ingredient concentrations to
provide maximum efficacy. 5
This illustration shows the cleaning stage, whereby:
• Surfactant molecules are attracted to the oil and dirt particles on the
hair surface
• The conditioning agents are suspended in a crystalline matrix during
the lathering process
This illustration shows the wet conditioning phase of the shampoo
process whereby:
• The surfactants have surrounded the oil and dirt particles and carry
them away in the rinse water
• Conditioning agents are released from suspension. The positively charged
polymers form coacervates with anionic surfactants; coacervates and
dimethicone droplets deposit on hair
The third photo demonstrates the dry conditioning stage, whereby:
• The majority of the water-rich coacervate evaporates and the dimethicone
droplets spread out and form a thin film on the hair as the hair dries
With coacervate-aided deposition technology, the coacervate
can trap other active ingredients and deposit
them onto the hair. This allows for the addition of ingredients
to shampoos and conditioners, such as pyrithione
zinc, pro-vitamin B5, amino acids or botanicals.
Lab Notes
Stranded
When hair is damaged, the cuticle layers are uplifted, diffusing light and
causing a dull, broad shine band and overall diminished shine on the
hair’s surface.
Repaired
After hair is treated with conditioner, the cuticle cells lay flat,
reflecting light and causing hair to have a bright, sharp shine band
and maximum shine.
Emotional Attitudes &
Behaviors
Hair Hurts and Heals
Healthy-looking hair is the key to confidence.
Research has shown that personal performance is
measurably affected by consumers having a bad hair
day, and 88 percent of women agree that it is
important that their hair looks good so they can feel
good about themselves. 6
Having a “bad hair day” is all in your head.
A study conducted in 2000 by Marianne LaFrance at
Yale University found that experiencing a “bad hair
day” leads to reduced self-esteem, increased selfconsciousness
and increased social insecurity. 7
When hair is damaged due to excess coloring, perming and brushing,
it can become dry and frizzy, leading to a tell-tale “bad hair day” (left).
Hair that is in optimal condition can help boost self-esteem (right).
Finding the solution is exciting for consumers.
Hair problems are a source of anxiety for many people,
driving them to spend hundreds of dollars each year on
improving the look and style of their hair. In fact,
increasing hair volume by only 1/2" to 1" is perceived
as a very exciting change by consumers. 8
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WHAT WORKS
New Beauty Intelligence
Amino Acid Technology Rebuilds Hair
From the Inside
Basic biology teaches that amino acids are the building
blocks of all proteins in the human body, from skin and
nails to the heart and organs. Keratin, the primary
protein in hair, is made up of 21 different amino acid
building blocks that support the structure of the hair
fibers. In fact, up to 90 percent of the hair shaft is
composed of amino acids, with the remaining 10 percent
containing water, trace minerals, lipids and pigment.
Histodine Lysine Tyrosine
The bonds formed when amino acid blocks combine to
form the helical keratin protein rods inside the cortex,
provide a strong structure to the hair fibers and guard
against breakage. In fact, human hair is so strong that a
single strand can support 100 grams of weight — with
up to 150,000 strands on a human head, a whole
head of hair could support the weight of an African
elephant! However, everyday hair care practices, such as
heat, brushing, coloring, perming, relaxing and styling,
lead to the loss of amino acid levels in hair, particularly
in the older tip region of the hair.
In an effort to rebuild hair from the inside, P&G Beauty
scientists examined hair fibers down to their genetic
foundation and discovered a difference in the chemical
composition of the roots and the ends. Amino acids are
lost in a particular combination and not in uniform
quantities when hair is “weathered” through damage
from mechanical, environmental and chemical factors,
over time. Out of the 21 amino acids present in the
hair, they identified six specific acids — lysine, histidine,
tyrosine, cystine, methionine and tryptophan — that are
diminished in different percentages from root to tip
when the hair structure is damaged.
Damage to the hair occurs over time. These pictures demonstrate a fairly
healthy root (left); slightly damaged middle of the hair, where the layers
of the cuticle have been ruffled (middle); and very damaged tip of the
hair, which contains no cuticle at all (right).
Scientists were challenged to develop a mechanism for
replenishing the hair cortex with the essential amino
acids lost when hair is damaged and in the specific
places where they are needed. Three amino acids —
histidine, tyrosine and lysine (HTL complex) — were
identified as those most suitable for use in cosmetic
products which also provide a measurable benefit in the
reparation of the hair. P&G Beauty scientists developed
a new HTL amino acid technology in a ratio of 1:2:3
that mimics the HTL ratio in healthy, undamaged
human hair.
This illustration represents a model that shows how amino acids can
escape from the inner cortex of the hair strand through pores and holes
in the cuticle surface.
Every time the hair is rewetted and the hydrogen bonds
are broken apart, the HTL amino acids penetrate the
cortex of the hair, strengthening the fragile hair
structure. The relative concentration of amino acids
delivered to the hair shaft depends on the amount of
damage, the number of product treatment cycles and
the combination of multiple delivery systems, such as
shampoo and conditioner used together in one
washing. Upon drying, the HTL formula bonds to the
individual hair fibers to improve hair’s tensile strength.
Scanning Focused Ion Beam Analysis was used to prove
that the amino acids penetrate into the inner cortex of
the hair strand. Additional damage protection tests
Scanning Focused Ion Beam Nuclear Reaction Analysis of a cross section
of a hair strand treated with the HTL amino complex indicates with the
red/orange color that the amino acid complex has penetrated into the
center or cortex of the strand.
of a shampoo and conditioner system containing the
tri-amino complex have demonstrated an increase in
relative hair strength by 95 percent versus the nonconditioning
shampoo control. Hair is also able to retain
moisture in a greater quantity, leading to less tangling
caused by dry hair.
Chroma Technology Intensifies Color
Perception
Globally, an estimated 50 percent of women color-treat
their hair, with the highest rates in Australia and
Mexico. 9 Bottle blondes have always turned heads, but
today’s wide-ranging color palette of hair dyes gives
women unlimited choices. The one thing that hasn’t
changed over time is that color-treated hair needs
special treatment, and that many women tend to forgo
specialized products that can help improve the health of
color-treated hair.
Images of the cuticles of color-treated hair reveal a fairly healthy cuticle
after a dark brown color treatment (left), a damaged cuticle with red/dark
blond color treatment (middle), and a completely exposed cortex from
intense and repeated bleaching to obtain light blond hair (right).
Color Influences Care
There are over 45 shades in a typical retail color brand
of hair dye, with five distinct subgroups of hair color:
light blondes, dark blondes, light browns, dark browns
and reds. 10 Research shows that color choice can
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determine the degree of damage, so each color, to
some degree, demands personalized post-salon
hydrophobic and returns the treated hair to its more
virgin hair state in both look and feel. In addition,
Hair with optimum shine has a wide, intense shine
band on the surface of the hair due to parallel fibers
DID YOU KNOW?
treatment from a hair care line.
Repeated light-blond color treatments, especially in
longer hair, can lead to the eventual stripping of the
outer cuticle down to the cortex, leading to rough
feeling, parched ends that lack shine. Blondes therefore
demand a regimen of conditioners and treatment to
provide protection of the fragile cuticle post-treatment.
Color-treated redheads can also experience damaging
effects, especially if moving to a red color that is
protected hydrophobic hair with a restored lipid F-layer
results in less damaged hair. Healthier hair takes color
more evenly during future color treatments and keeps
the color richer for a longer period of time.
with smooth, intact cuticles. Healthy hair also displays a
chroma band, which shows color saturation and purity
against a base color on the rest of the hair. Hair that
has been damaged does not display distinct chroma
and shine bands, and therefore the quality of the
reparation of colored hair can be measured by the
appearance of these two bands.
Complete Regimens Improve Efficacy
Recent research into the development of new hair care
Weighing-in on Hair, and Its Care
• P&G sells about 300 million 200 ml bottles of
conditioner per year – enough bottles to circle the
entire circumference of the world!
• P&G Beauty researchers use up to 200 pounds of
hair every year for critical studies, more than any
other hair care company.
• The average diameter of a single strand of fine hair
is as small as half the thickness of a sheet of paper
(56 microns). 11
significantly lighter in shade to their natural color.
Color-treated redheads tend to experience shifting of
their color to copper and brown shades, “brown out”,
and significant fading as the small red color molecule
escapes from the hair strand. Redheads typically require
a conditioning formulation that can help maintain color
vibrancy and protect and smooth the cuticle to ensure
optimal shine reflection.
Un-Conditional Color
Since cuticle integrity is critical to maximizing color
uptake and retention, and providing ultimate prismatic
shine, P&G Beauty science product developers have
utilized a new breakthrough conditioning agent ideal for
Untreated hair (left) vs. hair treated with a color conditioner containing
the new BAPDMA cationic surfactant (right).
The new conditioning technology improves hair cuticle
smoothness and alignment, resulting in increased light
for shine and improved chroma bloom for color richness
and vibrancy. These customized formulas for blondes,
brunettes and redheads help protect against damage
and reduce color fade by up to 70 percent. However,
scientists sought additional ways to quantify improvement
for the consumer beyond reparation of the cortex,
which cannot be seen by the naked eye. Thus chroma
band imaging was born.
lines has led scientists to discover that for maximum
improvement in hair quality, a complete hair regimen
should be used. Complete hair regimens include “in
bath” products – shampoos and conditioners – and
“out of bath” products – leave in treatments, styling
crèmes, milks and stylers containing product
ingredients.
• If all the hairs on a single 12-inch-long head of hair
were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 26 miles. 12
• The total surface area of a 12-inch-long head of
hair is equal to the square footage of a small
kitchen! 13
• The Japanese buy more hair conditioners than
shampoo and invest more in hair care annually
($32.30) than the British or Americans, who were
tied at $30 per year in 1998. 14
• More than half of those who shampoo in the UK,
the US and Japan use conditioner as well.
color treaters. This new cationic surfactant has a longer
hydrophobic (water repelling) chain to help provide
chemically processed hair with a surrogate lipid-rich F-
layer. The microscopically thin F-layer provides natural
Chroma Band
(color, chroma, saturation, purity, hue)
weatherproofing while helping to seal in moisture and
help prevent damage. Hair’s natural F-layer is lost when it
Shine Band
(shine, gloss, sheen, reflectance)
is color-treated. Color-treated hair that has been treated
Base Color
with the new conditioning technology becomes more
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WHAT’S COMING
Promising New Areas
Scientists Connect With Consumers
With New Research in China
because the method for testing hair samples in the lab
will more closely reflect the hair care behaviors of
consumers, leading to more efficacious products. P&G
scientists are planning additional studies of women in
other areas of China and in Mexico City to draw
comparisons between the two countries.
P&G Beauty recently provided the North American Hair
Research Society (NAHRS) a research grant to begin
investigations into better understanding the incidence
and levels of severity of CCCA across the U.S., with the
ultimate goal of identifying the causes of this problem
and finding solutions.
biopsies for biological analysis. Doctors and scientists
hope that this research will lead to improved early
recognition of this disease by women, their stylists and
their doctors so that the bald patches can perhaps be
reversed before they become permanent. Eventually the
hope is that this research will help determine causal
While products are tested thoroughly in the lab to
ensure safety and efficacy, the most important test is
Top dermatologists and hair researchers from North
America and South Africa met in September, 2004, at
factors so that preventive therapy can be communicated
and new treatment protocols can be developed.
with the consumer — whether the product performs
Duke University Medical Center, to begin development
well in a real-world application. Scientists at P&G
harvested over 7,000 samples of hair from women in
of the first-ever visual, standardized grading scale to
measure the amount of hair loss caused by CCCA.
SUMMARY
Guangzhou and Chengdu, China, to determine how
well silicone technology performed on their hair after
they used a P&G Beauty shampoo and conditioner
technology (in vivo) versus hair swatches washed in the
laboratory (in vitro). The scientists found that in vivo,
silicone deposition was much lower than in vitro.
The scientists administered a questionnaire to study
participants to determine which consumer habits and
practices impacted silicone deposition, and drew several
conclusions:
Scientists test hair samples in the lab to determine the amount of silicone
deposition in vivo versus in vitro.
Research Into the True Cause of Ethnic
Scarring Alopecia
Ethnic scarring alopecia, medically known as Central
Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia (CCCA), is a common
type of scarring alopecia (hair loss) that affects
Currently, there is no consistent assessment tool that
can help dermatologists quantify this unique type of
hair loss or enable them to consistently communicate
the level of hair loss to their patients and other
professionals. The team is hoping that this visual
severity scale can also be used by women and their
stylists to help identify this disease in its earliest stages.
New technology can repair damaged
hair from the inside, leading to
visible improvements on the outside.
New technology has led to the development of
products that can alter hair structure and strengthen
it from the inside rather than just smoothing over
the problem. Hair care has also become increasingly
specialized, with products that target every hair type
and problem in the world.
• Consumers who wash more frequently have higher
silicone deposition.
• Increasing the levels of large particle silicone
increases the amount of deposition on the hair.
• Conditioner usage decreases the amount of silicone
on the hair.
Scientists used this data to modify the in vitro
deposition method to more closely match the method
used in vivo, when testing silicone distribution. This
data is important for future product development,
thousands of women of African descent in varying
degrees. It typically affects the central scalp. Although
various hair grooming techniques, including hot
combing and chemical relaxers, have been blamed for
this condition, the dermatology research community is
still working on discovering its cause. There may even
be a genetic component involved in who tends to be
at risk. However, many women and their stylists do
not identify the early stages of this disease and get
treatment. If left untreated, this disease can lead to
a significant level of visual, permanent hair loss.
Typical Ethnic Scarring Alopecia (CCCA) on the central scalp.
Once the scale has been established, researchers plan to
use it in a larger national study to determine the
incidence and severity of CCCA among the African
American female community. Doctors and researchers
will also conduct interviews to determine personal
health histories and styling habits, and examine scalp
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REFERENCES
1. Beers, Mark H., M.D., and Berkow, Robert, M.D., Merck Manual
of Diagnosis and Therapy, Merck & Co, 2004.
2. Gray, John, M.D. The World of Hair. Available through Procter &
Gamble.
3. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Shampoo Technology Overview.
Data on file.
4. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Hair Habits, Needs & Solutions:
Common Cosmetic Hair Disorders and Therapies. Data on file.
5. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Hair Habits, Needs & Solutions:
Common Cosmetic Hair Disorders and Therapies. Data on file.
6. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Hair Habits, Needs & Solutions.
Data on file.
7. LaFrance, Marianne. An Experimental Investigation into the Effects
of Bad Hair. Yale University, 2000.
8. Gray, John, M.D. The World of Hair. Available through Procter &
Gamble.
9. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Pantene Pro-V
ColorExpressions. Data on file.
10. Procter & Gamble Beauty Science. Pantene Pro-V Color
Expressions. Data on file.
11. Gray, John, M.D. The World of Hair. Available through Procter &
Gamble.
12. Gray, John, M.D. The World of Hair. Available through Procter &
Gamble.
13. Gray, John, M.D. The World of Hair. Available through Procter &
Gamble.
14. Smith, Susan, Walsh, Kelly. Classified, Condition Critical.
Euromonitor, 1999.
HAIR CARE | RESEARCH UPDATE
AN ADDITIONAL TOOL
The Hair Care Research Update CD holds a PowerPoint
presentation of the charts and illustrations in this toolkit.
Feel free to use these images. Please credit P&G Beauty.
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