Anyone who’s ever dyed their hair blonde knows that colouring your locks is not good for it – but did you know the science behind the reasons why?
According to The Telegraph in the UK, microscopic analysis of hair by Proctor & Gamble scientists have discovered the chemicals used to bleach and dye hair can strip away the natural oily layer known as lipids that coat the outside of each strand.
This can lead to the individual hairs being electrically charged, meaning the hair clumps together when wet and is more likely to have fly-aways and static when dry.
Hair that has never been coloured has a protective layer that waterproofs hair,” says Dr Frauke Neuser, principal scientist at P&G’s London Innovation Centre.
"When we colour our hair or bleach it, the chemical reaction removes this layer almost completely after one or two colourings. Hair cannot regrow this layer once it is gone without growing new hair.
"The hair becomes very highly negatively charged and it sticks together when wet – it changes the way the hair behaves. It is difficult to comb and feels more like straw."
While this latest information is hardly likely to deter people from dying their hair, it’s always handy to know what’s happening on your own head.
It’s also good to know there’s a solution.
P&G published research in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science and New Scientist alleging that traditional shampoo and conditioners were unable to repair damaged hair as the treatments failed to stick to the negatively charged hair. In response, their research team developed liquid crystals that help treatments stick to the negatively charged hair - so maybe colour damaged hair will soon be a thing of the past.
Is your hair damaged from excessive dying? Do you ever wish you’d never started dying your hair?
