Monthly Dinner and Education Meeting - Hair Damage

Note new time - this month only!
Social Hour: 4:30 - 5:30
Speaker: 5:30 - 6:30
Dinner: 6:30 - 8:00

The protective role of lipid penetration into micro-cavities of damaged hair at the cuticle sheath

Manuel Gamez-Garcia
Ciba Specialty Chemicals

Abstract:
An analysis of micro-cavity and gap formation at the cuticle sheath of damaged human hair showed that in most cases these defects can be repaired when water and oils are allowed to penetrate into the hair shaft. Gaps and micro-cavities produced by reversible deformations were seen to close by a plasticization effect induced by water. However, the phenomenon of plasticization alone did not prevent the cuticle cells from re-opening again when the hair fibers were immersed in water at alkaline pHs. The phenomenon of cavity repair was more effective when water plasticization was combined with oil penetration. In summary, it was found that water penetrates into the cuticle cells and allows for recovery of the protein structure by plasticization. However, when the cuticle cells are in a dried state water penetration induces swelling stresses that buckle the cuticle cells if they are de-cemented. The protective role of some oils and lipids arise, thus, from their capacity to act as a barrier preventing rapid water diffusion and swelling, and also from their ability to produce a weak adhesion at cuticle cell junctions.

Bio:
Manuel Gamez-Garcia received his Master’s degree in Electrochemistry from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, and his PhD in Engineering Physics in the field of Polymers from Montreal University in Canada.
He worked for two years for Pirelli Corporation in the field of physical and chemical properties of polymers.  Since then he has held the positions of Manager of Claim Substantiation for Hair Care at Croda, Inc., Applications Manager for Hair Care at Dow/Amerchol Corporation, and Hair Care Manager for Firmenich, Inc., presently he is Senior Research Scientist at Ciba Specialty Chemicals.
He is the author of numerous publications on hair physical properties, hair damage and delivery of actives from shampoos.  In 2000, Dr. Gamez-Garcia received the SCC Award for the best published paper from the Society of Cosmetic Chemists for his work on hair damage.