Hair Care – Hair is composed of the following:

• 70 – 80% PROTEIN (strength)

• 10 – 15% MOISTURE (softness)

• 3 – 6% LIPID OILS (pliability)

• 05 – .5% MINERALS (from outside elements)

• 1 – .5% CARBOHYDRATES (the more carbs, the thicker the hair)1% PIGMENT (hair colour)

Can you believe that in order to change just 1% of colour in our hair, we pretty much change the whole composition of it!?!

Hair develops in a hair follicle. As it grows in the follicle, cells dry and harden.

Your hair is comprised of 5-15 layers of cuticles (think fish scales) which are on the outside of the hair. Their main function is to protect the Cortex and to reflect light. These layers are all held together by Ceramides.

Cuticles that are in a good condition, lie flat and are nice and smooth, so they make the hair appear glossy and shiny. We lose Ceramides on a daily basis from brushing, washing and letting the wind blow through our hair, or just from being in the Sun. We lose a lot more when we do any chemical treatments on our hair.

When we lose and do not replace these Ceramides, we land up getting dull, lifeless hair. Without any Ceramides to keep our Cuticles stuck together, we land up getting those pesky split ends.

The Cortex is where everything happens. This is where your 1% pigment lives and is also where the long, spiral Keratin (Protein) molecule chains form a structure which is strong yet elastic and flexible.

You get two types of Hair damage.

Mechanical Damage

Caused by excessive, vigorous brushing and combing. Hair is weakened when wet so more care needs to be taken when combing. Only use a “Paddle Brush” if you prefer to brush it when wet.

Hairdryers, Flat Irons and Tongs reduce the moisture content of the hair. Over ironing can lead to such a high depletion of Ceramides that can actually cause the hair to break. A good heat protector should be used whenever you use heated elements. The Heat Protector should always say how many heat degrees it protects from.

When re-ironing the hair on day 2 or 3, it’s very important to use protection!

Sun can also be very damaging on the hair for the same reason, especially if combined with salty sea water.

Chemical Damage

Permanent curling or Straightening chemical treatments change the structure of the hair. Bleaches and Colorants also change the structure by swelling the cuticle to allow chemicals to penetrate. Any of these processes that involves manipulating cuticles and internal fibres of the hair, should always be followed with a caring treatment that will seal the cuticle, and protect and repair the internal structure.

Damaged Hair

Healthy Hair

Article By: Candice vk Donadel
MIRRORS hair lab.