Hair Cosmetics

Question 1

What are some natural functions of hair?

Answer 1

1. Protects against sun rays and cold
2. Reduce friction
3. Sensory receptors and have a strong sense of touch & temp changes

Question 2

How about the social functions of hair?

Answer 2

Distinguished one’s ethnicity & race

Question 3

What about psychological functions?

Answer 3

Hair closely related to physical attractiveness

Question 4

What is the hair bulb

Answer 4

Deep, bulbous portion of the follicle

from the matrix, cells move to the upper part of the bulb where they become elongated

Question 5

What are the 3 layers of a hair shaft

Answer 5

1. Cuticle
2. Cortex
3. Medulla

Question 6

Describe the cuticle

Answer 6

It is the most impt part to preserve hair to be as healthy as possible

• has an overlapping scale-like structure
• rough surface composed of hard keratin protein
• covers cortex and confers strength & protection

Question 7

Describe the cortex

Answer 7

Make up 85-90% of hair
made up of densely packed spindle shaped cells
contain melanin granules that determines hair colour
contributes to smoothness & softness of hair
need to penetrate to cortex to change hair colour

Question 8

Describe the medulla

Answer 8

Forms centre of hair shaft but is not present for some types of hair/people
honeycomb-like cells
not found in vellus and infant hair

Question 9

Are the number of hair follicles in humans fixed at birth?

Answer 9

Yes, but what changes with age is thickness

Question 10

Difference between terminal and vellus hair?

Answer 10

Terminal hair: thicker and darker
Vellus hair: finer and lighter in colour

but they all have the same basic structure

Question 11

What is the hair cycle like

Answer 11

Unlike nails, hairs do not grow continuously
they grow, fall out and re-grow
life of each hair is independent of other hairs

Question 12

Which is more fragile, curly or straight hair?

Answer 12

Curly, has lower hair diameter index and stretches less under mechanical stress

Question 13

How does balding occur?

Answer 13

Males are more affected as it is associated mainly with androgens
hair follicle shrinks, producing finer hair
solution: minoxidil (medication) that widens blood vessels to allow more nutrients to the follicle
NOT a cosmetic

Question 14

What ingredients should be in shampoos for oily hairs?

Answer 14

Anionic e.g. lauryl sulfate

Question 15

For damaged hair shampoos?

Answer 15

Cationic e.g. ammonioesters

Question 16

Everyday entangled hair shampoo?

Answer 16

Nonionic e.g. polyoxyethylene

Cationic e.g. ammonioesters

Question 17

Normal hair shampoo?

Answer 17

Anionic e.g. laureth sulfate

Question 18

Baby shampoo?

Answer 18

Amphoteric e.g. betaines

Question 19

Medicated shampoo?

Answer 19

Coal tar, salicylic acid etc.

Question 20

Professional shampoo?

Answer 20

highly conc ingredients

Question 21

What are the 3 main types of conditioning agents

Answer 21

1. Quarternaries (positively charged e.g. stearalkonium chloride)
2. Film forming (PVP)
3. Hydrolyzed silk protein
   impt to also incl moisturisers like glycerin, dimethicone, jojoba oil, propylene glycol etc

Question 22

Are conditioners acidic or alkaline

Answer 22

Acidic, causes a positive charge on keratin and creates more bonds, giving hair a more compact structure