The folks at Nalco Company (Yin Hessefort, Brian Holland, and Richard Cloud) published an interesting study that appeared in the July/August issue of the Journal of Cosmetic Science, where they studied the porosity characteristics of damaged hair.
The study used the gas sorption method to determine the total pore volume, adsorption pore-size distribution, and the surface volume of the damaged hair. The two types of damaged hair they looked at were bleached hair and hair that had been exposed to UV rays.
What they found was that bleached hair nearly tripled in surface area during the first minute of bleaching due to an increase in the number of pores, followed by a sudden drop after 10 minutes of bleaching, suggesting that smaller micropores (< 2 nm) break down into larger macropores (> 50 nm). In contrast, they found that UV damaged hair showed an immediate loss in surface area during the first 200 hours of exposure and a gradual increase as exposure time continued, which they theorized was caused by a fusion of cuticle cells followed by an increase in pores or cracks.
In previous lectures you have told us and shown us how UV rays cause the cuticles to fuse. In this study Yin Hessefort, Brian Holland, and Richard Cloud are reporting that along with an increase in pores or cracks.
How does the hair go from being fused to becoming porous? Can it be repaired after such trauma? Would it make sense to repair it?
Thanks, Mr. Fahiym
Although I am not a fan of petroleum or mineral oil, I wanted to ask a question. Is using petroleum based products really THAT bad? I noticed that my sister, who has natural hair, has completely even hair all over. She only uses Vaseline. I wanted your take on this.
From my research, I found that many believe that petroleum blocks out moisture. But what if you moisturize first?
Thanks in advance.
I've read that swelling of the hair is the only sole reason for the breakage in hair.
Do you find this to be totally accurate?
Thanks, Fahiym
Fahiym,
There are other reasons for the hair as well. If you read my blog entry regarding "Hair Damage," you find that shampooing, excessive combing, and thermal treatments also damage the hair, although these treatments do not swell the hair appreciably.
Belle Cheveux,
In my opinion, Petrolatum/vaseline forms an occulsive layer on the surface of the hair or skin. This layer is not impermeable. Moisture can still get in and out to a certain degree.
Also the layer of petrolatum keeps vanishing with the wear and tear of the everyday living style.
For example, this layer of petrolatum will rub off with our pillow covers, etc
.
Petrolatum in my opinion is good to use in weathers such as winter when we have lots of dry heat indoor and our body (skin and scalp) needs the moisturization. Petrolatum is able to keep the skin, scalp and hair supple and soft.
Petrolatum cannot clog the pores as it is completely washable with shampoo detergents.
As of late many professionals have been advising people not to use petrolatum because it clogs the pores. After hearing you in a past lecture say that it does not, I gone on to repeat this but I guess me saying it is not enough even though the belief that it clogs the pores comes as a result of someone saying it yet not proving it. My mother coated my face with vaseline for the very reasons you mention in your post and many moms are still doing it.
Question: Do hair grooming products or hair chemicals clog the pores?
In my opinion, hair grooming products that contain petrolatum do not clog the pores, as they are are not permanently attached to hair follicles. These materials are easily washable and removable when rubbed against a pillow or other external objects.