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. 2019 Jul 8;9(1):9834.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-46370-x.

Prevention of lipid loss from hair by surface and internal modification

Sang-Hun Song  1 , Jong Hyun Lim  2 , Seong Kil Son  2 , Julia Choi  2 , Nae-Gyu Kang  3 , Sang-Min Lee  2
Affiliations

Prevention of lipid loss from hair by surface and internal modification

Sang-Hun Song et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

Surfactants during routine washing have a tremendous effect on lipid loss from hair. This study aims to understand the loss of lipids from hair upon contact with surfactants and develop a way to prevent the lipid loss. The change in lipid levels depends on the relative hydrophobicity of the lipid. We herein propose that the change in lipid levels can be protected by two modifications. In the case of fatty acids and cholesterol (group A), the concentration difference between virgin hair versus surface modified hair with highly charged polymer was 22 to 32% higher after washing with surfactants while the loss of squalene and wax esters (group B) in response to surfactants still occurred even after the surface modification. In the hair treated by internal modification with the carbodiimide reaction, 52.0 to 81.3% more lipids in group B were prevented than in the untreated hair. Finally, different types of lipids were successfully protected by surface and internal modifications from the surfactant treatment. This study will be the basis for understanding the mechanisms by which surfactants damage the lipid barrier of tissues including hair and for establishing strategies to defend the barrier.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors are employed by LG Household & Health Care, Ltd.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of virgin hair, hair washed by the immersion method, and hair washed by the rubbing method. (a) SEM and AFM images of washed hairs. (b) Noncovalently bound hair lipid composition after washing with an SLES solution. The concentration of lipids extracted from washed hair was divided by that from virgin hair. The error bar amplitude indicates standard deviation. The lines above the bar graph denote a significant difference (n = 6) calculated using Student’s t-test. NS – not significant, *P < 0.05, and **P < 0.01. Graphs for the lipids in group A: 1. Myristic acid; 2. Palmitic acid; 3. Stearic acid; 4. Oleic acid; 5. Cholesterol. Graphs for the lipids in group B: 6. Squalene; 7. Myristyl palmitate; 8. Palmityl palmitate; 9. Stearyl palmitate. (c) Spatial verification of lipid loss. SEM images of the ultramicrotomed hair coated with Pt (left), optical microscopy images and the corresponding in situ Raman image (right). A bright color means a high Raman intensity, i.e., a high density of wax esters.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Effect of surface modification of hair on the properties of lipid loss in response to surfactant. (a) Streaming potential values of hairs treated with positively charged polymers (%N >2.0, w/w) and the control (%N .01.0, w/w) as a function of pressure. (b) Viscous modulus of polymers as a function of ζ-potential, obtained in (a), (c) The concentrations of the remaining lipids from the control and the surface-modified hair after being washed by rubbing 10 times. The normalized concentration was calculated based on the average concentration of the control. The numbers represent the actual concentrations (μg/g hair) of lipids extracted from PQ10D-treated hair. The numbers on the x-axis represent lipid described in Table 1. (d) Normalized concentrations from surface modification with rubbing wash and immersion extraction. Filled square: lipid in group A, Open mark: lipid in group B.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Effect of internal modification of hair on the properties of lipid loss in response to surfactant. (a) Schematic diagrams depicting the process of internal modification. (b) Fluorescence images (left) of TAMRA-labeled polylysine and FITC-labeled one showing penetration into the hair treated with 5% polylysine and 5% PCI overnight. Scale bars represent 100 μm. The bright color represents polymer penetrated into hair. Confocal microscopic intensity from TAMRA-labeled polylysine (right) is represented by white curve. Data acquisition for the confocal signal by z-stack was performed between blue lines. Hair was treated with TAMRA-labeled polymer for 30 min. (c) SEM image of microtomed hair and Raman spectra after immersion in pure water (a) and a solution containing 5% polylysine only (b), and after sequential immersion in each solution containing 5% polylysine and 5% PCI (c). (d) The concentration of the remaining lipids after washing the internally modified hair by rubbing 10 times. The normalized concentration was calculated based on the average concentration of unmodified hair (control). The numbers represent the actual concentrations (μg/g hair) of lipids extracted from internally modified hair. The numbers on the x-axis represent lipid described in Table 1.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Schematic diagram depicting the pathways of lipid loss by surfactant.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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