Effects of Sesame Protein and Oil Pre-treatment on Preventing Damage of Bleached Hair

Abstract

Hair treatment products help protect the hair cuticle resulting in high tensile strength and elasticity. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of sesame seed extracts containing proteins, oils and other nutrients on hair damage caused by hair bleaching procedures. The sesame seed powder was treated with an alkaline protease enzyme to make three samples: i) SP3 (sesame protein), ii) SO3 (sesame oil), and iii) SM3 (a mixture of protein and oil). The concentration of sesame proteins extracted using this enzymatic method was measured to be 97 mg/mL. Several physicochemical techniques were applied to analyze the effect of bleached hair before and after the treatment: i) thickness of hair, ii) tensile strength of hair, iii) surface changes of hair as measured using optical and electron microscopy, and iv) atomic force microscopy. The thickness of the SM3-treated sample was the highest among those tested here. The tensile strength of samples was shown to be SM3>SO3>SP3. Interestingly, following treatment with SM3, the tensile strength of hair increased 17.44%. Microscopy (electron, optical, and atomic force) observations were made to determine the state of the cuticle structure and determine which, if any treatments exhibit a damage-preventing effect. In summary, it is likely for sesame proteins and oils to be useful as a hair treatment agent to prevent hair damage. Specifically, sesame extracts will be a valuable ingredient for hair cosmetics in the future.