Permanent Waving Treatments Research Articles

Contributions to the chemistry of human hair: II. Lipid chemical aspects of permanently waved hair

Synopsis The cell membrane complex (CMC) and the internal lipids of untreated and permanent waved hair were investigated. The permanent waving procedure results in a lower amount of the cell membrane fraction that could be isolated compared to untreated hair. There is no difference in the amino acid composition of the CMC fractions. The internal hair lipids were extracted from the CMC fraction with chloroform/methanol. For untreated human hair the cell membrane complex yields 57% of lipid material, whereas from the CMC of permanent wave hair only 35% of lipids could be extracted. The polar lipids and the fatty acids are the main components of the internal hair lipids. After a permanent waving treatment there is a distinct decrease in the polar lipid fraction which is higher at alkaline (pH 9) than at neutral pH (pH 7). The reduction treatment at pH 9.0 also causes a cleavage of the fatty acid fraction in the internal hair lipids.

Alopecia-areata-like lesions due to cold-wave thioglycolate preparations.

The public is now being overwhelmed by newspaper, radio, and television claims of the simplicity of so-called home permanent-wave treatments for both women and children. The incidence of untoward reactions from home and beauty-parlor cold-wave solutions is apparently increasing. We do feel that, even though the number of reactions is very small, use of these cold-wave preparations is not entirely devoid of complications. Cold-wave permanents have been reported by Reiches and Lane 1 to cause areas of temporary alopecia of the scalp. The transitory baldness from thioglycolate cold-wave preparations at times has to be differentiated from alopecia areata of the scalp. We are reporting two additional cases and a third in which temporary alopecia occurred for the second time. Two of the patients used home cold-wave preparations; the other was given the permanent wave at a beauty parlor. Both home and beauty-parlor cold-wave preparations are solutions of ammonium