Here's some info that might help.
Let's start with what hair is made of:
Composition of hair:
Protein- 70 to 88%
Moisture- 10 to 15%
Lipids -3 to 6%
Pigment 1%
Minerals .06 to .5%
Carbohydrates.1 to .5%
So the majority of the hair is made out of protein, proteins are composed of smaller units called amino acids and there are 19 amino acids and Cystine is the most dominant of these and it is a sulphur containing amino acid.
So you can see that hair has a lot of protein, so most of the time when hair is damaged it's going to need that more than say oils. Moisture gives the hair elasticity and flexibility, so adding a small amount of that would help too.
And there's one more thing that really helps hair, Ceramides, they are the innercellular cement that helps hold everything together, think of it as the glue that holds the bundles of hair together, remember hair is built like a rope and as the hair gets old and weathered it starts to unravel, that is what a split end is, so knowing which to put in hair is necessary to help fixing it.
Now let's look at what happens to hair when it starts to get damaged, there are 4 types of weathering & damage that hair goes thru, let's check that out:
4 TYPES OF HAIR DAMAGE:
Type 1-CUTICLE DAMAGE: Much of the shine that makes healthy hair so attractive is due to the cuticle. Intact cuticle cells are smooth and glossy and reflect light from their surfaces. The first level of damage the hair can sustain is to the cuticle. This is when the cuticle layer starts to become open and abraded. Cuticle damage causes the hair to tangle.
CAUSE: Cuticular damage is caused by the use of inferior hair products, styling tools, poor styling techniques, heat styling, sun, wind, and chemical services.
IDENTIFICATION: When the cuticle is closed and flat it reflects more light, making the hair shiny. Where more cuticle damage exists the hair is dull or of a less shiny appearance. Take a small section of hair and starting at the scalp run your fingers down the section; an open cuticle will feel rough to the touch.
Type 2- MOISTURE LOSS: Healthy hair has a natural ability to hold onto free radical moisture molecules even when it appears completely dry. Water is a heavy molecule adding weight to the hair.
CAUSE: Cuticular damage left undiagnosed and untreated. Once the cuticle on the hair has been open and abraded for long enough the hair will start to lose moisture.
IDENTIFICATION: When the hair loses its natural moisture content it also loses weight. Hair demonstrating moisture loss will have cuticle damage and will have a light fly away or “static” appearance.
Type 3- PROTEIN LOSS: Proteins such as natural essential fatty acids, lipids, and most other nutrients are the elements that give the hair its shine, flexibility, and strength.
CAUSE: When the hair has sustained enough cuticle damage and has lost its moisture content, it will then start to lose protein.
IDENTIFICATION: Hair color and protein have very similar structures. If hair has sustained a pigment change for any reason (sun bleaching, chemical service, etc.) they have also probably experienced protein loss. The hair will be dull and dry in appearance, light and fly away, and will feel rough and abraded.
Type 4- ELASTICITY LOSS: Loss of elasticity is the result of the hair losing so much moisture and protein that it loses its tensile strength. The hair becomes weak, dry and brittle, losing its natural ability to stretch and retract. This is when split ends and breakage occur. With the proper treatment, we can repair any level of damage.
CAUSE: The loss of tensile strength is caused by intense exposure to sun, wind, water, heat, chemical treatments, poor quality shampoo, conditioner, styling aids and tools. With loss of tensile strength comes loss of elasticity.
IDENTIFICATION: When the hair has experienced the loss of tensile strength it tends to be dull, lifeless, and appears to have fly-aways. At this level of damage, hair has lost its natural ability to stretch and retract
Trichology picture- I'll tell you what each picture is.
A.- what a normal healthy hair should look like, tight cuticle layers compact & tight.
B. Shows close up of the cuticle layers, in this picture the cuticles have been worn down, they are not as close as the A picture.
C. Here's major cuticle weathering, normally this will happen due to chemicals versus every day wear & tear, the cuticle roll back before eventually it will break off.
D. Here is a break in the hair exposing the cortical bundles inside the hair, it's hanging by just a few threads, this hair will break off.
E. Split-end, this is what happens when the hair unravels and splits, this will continue to fissure up the hair shaft if you do not cut it off.
F. Big knot in the hair but one side of the hair has had its cuticle layers ripped off exposing the cortical bundles, this hair would continue to break off sections.
G. Smashed hair, this hair has been compressed to the point of breaking, there is no way to repair this type of damage.
Most lines that say restructuring or strengthening will have protein with a little bit of moisture, these are the types of products you want to repair the hair with like:
TRI Keratin Amino Intense Repair, Joico K-Pak, Malibu Miracle Repair, are a few that have the Protein + Moisture + Ceramide combinations. The Olaplex 4-In-1 Moisture Mask for back bar & No.8 Moisture Mask for clients.
Hope this helps you to identify what you need to use after you do your Olaplex Treatment.»
-Mags Kavanaugh
