• My dear friends, Hair strands are ''dead'', but not chemically inert! Its complex chemistry can be affected by shampoos, conditioners, relaxers, dyes, etc.
  
  
• I always view the claims about the safety of Lye and NO-Lye relaxers regarding alkalinity and dermatitis with scepticism. On that note, my suggestion for relaxer cream consumers is to always seek advice from the experts. I also advise them to insist on proper neutralization after the use of relaxers. Please handle your scalp gently and free from toxics.
  
  Also bear it in mind that, relaxer creams can't alter the growth of your hair. Secondly it can't strenghten, moisturize, or make it bouncy!. It is rather the opposite. I am sorry but that is the truth. contact me for more.
• Dry hair does not have pH ( the Buffer Effect Of power of Hydrogen.) Hair has isoelectric properties that are why it can react to both acid and alkaline solutions.

HAIR TEXTURE

The texture of the hair strand, as well as how fast or slow it absorbs moisture, determines the relaxing processing time.
The texture of the hair refers to the diameter of the hair shaft. It can vary from Very fine to extremely coarse or wiry. The texture (diameter) of the hair strand can be the most accurately determined by optical analysis.

Surface Modification
Very subtle changes in the surface of a hair fibre can be examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy. For example, scientists have shown how wet combing causes the cuticle cells of hair fibres to chip off, exposing the weaker cortex beneath. This leads to lower strength, shine, and resilience. Other examples of surface modification include fusing of cuticle cells from UV damage, product deposition, and chemical damage.

Shine
A light scattering goniophotometer can measure lustre values of both single hair fibres and tresses. This translates to consumer perception of shine and gloss.

Product Build-up
Microfluorometry is used to characterize build-up on the surface of the fibre which can weigh hair down. The Surface Force Analyzer measures uniformity of a compound on the fibre surface and build-up. These techniques can measure the location and amount of product deposited all along the hair fibres and evaluate products for removal of build-up.

Body
Using proprietary ring method, you can measure strand density energies and relate them to a formulation's ability to increase body, volume, or texture.

Are the Vitamins in cosmetic products a therapy or marketing tool?

Here are few of the vitamins some cosmetic manufactures lay their hope for sales by using the following vitamins as weapon for marketing. Adding a vitamin to a skin cream certainly gives a manufacturer something to scream about in marketing terms. But does it do your skin and hair any good? Because the Vitamin E that some cosmetic manufactures shout as therapeutic for you is the name given to a group of chemicals known as tocopherols, as well as their derivatives. Cosmetics vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, sometimes added to cosmetics to prevent the products going rancid, so it is not a healing element for your skin and hair.  It’s debatable whether it has a therapeutic effect on the skin – some dermatologists arenot even convinced of its therapeutic claims.  On the other hand, some scientists claim vitamin E is a ‘free radical scavenger’ (A chemical agent that is added to a chemical mixture to counteract the effects of impurities) which protects cell membranes against damage by oxidation, a particular kind of chemical reaction. They also maintain that since vitamin E can easily be destroyed by ultra voilet rays, the skin benefits from constant replenishment by topical application.  Other claims for vitamin E use include a smoother skin – with reduced roughness and reduced fine lines on the face – and that it protects against UVB radiation (but not against UVA).  Some people react very badly to vitamin E, coming out in rashes.The responds I received varies according to whom you talk to.  A dermatologist friend of mine is quite dismissive of the possible benefits of using vitamins in Hair and skin creams.  Some physicians even go so far as to warn against them.

Vitamin C – ascorbic acid – is used as a stabilizer because of its antioxidant characteristics.
Skin creams come in myriad of formulas and textures.  A cosmetic chemist characterizes them according to pH, the type of emulsion (oil-in-water or water-in-oil) and ease of rubbing in.  a water-in-oil emulsion (where tiny drops of water are held in oil) will feel thicker than its opposite, oil-in-water emulsion.  Skin products tend to be classified by function although any one formula can have a number of uses.  There’s nothing to stop you using baby lotion to cleanse your face, for instance, at the same time moisturizing it lightly.

Advancing from cosmetic level, Vitamin A- some of its derivatives are used to treat certain skin conditions. 
Vitamin A is keratolytic – that is, it speeds up cell renewal and seems to reorganize disorganized cells.  Vitamin A appears to act directly on skin cells by receptors in the keratinocytes in the top layer of skin.  Derivatives include tretinoin (products such as Retin-A), used to treat acne and shown to improve signs of photo-aging; isotretinoin (Roaccutane), used for cystic (severe) acne; and etretinate for psoriasis, a scaling skin condition.

A vitamin D derivative is used to treat psoriasis.

Tips to take care of your hair

Major factors for healthy hair of any type remain both genetic and health. A well understood factor to optimum health is nutrition, and this element remains true for hair health. The live part of hair is under the scalp skin where the hair root is housed in the hair follicle.

The entire follicle and root are fed by a vein, and blood carries nutrients to the follicle/root. Any time an individual has any kind of health concern from stress, trauma, medications of various sorts, chronic medical conditions or medical conditions that come and then wane, heavy metals in waters and food and smoking...these and more can affect the hair, its growth, and its appearance, even. If one wants to improve their hair health, one thing to look to improve is what one eats.

Generally, eating a full diet that contains protein (and one need not be a meat eater to have sufficient protein, but vegans and vegetarians do need to ensure they are eating enough protein in their daily diet as this is a prime building tool of healthy hair.), fruits, vegetables, grains, and even an appropriate amount of fat is important (several vitamins and minerals require fat in order to be delivered or absorbed by the body).

Prevent nutritional deficiencies wherever possible maintaining healthy levels of minerals, vitamins, and proteins. Any deficiency will typically show first in the hair, even before it is diagnosed, perhaps. For example, even a borderline case of anemia (an iron issue) can create a chronic yet elevated rate in hair shedding / loss. When the body is under any kind of strain, it is designed to stay alive.

The body has a priority system designed for survival. For example, the vital organs will be attended to first, meaning that healthy, oxygenated blood could potentially not feed into the hair follicle resulting in less healthy hair and/or growth, or a decline in growth rate. Not all issues with growth rates are related specifically and only to lack of nutrition, but this is one area to address as a first line of offense in creating healthy hair.

DISORDERS OF THE SCALP

The skin is in a constant state of renewal. The outer layer of skin that covers your body is constantly being shed and replaced by new cells from below. The average person sheds about nine pounds of “dead skin” each year. The skin cells of a normal, healthy scalp fall off naturally as small, dry flakes, without being noticed.
Dandruff can easily be mistaken for dry scalp because the symptoms of both conditions are a flaky, itchy, irritated scalp, but a dry scalp is dry, unlike the oily scalp that is common to dandruff. And the flakes from a dry scalp
are much smaller and less noticeable than the larger flakes associated with dandruff. Dry scalp can result from contact dermatitis, sunburn, or extreme age and is usually worse in cold, dry climates.

Dandruff

Pityriasis (pit-ih-RY-uh-sus) is the medical term for dandruff, which is
characterized by the excessive production and accumulation of skin cells.
Instead of the normal shedding of individual skin cells, one at a time,
dandruff results from the accumulation of clumps of cells large enough to
be visible on the scalp, hair and shoulders.

Although the cause of dandruff has been debated for over 150 years, current research confirms that dandruff is the result of fungus originally named pitrosporum (spores of these scalp) and recently reclassified as malassezia (mal-uh-SEEZ-ee-uh).

Malassezia is a naturally occurring fungus that is present on all human skin but only develops the symptoms of dandruff when it grows out of control. Some individuals are also more susceptible to malassezia’s irritating effects, and other factors like stress, age, hormones, and poor hygiene can cause the fungus to multiply and dandruff symptoms to worsen.

Older antidandruff treatments that relied on sulfur and coal tar were harsh to the skin and left the hair unmanageable. Modern antidandruff shampoos contain the antifungal agents pyrithione zinc,selenium sulfide, and many more or ketoconazole that control dandruff by suppressing the growth of malassezia.

J.K. Bansah