Damaged hair today, GONE TOMORROW
Procter & Gamble (P&G) has introduced a high-performance conditioner that delivers a three-minute miracle to damaged hair.
“Unlike skin, hair cannot biologically repair itself. Once damaged, it’s unstoppable unless you treat the problem and prevent it from future damage,” said Shean Lim, P&G’s hair expert, who was recently in Bangkok to launch Pantene Pro-V’s new treatment.
According to a P&G survey, Thai ladies are more sophisticated in doing their hair than other women in the region, but this also means that their hair goes through a lot. Countless styling jeopardises the cuticle of hair strands.
Responsible for lustre and texture, the cuticle is made up of six to eight layers of flattened overlapping cells, to form an outer protective covering that allows light reflection and limits friction between the hair shafts.
“Laid like tiles, the cuticle can be compared to the roof of a house — its purpose is to protect the entire hair structure,” explains Lim. “The cuticle also contains the F layer, which is a kind of lip gloss for hair, making it look shiny and providing more protection.”
The F layer is an invisible, water-resistant lipid layer that acts as a natural conditioner giving hair its smooth and silky feel. Chemical processes such as colouring, perming and relaxing strip the cuticle of the F layer, resulting in chemically-damaged hair.
Other types of hair damage are due to mechanical, thermal and environmental factors.
Combing, for instance, when done forcefully causes mechanical damage that lifts up the cuticles and starts to crack, forming split ends.
Hair breakage can also be due to thermal damage from curling and straightening irons, as well as blow-drying.
Environmental damage includes daily sunlight exposure as UV rays cause protein degradation, making hair brittle and weak.
“So to begin with, you really have to take care of the cuticle,” emphasised Lim. “Hair is normally healthiest at the root but if you go further down, it gets worse as the cuticle gets chipped and the tip of the hair becomes dry.”
The 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner’s effectiveness was demonstrated by identical twins, one who had used it had her hair in place, while the non-user had frizzy hair.
The demonstration showed that with an impaired cuticle layer, the damaged hair is drawn to a static generator ball full of charged particles, because it is negatively-charged. It can be neutralised by cationic polymers featured in the formula, which also contains “intelligent silicone”.
“Silicone is our friend, not enemy, if we do it right. The new conditioner features TAS [Terminal Amino Silicone] with amino groups on both ends to attract damaged hair,” he said. “It’s like filling a hole in the road, and the formula was developed to deliver the key ingredient and hair nutrients to the damaged site.”
Pantene Pro-V’s latest haircare comes in four formulas, including for those with coloured or permed hair that require a concentrated treatment to counteract the loss of the F layer.