....................
Hair And Hydrogen Peroxide
by Zoë Gamble
Throughout history, people (especially women!) have
attempted to change the colour of their hair.
There is even evidence suggesting that the Ancient
Egyptians used a dye to alter the colour of their locks.
Fashionable
hair colours have changed a great deal over the years.
Did you know that in the first century BC, the Gauls would
dye their hair red as a mark of distinction?
Whereas, in the dark ages, red hair was thought to be a
sign of witchcraft.
Currently, blonde is the most commonly sought after hair
colour, followed by brown.
To achieve luscious blonde tresses, many people turn to hydrogen peroxide.
What
is hair?
Hair is made of a protein called
keratin. That’s the same thing that fingernails are made of!
Hair starts off inside a hair follicle under the skin, and it’s at that
point that pigment is added into granules in the protein, giving your hair its
colour.
Natural hair colour results from two pigments – eumelanin
(found mainly in darker hair) and pheomelanin (found mainly in red hair).
Blonde hair results from a lower amount of pigment
present, while grey hair occurs when pigment production decreases, or stops.
Changing
the natural hair colour
Bleaching hair penetrates the hair
shaft and removes the natural pigment of the hair.
The bleach we use to lighten hair is ‘hydrogen peroxide’.
Hence the phrase ‘peroxide blonde’!
The
chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2; two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms make one
molecule of hydrogen peroxide.
But don’t be fooled, this chemical compound is nothing
like water, which is H2O! That extra oxygen makes a big difference.
Heated
to boiling point, hydrogen peroxide is explosive, not to mention it being used
as a disinfectant at room temperature.
To
be safer for our skin, the hydrogen peroxide used to bleach hair is diluted
many times. This chemical enters the hair shaft and releases oxygen,
causing the pigments to be broken down.
Another colourant is normally used alongside the
hydrogen peroxide, to introduce the desired colour to the hair.
Is
it bad for my hair?
To help the hydrogen peroxide to get
into the hair to reach the pigment, another chemical, like ammonia, is normally
added.
Ammonia can cause the hair to lose moisture, and the hair
colour to fade. However, there are alternatives that don’t use ammonia.
Hydrogen
peroxide itself is a harmful chemical, but it is diluted before being used on
the hair so only a small amount goes on your head.
As many people associate hydrogen peroxide with damage to
the hair, some companies are looking to use alternatives.
Bleaching the hair just isn’t possible without an
oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide, so these alternatives work in the
same way as hydrogen peroxide, just have a different name and use a different
chemical!
The
future
According to one study, 75% of women
dye their hair in some form, and there are more shades to choose from than ever
before.
Although hair dye is being developed by scientists to be
more effective, safer, longer-lasting, there are still these horror stories!
The
bottom line is that exposing your hair on a regular basis to strong chemicals
is likely to do some damage.
But many people are willing to risk it to achieve their desired
hair colour. Are you?
Zoë Gamble
Zoë Gamble is a Science
Communicator for science made simple, and founder of Cardiff-based
science improvisational comedy troupe ‘The Simpletons’. Zoë has
performed science shows all over the UK and abroad, to over 20,000 people. She
can speak on a vast range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths)
subjects, making the topic engaging and entertaining whatever the audience’s
age or knowledge level.
Zoë has a BSc. in Functional Genomics
and Stem Cell Science, MSc. in Science, Media and Communication, and has been
awarded the LAMDA gold medal for public speaking. She is a regular contributor
to BBC Radio Wales.
Her favourite part about science
communication is the opportunity to share her passion with the audience.
Whether two hundred 14-year-olds are hanging off her every word as she explains
advances in 3D printing, or when the room is filled with shrieks of delight
when she turns a plastic bag into a hot air balloon for a class of 5-year-olds,
Zoë loves to pass on her enthusiasm for science.
No comments:
Post a Comment