INVESTIGATING PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF BIOPOLYMERS IN HAIR

Hair is of outmost importance for the human body. Hair is composed of 1–8% external hydrophobic lipid epidermis, 80–90% α-helix or β-sheet conformation of parallel polypeptide chains to form water-insoluble keratin, less than 3% melanin pigment, and 0.6–1.0% trace elements, 10–15% moisture (Figure 1) [1]. Keratin proteins are insoluble in water and play a protective role. They possess a heterogeneous morphology that classifies them to the fibrous structural proteins. We received samples of hair that had undergone treatment with a hair mask prepared by a cosmetic company (Figure 2). The samples were taken in different timelines (table 1) to assess not only the reconstruction of keratin induced by the cosmetic formulation but also the possibility of a long-term effect on the hair