Assistant Professors Tahira Reid and Amy Marconnet and graduate student Jaesik Hahn using infrared microscope to assess the heat effects on hair. Image courtesy of Purdue University image/Mark Simons.
The team is using rigorous mechanical engineering analysis to assess how much heat can be applied to your mop without damaging the follicles, which can then create a flop.
The team has created a rig that simulates a flat iron applied to a hair. Using an infrared microscope, they study the effects of the heat on the hair fibers, as well as the curl.
"Heat treatment is a popular way to give versatility to hair, but it can be detrimental to hair health if misused," said Tahira Reid, assistant professor at Purdue. "The question we are trying to answer is, how much heat is too much heat before you lose your permanent curl pattern?"
"We need to learn what temperature and frequency of use will lead to permanent structural damage to curly hair," said Reid. "I have always thought about how mechanical engineers can have an impact in this area because we are trained in heat transfer and modeling and other methods that cosmetologists do not learn. As an African-American woman, I have been keenly aware of this problem."
“We are trying to see if the heat-transfer data will correlate with damage," explained assistant professor Amy Marconnet. "The system measures infrared temperature maps, and we have heat-transfer models that try to understand the physics of what's going on, but there is not a good understanding of the heat transfer because the hair strands are not all identical. Everyone is unique and their properties aren't well understood."
Therefore, the team is looking to create a predictive model that will help assess the effect that temperature and frequency of use will have on their tops. Imagine a simple chart that can tell people the strain on their strands?
"We hypothesize that heat is going to move differently through different kinds of strands," predicted Reid. "One thing we see very subtly is that it takes longer for the heat to dissipate out of the straight hair than the curly hair. However, we need to study more samples and control the experiments to see the effects on a more statistically significant level."
Traditionally, hair research breaks down our fur into three categories: African, Caucasian and Asian. Talk about a dated stereotype, which may be creating hairball ideas instead of real science.
"The whole world does not fit into these three categories," noted Reid. "And you can't always tell by ethnicity how someone's hair will behave. I think it's better to study it based on curl pattern, whether it is naturally straight, wavy, with deep coils, and so on. Imagine that someone has a diagram they can refer to that says, 'This is my hair-curl pattern. I can use my flat iron at this temperature this number of times per month and not have any damage.'"
The thermal analysis could aid more than just your local or personal salons. In fact, the researchers note that, currently, much of the cosmetic hair industry is producing products based on little more than trial and error methods.
"The U.S. ethnic hair-care community in 2009 alone spent $9.5 billion on hair care and cosmetics, so there is a large market for this," Reid said. "Though in wide use by both the general public and professional stylists, the lack of empirical research on very curly hair hinders effective use of heat. We are showing a unique approach for integrating customer needs, design methods and thermal sciences all at once."
Additionally, Marconnet noted other applications of the furry research. She said, "From a heat-transfer point of view, the same tools and techniques we use to study the hair fibers, I use to study carbon nanotube and nanofiber wires and ropes that are used to enhance strength of composite materials . . . Furthermore, understanding how heat transfers between fibers in fiber bundles is broadly applicable in the textile industry."
What other industries could be improved with a little engineering knowhow? Comment below.