What Are Air-Oxidized Permanent Waves?
Permanent waves, perms, are artificial curls in human hair created by the application of chemicals. Their creation requires reduction and oxidation processes. In the reduction process, chemicals break bonds in a head of hair under treatment. The oxidation process reconfigures the broken hair into new curls. Air oxidation is a method of creating permanent waves without the second chemical application. It allows the hair to recover slowly and remain healthy. Chemical applications to shape human hair into permanent waves were developed in the 1940s. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
-
Fibrils
-
Fibrils are the basic components of hair. They consist mostly of protein (keratin), pigment (melanin) and trace metals absorbed during growth or from exposure to the environment. There are three divisions in each fibril. The innermost section is a group of discontinuous cells, the medulla. The outermost cells are the cuticle. The cortex is a group of highly structured cells occupying the space between the cuticle and the medulla. These cells contain the hair’s pigment. Bonds between the cortex cells form microfibrils that are the foundation of a fibril's shape.
Hair Structure
-
Each strand of hair consists of a bundle of fibrils twisted together and linked by chemical bonds of hydrogen and sulfur atoms. These bonds must be dissolved to change the shape of the hair and create a permanent wave.
-
Reducing Agent
-
Reducing agents are alkaline solutions. One of the most common reducing agents is ammonium thioglycollate. This is applied to wet, washed hair that is wound around rollers. The agent breaks downs the bonds between fibrils, causing the keratin to soften and swell. The rollers shape the hair into new curls.
Oxidizing Agent
-
After one or more hours, the reducing agent is rinsed out of the hair. Afterward, a neutralizer, also called an oxidizing agent, is applied to the hair. Its purpose is to bond the fibrils together in their new shape. Hydrogen peroxide is a common oxidizing agent. This is a component of bleaches and provides a characteristic lightening to permed hair. The bonding process may take two to three days. Hair washing and shampooing may disrupt the process and cause the new bonding to fail.
Air-Oxidation
-
The purpose of air-oxidation is to avoid the application of another chemical to treat hair. A conditioner is applied to the hair after the reducing agent is rinsed out. The hair remains on rollers and neutralizes, or oxidizes, slowly overnight using the oxygen in the atmosphere. This process leaves the hair in a better condition than if further chemicals were applied. The resulting air oxidized permanent waves last longer than their chemically oxidized versions.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit NA/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images
