Internal structure changes in bleached black human hair resulting from chemical treatments: A Raman spectroscopic investigation

•The structure of bleached black hair resulting from a permanent waving process was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy.•l-cysteine largely reacted with the gauche-gauche-gauche conformation of –SS– groups.•While l-cysteine did not react with the trans-gauche-trans conformation.•The GGG content of the bleached hair remarkably decreased by the permanent waving process.•While the GGG content of the bleached hair increased by adding HEWP treatment to the permanent waving process.

In order to investigate in detail the influence of chemical treatments (reduction, hydrolyzed eggwhite protein (HEWP) treatment, and oxidation) on damaged hair keratin fibers, the structure of cross-sections at various depths of excessively bleached (damaged) black human hair resulting from a permanent waving process was directly analyzed using Raman spectroscopy. It was found that l-cysteine (CYS) largely reacted with the gauche-gauche-gauche (GGG) conformation of disulfide (–SS–) groups (while CYS did not react with the trans-gauche-trans (TGT) conformation). In particular, not only the GGG content, but also the cysteic acid content existing throughout the cortex region of the excessively bleached human hair remarkably decreased by performing the oxidation process after reduction. On the other hand, the GGG content of the excessively bleached black human hair increased, while the TGT content decreased by performing the oxidation process after reduction and then HEWP treatment processes.From these experiments, the authors concluded that some of the keratin associated protein (KAP), which has a rich –SS– content and cysteic acid content was eluted from the cortex region along with the disconnection of –SS– groups, thereby leading to the remarkable reduction in the reconnection of –SS– groups of the excessively bleached black human hair after the permanent waving process (the reduction and oxidation processes). Also, the authors concluded that the HEWP treatment process in the permanent waving process caused the reconstruction of the KAP, thereby contributing to the acceleration of the reconnection of –SS– groups during the oxidation process.

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