Comparing Protective Pre-treatments for African Hair

African and very frizzy hair is characterised by low manageability and often described by consumers as dry. As a result, hair is washed less frequently, and hairstyling involves techniques and materials aimed at improving fiber alignment. Thermal styling with appliances reaching T>200ºC improves hair alignments and manageability but has been shown to cause changes to the chemical composition of proteins in the cortex, as well as cuticle cracking due to trapped water. Such damage is compounded by mechanical forces during grooming, surfactants and regular exposure to solar radiation. Mitigating or compensating for these effects is achieved by using polymers which cause more efficient heat distribution along the fiber and smooth down the cuticle. However, plant-derived oils are commonly preferred by consumers due to anecdotal and emotive associations. Hence, the capacity of some oils to be absorbed by the cuticle and their effect on reducing hair swelling and maintaining cuticle integrity have been tested too. In this study, the response of African hair [curl type VI, according to Loussouarn et al. (2007)] to protective pre-treatments, in combination with moderate grooming cycles, was tested.