Review Article ISSN (Print) : 2231-1947 RGUHS J Med Sciences, Vol 8(1), 13-17, January 2018 DOI: 10.26463/rjms/2018/v8/i1/121003 Hair Coloring – Hair Dyeing K. Hanumanthayya1, G. Balasubrahmanyam2, Menakaa Mohan3, Sunitha Mohan3 and N. Nikhil3 1Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore – 560066, Karnataka, India; [email protected] 2Assistant Professor, Department of Dermatology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore – 560066, Karnataka, India 3Junior Residents, Department of Dermatology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore – 560066, Karnataka, India Abstract History of the coloring of the gray hairs can be traced back to Sumerians and Pharaohs 2000 BC. Women in the past used hair colors to hide their gray hairs. Today men are also applying hair color to hide their gray hairs and younger people color their hair as a fashion. The discovery of paraphenylenediamine and better understanding of chemistry of hair dyes have resulted in safe and customer friendly products. Now men and women can apply the hair dyes in their own home in just one easy step 30-45 minutes. Keywords: Hair, Hair Dye, PPD, Hydrogen Peroxide Introduction History of Hair Coloring The scalp has the most striking feature for every person. Human’s use of hair dye traces back to the beginning of For a long time, hair has been considered more than just a civilization. The extraordinary history of hair color can biological feature, and is more often center of beautification. be traced back to Sumerians who lived in 2000 BC. Nobel For women, hair is an ornament that has transformed their Sumerians used to color their gray hairs with golden dye, beauty at higher level. Black hair symbolizes the younger using silver or gold combs. Ancient Egyptians, Romans, age, youthfulness, energy and active life. As we grow older, and Greeks began to use hair color regularly which was hair turns gray and silver white. Graying becomes visible made from plant and animal extracts. Egyptian women in when 20% of black hair turns gray. Hence gray hair and 1500 BC, colored their hair using henna plant extracts. The white hair symbolizes the old age, sluggish and inactive Romans believed that hair dyeing and coloring was a symbol life. Today everyone wants to look younger, energetic, of woman’s eroticism, and highlighted her gracefulness and enthusiastic and visually appealing to other people. Hence elegancy. By 27 BC, hair dye became a much accepted trend, they hide gray hair by applying color to the hair and and both men and women in Rome used color hair as a way this process is called “Hair coloring – Hair dyeing”. Hair of enhancing their looks and appearance. Roman Empire coloring is more for cosmetic reason and to hide their gray insisted prostitutes to color their hair yellow or to wear hairs by people. Often, younger people color their hair as yellow colored wig to indicate their profession. Prostitutes a fashion. were coloring their hair with ashes of burnt plants, flowers Hair coloring was done earlier by hair dressers at and nuts to achieve a yellow hue. saloon. Today hair coloring is very simple, user friendly Hair dyes were made using henna (Lawsonia inermis), and can be done at their house in 30-40 minutes. indigo, Cassia obovata, senna, turmeric, amla, crushed nut Author for Correspondence : K. Hanumanthayya Professor and Head, Department of Dermatology, Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences & Research Centre, Bangalore – 560066, Karnataka, India; [email protected] K. Hanumanthayya et al : Hair Coloring – Hair Dyeing shells, berries, and vinegar[4]. Red hair dye was prepared by The cuticle consists of 6-8 layers of flat, thick, colorless fermenting leeches in vinegar for two months. This mixture closely adherent cells laid out overlapping one another was applied on the hair and then exposed to the sun for as roof shingles. The individual cuticular cells are made hours to get red hue. Eighteen Books on the Secrets of Art up of proteins, lipids and polysaccharides. The cuticular and Nature published in 1661 explained various methods cells closely overlap on one another; only one-sixth of of coloring hair black, gold, green, red, yellow, and white. each surface is exposed. The open ends of the overlapping In 1860s, hydrogen peroxide was a common option for cuticular cells are directed away from the scalp, toward the hair bleaching. With time, this came to be known as blond growing tip. The cuticular cells are hydrophobic and provide dye, until the 1930s. Hydrogen peroxide was used along first line defense against water and other environmental with other ingredients such as ammonia and soap powder. harsh chemicals. An intact well organized cuticle protects This combination damaged the hair, and burnt the scalp. the hair and directs the water to run along the shaft from Soon this combination became less popular. scalp downwards. The function of cuticle is like that of Hair coloring and dying took a major leap when stratum corneum of the epidermis, barrier function[2]. paraphenylenediamine (PPD) was discovered by August The cortex lies immediately beneath the cuticle and Wilhelm in 1863. This was the magic substance that was forms the major component of human hair. Cortex consists used in creating the first synthetic dye. PPD along with of fusiform spindles cells of 100 microns long, arranged Hydrogen peroxide, which was a gentler option for hair longitudinally. Each spindle cell has keratin bundles bleaching, together led to a major invention. The invention within a cysteine rich matrix. Disulfide bonds between of this synthetic dye PPD resulted in further research and the cysteine residues within the cortex are strongest and development in hair colors. In 1932, a New York chemist structurally the most important bonds that hold the keratin Lawrence Gelb, created a hair dye that would actually protein together. Disulfide bonds are responsible for the penetrate the shaft of the hair without harming the shaft shape of the hair. The cortex contains keratin bundles in of hair. Today women could lighten, color, shampoo, and cell structure along with hair coloring material called condition their hair in just one easy step, in 30-45 minutes[1]. melanin. All natural color of hair is due to melanin granules present in colorless keratin bundles. There are two types of Anatomy of Hair melanin called 1) Eumelanin and 2) Pheomelanin. In India eumelanin is the dominant pigment present in hairs and Healthy hair is pigmented, smooth, glossy, flexible and gives black color to the hairs. Pheomelanin is dominant also strong. The healthy hair withstands shearing forces. color in Europeans and gives red hair. As the person grows The hair which is visible to eyes on the scalp is called hair older, melanin production decreases and stops. The hair shaft. The part of the hair which is inside the skin is called shaft with no melanin loses its natural color and turns gray hair root. The shaft is the hard filamentous part that extends - to - white color of old age. above the skin surface. The glossiness of hair depends upon The medulla is an open area at the fiber’s center. It the smooth layering of the cuticle and the strength depends contains specialized cells rich in glycogen and citrulline. on the integrity of the cortex. The cortex is made up of 15% In between these cells air spaces are present and are called hard keratin (skin contains 2% keratin). The healthy hair fauces. Medulla is present in the thick hairs only, as the surface has a pH of 4.5 to 5.5. This acidic pH helps to keep person grows older, slowly medulla disappears. cells of the cuticle closely opposed to the cortex. The structure of healthy hair is perfectly designed and A cross section the hair shaft may be divided into three outermost layer is smooth and well protected. It dries zones. They are 1) Cuticle 2) Cortex 3) Medulla (Figure 1). quickly when wet and resists diffusion of water into the cortex. This maintains the structural integrity of the hair[3]. Hair dye or hair color is a chemical substance that is used to change the color of hair. Hair dye is used mostly to hide gray hair by elderly people. Young people apply hair dye to change their hair color as a fashion[4,5]. Chemistry of Hair Dye Modification of the hair color can be achieved by two Figure 1. Healthy shaft with normal cuticle, cortex and medulla. 14 Vol 8(1), January 2018 | www.rjms.in RGUHS J Med Sciences K. Hanumanthayya et al : Hair Coloring – Hair Dyeing methods. They are removal of existing melanin pigment is non-toxic but messy. Similarly extracts of flowers, from hair called bleaching and addition of artificial pigment leaves, fruits and walnut are used to color the hairs. via application of a hair dye. Food grade dyes are also used. Henna powder is mixed In the 1860s, hydrogen peroxide was used for bleaching with indigo leaves and other ingredients. hairs. Hydrogen peroxide was oxidizing melanin pigment 2. Permanent Hair Color – The most popular dye prod- and lighten the intensity of black color; the hairs were ucts give permanent hair color. They are easily available, becoming light colored. Hence it was called blond dye. user friendly, range of colors and they color the hairs In 1907, Eugene Schuler, a French chemist, developed an for 2-3 months. They are also called synthetic organic innovative hair color formula and called it “Aureole”. This dyes and oxidative dyes. Permanent hair coloring dyes name was later changed to “L’Oreal”. L’Oreal became very consist of three components. They are a) Primary inter- famous with Parisian hairdressers and soon it became mediates and couplers, coloring agent, b) Oxidants household product, and women started applying hair dye (Hydrogen peroxide) and c) An alkali usually ammonia.