Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Assessment of Oxidative Damage in the Primary Mouse Ocular Surface Cells/Stem Cells in Response to Ultraviolet-C UV-C Damage
Published on: February 15, 2020
Spectroscopy as a tool to evaluate hair damage and protection
C Pavani1, D Severino2, N Villa Dos Santos2
1Programa de Pós-graduação em Biofotônica Aplicada às Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, Brasil.
Objective:
Methods that can be used to analyse hair damage and to support a claim of hair protection are important for the cosmetic industry. There are many approaches available, but they are usually laborious and expensive. The researchers propose a simple fluorescence method that is based upon the emissive properties of damaged hair.
Methods:
Hair fluorescence was observed when using both fluorimetry and microscopic procedures. The method was developed by comparing native hair with hair that was damaged by UVA and visible light.
Results:
Spectroscopic properties (absorption and emission) of hair in the visible range are presented. The changes in the emissive properties of hair during irradiation were characterized and they were correlated with photobleaching, which is due to the generation of singlet oxygen. Emissions were also obtained in the hair shafts that had been previously treated with chamomile extract and this treatment was able to avoid hair bleaching.
Conclusion:
The emissive properties of hair in the visible range can be used as a tool for the evaluation of hair damage and protection. This method can be useful as a tool in order to claim substantiation.
Related Concept Videos
Hair Cells
Accessory Structures of the Skin: Hair and Hair Follicles
Hair is a keratinous filament growing out of the epidermis. It is primarily made of dead, keratinized cells. Hair strands originate at the epidermal penetration called the hair follicle. The hair shaft is the part...
Protection of Alcohols
Protection
It defines a protecting group as the masking agent to make the more reactive species inert to a given set of conditions. This concept is depicted via the illustration of liquid flow through different outlets in an assembly of pipes. The analogy helps to understand the role...
Zones of Protection
Protective zones are defined by closed dashed lines, containing one or more components. A key characteristic of these zones is the strategic placement of...
Radial System Protection
In a radial system with a fault downstream of the third breaker, ideally, only the third breaker will open, isolating the fault and interrupting the load connected beyond it. The second breaker has a longer delay setting,...
Protecting Self-Esteem

