Rapid preparation of polydopamine coating as a multifunctional hair dye

Dyeing of hair is an interesting research field within the cosmetics industry due to the increasingly aging population worldwide. In order to reduce the toxicity of hair dye materials and improve the speed of hair dyeing, we developed an in situ polymerization of dopamine catalyzed by copper sulfate and hydrogen peroxide on the hair surface to form a polydopamine (PDA) coating for hair dyeing. The morphology and elements of polydopamine on hair were characterized. The durability, thermal insulation, and bacteriostasis performance of PDA hair dye were discussed. The results showed that human hair can be dyed by PDA in as little as 5 min with comparable dyeing results to those of commercial products. PDA-based hair dye displayed significant durability, and barely faded after continuous washing with shampoo (30 times). After PDA dyeing, the thermal insulation performance was enhanced, which could prevent external heat invasion in summer and local heat dissipation in winter, increasing the level of comfort. In addition, remarkable antibacterial properties were demonstrated, which could effectively prevent the occurrence of bacterial inflammation on the scalp. These results might push forward the evolution of nanomaterial-based hair dyes with promising green, healthy, and user-friendly advantages.