Hair perming method

Toilet – Methods

Reexamination Certificate

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C132S206000, C132S208000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06557562

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to a method of permanently waving hair. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a method of permanently waving hair using very short processing times and very low concentrations of treatment chemicals.
BACKGROUND
Human hair is made up of selected keratin amino acids. The inner part of hair consists of bundles of spindle-shaped protein fibers that make up the cortex. The cortex is surrounded and protected by a shield consisting of multiple layers of scales called cuticles. Water is one of the main components of hair, which provides pliability, manageability, natural feel and look. Healthy hair contains about 10% moisture in it. Hair treated repeatedly with permanent colors, highlights, bleaches, and perms tends to have less moisture in it. Lack of moisture in hair will result in dryness, dullness, harshness, breakage, static flyaways, etc.
When hair is in contact with water, it can absorb a considerable amount of water due to the inherent porosity of hair. Untreated normal hair can absorb water up to an additional 20 to 30% of the weight of hair, depending on the person's origin, health, food, climate, etc. Permed, tinted and bleached hair types can absorb water up to an additional 30 to 50% of the weight of hair, depending on the level of damage or porosity created in hair by the chemical services. Hair can get saturated with water on contact in about 15 to 45 minutes. The ease of saturation depends on the condition and openings in the outer cuticle layers which protect hair. The hair gets saturated with water quickly if the outer cuticles are damaged, ruptured or erupted, allowing water to penetrate easily. The presence of cysteic acid in and around hair also induces absorption and saturation of hair with water.
Permanent waving and the art of creating a permanent curl in straight hair through waving products are well known to the perm industry. Perming or waving action takes place in the cortex of hair where the cross-linking cystine is present. Cystine is the main amino acid involved in perming. Breaking of the disulfide bond of cystine into half-cystine units is the first step in perming (reduction) that is achieved by processing the hair that is wound onto a perm-rod with the waving lotion containing thio compounds such as thioglycolic or thiolactic acids, salts or esters, cysteine and its derivatives, cysteamine and its derivatives, inorganic sulfites and bisulfites, etc. The broken half-cystine units slowly tend to rearrange and align according to the shape of the perm-rod during the time of processing and also while rinsing away the waving lotion from hair. Relinking of the aligned half-cystine units and restoring of the original hair with a curl configuration is the second step (oxidation) that is achieved by a neutralizer.
The rate of perming action depends on the type of waving formulation, the amount or concentration of waving ingredients reacting with the disulfide bond of cystine in hair, the time of reaction and the conditions of reaction, like processing at room temperature or under a dryer, processing with or without the plastic cap, etc.
Prior to a conventional perming, the hairdresser gives one or two shampoos to the perm-client to remove dirt and coatings caused by styling products on the hair. Similarly, home permanent users also shampoo hair prior to wrapping. The hair is then towel blotted enough to have the right dampness to wrap on to the perm-rod with ease. Water is frequently misted onto the hair to maintain the right moisture in the hair while wrapping. After the completion of wrapping, a final mist of water also is given to make sure that the wound hair is uniformly moist. Depending on the length and density of the hair, it takes about 30 to 45 minutes per person for shampooing and wrapping. This means that by the above wrapping procedure, the hair to be permed is in contact with water for about 30 to 45 minutes. Thus, the wrapped hair gets saturated in and around with a good amount of water even before the application of perming products to the hair. At this stage the waving lotion is applied to the wrapped hair.
Several problems with prior art perming methods may be identified. These problems generally originate in the typical amount of water present in the wound hair to be permed. These problems include:
1. Waving lotion applied to wrapped hair that is saturated with water has a hard time penetrating through the cuticles into the cortex. The waving lotion reaching the ends of hair through osmosis also will be delayed by this absorbed water.
2. The delayed penetration of waving lotion causes spillage and wastage of waving lotion while applying to the wound hair that is saturated with water because hair cannot hold any more product beyond the limit.
3. Spilling of the strong waving lotion can cause skin contact, which can create allergic reactions, itching, redness, etc.
4. The delayed penetration of waving lotion unnecessarily delays the perming action and lengthens the processing time.
5. While waiting to penetrate through the cuticles, the waving lotion keeps reacting with the outer cuticles for an extended period of time causing cuticle damage. If the cuticles are very compact and closed as in normal untreated hair, the penetration time is much longer. This means that the waving lotion will attack the cuticles for a much longer time. On the contrary, if the cuticles are already damaged and open as in the case of bleached, highlighted, and repeatedly tinted hair types, the lotion penetration will be somewhat faster. Still, a lot of cuticle damage can occur on such fragile hair types, which are vulnerable to attack.
6. Besides the delay in lotion penetration, the applied waving lotion also gets diluted or weaker in strength by the water loaded in and around the hair.
7. To compensate for the delayed penetration, spillage, and weakening of waving lotion caused by the saturating water, a very strong and aggressive waving lotion, a long processing time and very often, heat activation become necessary for the conventional perms in order to produce a satisfactory perm result.
8. The combinations of high strength waving lotion, long processing times and heat activation cause hair damages, safety problems and strong malodor in the salon.
It would then be desirable to have a new perming method that improves permanent waving of hair as compared with prior art methods.
SUMMARY
The present invention includes various concepts, techniques, formulations and related products for an innovative perming system, to achieve desirable perm results in a safe way. The present invention also discloses solutions to eliminate many negatives of conventional perming. Included are benefits of the perming method of the present invention to the environment, perm-clients, hairdressers, and manufacturers. The following objects of the invention are new and different from that of conventional perming:
1. The present invention enables the presently used waving ingredient groups like thioglycolates, thiolactates, bisulfites, natural cysteine and its derivatives, cysteamine and its derivatives, and the combination of the above mentioned groups to provide great perm results in a very short time at a concentration or strength that is about 50 to 75% less than the conventional waving lotions.
2. The present invention maximizes the benefits by virtually removing or minimizing all the negatives associated with conventional perming. To correct the problems of delayed penetration, dilution and spilling of waving lotion in the conventional perming, the new invention recommends application of waving lotion to the wound hair that is dry or essentially dry. This way, the lotion penetrates at once without any restriction into the cortex of hair, evenly from root to end with least spillage, wastage or dilution. The ultra mild waving lotion will be able to do the perming most effectively and evenly in a very short time at room temperature without any heat activation. The benefits of ultra mild lotion, least spilling, very sho

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