Engineered protein treatments for hair repair and long-lasting color retention
Year
2017
Project team
Bradley Olsen with Hursh Sureka, Justin Paloni & Sieun Kim
Hair styling
can break protective cuticles and cause damage
Lipids
protect hair, but wash out easily
Polymer-based
technology binds to hair and repairs damage
Protecting a range of hair types
Repeated washing, drying, straightening, and dyeing of hair breaks the protective cuticle and damages the hair. Treatment with lipids protects the hair surface and makes it easier to comb, but is easily removed by shampooing. Olsen’s lab is poised to develop novel polymer-based technology that binds to the hair, providing persistent bioactives that protect the cuticle and repair damage on a wide range of hair types.