A Novel Methodology for Evaluation of Human Hair Damage via Fluorescence Spectrophotometry Associated with Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Author: Samara Eberlin

Published at: August 24, 2023

33rd IFSCC Congress 2023, Barcelona, 4-7 setembro 2023 - Poster

Vargas Calle, Angela Cristina; Dini, Alzira; Ramos, Nathana Cindy; Hercolino, Caroline; Da Silva, Jussarah; Gonçalves, Victoria; Pinheiro, Adriano; Perassinoto, Nelson Luis

In order to develop a methodology capable of mapping damage on hair surface, swatches of different levels of damage were treated with a solution of Rhodamine B and evaluated by Fluorescence Spectroscopy at 9 points along the hair swatch. With this data, a visual representation of the damage was reproduced over a swatch picture. After treating the swatches with Rhodamine B, the fluorescence was assessed. The results show that the natural swatches presented a lower fluorescence intensity than other groups. For the damaged groups, the fluorescence intensity increases with the number of bleaching processes. The new methodology was capable of differentiating the damage level caused by oxidative processes on hair swatches. The results were confirmed by the FTIR method, which is already well-established for measurements of cysteine bond degradation. Additionally, the data obtained were analyzed by new software developed by our group that helps to visualize the damage over the length of the hair swatch. This novel method could be useful during the formulation process and for claim substantiation.