SummaryThe surface topography of human hair, as defined by the outer layer of cellular sheets, termed cuticles, largely determines the cosmetic properties of the hair. The condition of the cuticles is of great cosmetic importance, but also has the potential to aid diagnosis in the medical and forensic sciences. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been demonstrated to offer unique advantages for analysis of the hair surface, mainly due to the high image resolution and the ease of sample preparation. This article presents an algorithm for the automatic analysis of AFM images of human hair. The cuticular structure is characterized using a series of descriptors, such as step height, tilt angle and cuticle density, allowing quantitative analysis and comparison of different images. The usefulness of this approach is demonstrated by a classification study. Thirty-eight AFM images were measured, consisting of hair samples from (a) untreated and bleached hair samples, and (b) the root and distal ends of the hair fibre. The multivariate classification technique partial least squares discriminant analysis is used to test the ability of the algorithm to characterize the images according to the properties of the hair samples. Most of the images (86%) were found to be classified correctly.
A new method for high-resolution analyses of hair surface charge density under ambient conditions is presented in this paper. Electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) is used here to analyze changes in surface charge density in virgin hair, bleached hair, and hair treated with a cationic polymer. The atomic force microscopy technique is used concomitantly to analyze morphological changes in hair roughness and thickness. The EFM images depict exactly how the polymer is distributed on the surface of the hair fiber. The EFM's powerful analytical tools enabled us to evaluate the varying degrees of interaction between the hair fiber surface charge density and the cationic polymer. The surface charge density and the polymer's distribution in the hair fibers are presented in the light of EFM measurements.
The polyquaternium 7® polymer is widely used in cosmetic formulations. Morphologic alterations in hair fibers were observed after the application of the polyquaternium 7® polymer, using SEM and AFM. Continuous applications of this product indicated that it accumulates on the fibers, improving the aspect of the hair surface. Quantitative analysis of the images obtained by AFM was undertaken. The data obtained for the hair surface roughness indicates that the fibers treated with the polymer presented higher roughness than the untreated hair fibers
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