As Halloween gets closer, changing one’s appearance becomes a normalized behavior. This made me think about people who dye their hair, not as a temporary thing for a Halloween costume, but rather as a permanent change to their appearance. So I asked someone who dyed their hair if I could have some before and after samples to look at under my Foldscope 2.0. Read on to find out what I saw!

The Process

This person’s natural hair color is dark brown. In order to dye their hair, it has to be bleached so that it can accept the new pigment. Hair is made of three layers: the cuticle, the cortex, and the medulla. The bleach lifts the cuticle, the protective outer layer of the hair, in order to reach and remove the natural color of the hair. Once the natural pigment is removed, then the hair is ready to accept the artificial color.

Untreated Hair

The medulla is the part of the hair strand that is located in the core. Not everyone has a pigmented medulla in their hair, as is evidenced by this person. For example, in the picture below, only one strand appears to have a fragmented medulla running through it. The image shows that the hair color does not come from the medulla. The strands themselves contain the color.

 

 

The cuticle is the outer layer of the hair and typically has a shingle like pattern to it. The patterns of the cuticle in this person’s hair can be seen in the higher magnification image below. The cuticle is laying flat, indicating that the hair is not damaged.

Dyed Hair

In the dyed hair, I saw no evidence of a medulla in any of the strands. But, because this person has very few strands of hair with a medulla, I do wonder if the bleaching process removed it or if I just happened to get strands that had no medulla evident.

 

It was pleasing to see that even under the highest magnification and zoom, the cuticle layer did not seem to be damaged in the dyed hair. The image below shows no irregularities along the edges of the strands of hair, indicating that the cuticles have laid back down to seal the hair shaft and protect it from moisture loss.

 

 

This is a great activity to do if you get your hair treated regularly. With a Foldscope, you can determine if your cuticle is getting damaged, and if it is, take steps to protect it! And wouldn't these pictures make great art to display at a salon?

 

Have you looked at your hair under a Foldscope 2.0? Use your Foldscope to dive into the microscopic world and find the beauty that is there waiting for you. Share your microscopic images and thoughts on the Microcosmos. Be sure to tag us on social media when you post the results of your explorations, creations, and discoveries! We love to see how Foldscopers around the world are using their Foldscopes in new and innovative ways!

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Sources:

https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Dye-Your-Hair-Purple-and-Keep-It-That-Way-I/ 

https://www.philipkingsley.com/hair-guide/hair-care-and-styling/heat-colour-processing/bleaching-your-hair.html