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Shiseido and Shinshu University Jointly Develop a Novel and Sensitive
Method Using Human Hair Protein Films to Quantify Early-Stage
Hair Damage
Shiseido, together with Professor Toshihiro Fujii (Faculty of Textile Science & Technology, Shinshu
University), have successfully developed a novel and sensitive method using human hair
protein film to quantify early-stage hair damage. The use of this novel method enables easy
and high-precision detection and quantification of early-stage hair damage from daily exposure to
ultraviolet (UV) rays that could not be detected with previous methods, as well as has the potential
for application toward the development of new hair care formulations that prevent hair damage from
daily exposure to UV rays.
In the future, Shiseido will apply this method to the development of a variety of hair care
products, while also widely deploying this method as a technology for measuring damage from UV
rays and various other types of hair damage.
Characteristics of Hair Damage and Previous Measuring Technologies
Since there are no tactile receptors in hair shafts, the slight damage that occurs on a daily life is
overlooked in most instances. Hair inherently has a sturdy structure that strongly resists damage.
Nonetheless, damage can accumulate over long periods of time, which leads to changes seen froma
eyes and fingers. (decrease in luster, dryness, split ends, hair breakage, etc.). Presently, hair care
products consist mainly of damage care products that repair accumulated damage and restore
damaged hair.
To help customers maintain beautiful hair, Shiseido believes it is crucial to protect hair from
daily life damage (particularly damage from daily exposure to UV rays) and prevent hair from the
accumulation of damage. We have worked toward the development of a technology for measuring
various hair damages that occurs on a daily life.
Hair can be collected easily and painlessly and hair dose not undergo degradation after
collection. Such features make hair a biomaterial that is capable of various processing for research.
To measure past hair damage and assess the effectiveness of hair care products in repairing such
damage, it is used that devices are used to measure changes in the physical properties*1 of hair.
These devices are suitable for detecting and quantifying serious damage, such as changes in the
physical characteristics of hair (ex. tensile strength). However, these devices are not suitable for
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measuring early-stage hair damage from daily exposure to UV rays*2, which does not cause any
noticeable physical changes in hair. The hair collected from the same person has difference s as well
as differences in the history of damage according to the section of hair (root to tip). Accordingly,
variances in data occur even when assessing hair with the aforementioned devices, and finding a
solution to this issue also requires large amounts of labor and time, including increasing the number
of necessary hair samples.
Development of a Novel and Sensitive Method for Measuring Hair Damage
Regarding damaged hair, Shiseido has discovered that as an early change, proteins oxidize*3 even
before the appearance of any actual damage phenomenon whereby hair strength weakens from
pulling and bending, which is a change in physical properties. Moreover, by establishing a technique
for fluorescent labeling (marker) of the oxidized protein, Shiseido has succeeded in realizing the
visualization of “early-stage hair damage” using a fluorescent microscope.
Also, to solve one additional issue, namely the individual variability of hair and differences in
the history of hair damage, Shiseido focused its attention on “technology for filming hair” developed
as part of resource recycling technologies developed by Professor Toshihiro Fujii (Faculty of Textile
Science & Technology, Shinshu University). In collaboration with Professor Fujii, Shiseido
developed a “hair protein film” that maintains the characteristics of hair and equalizes both
individual variances of hairs and differences in the history of hair damage and thus enables the
detection of even early-stage hair damage.
By combining hair damage visualization technology and hair protein film technology, Shiseido
realized the novel method for high-precision and easy detection and quantification of damage from
daily exposure to UV rays, which under previous measurement methods was considered to be
“early-stage hair damage.” By developing this method, researchers learned not only that hair is
damaged by daily exposure to UV rays but also acquired the crucial knowledge that UV-A damages
hair*4 along with the previously known damage caused by UV-B.
To realize customers’ desire to “maintain beautiful hair,” besides focusing on existing damage
care, Shiseido is also positioning daily damage protection, mainly protection from damage caused by
daily exposure to UV rays, as a core pillar for hair care. Accordingly, Shiseido will utilize the new
measuring technology in developing hair care products.
This joint research with Professor Fujii was undertaken as CLUSTER*5 (the second stage) of
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports Science and Technology, Japan.
*1 Physical properties: luster and hair surface friction, degree of strength when pulled and bended
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*2 Daily UV rays: Assumes the amount of exposure to UV rays when a person is outside for
approximately 30 minutes around noon on a clear, mid-summer day.
*3 Protein oxidation: A carbonyl group is formed in the molecular structure of the protein
*4 There are two types of ultraviolet rays that reach earth: UV-A waves and UV-B waves. Generally, it
was known that only UV-B rays damage skin and hair. However, the aforementioned research
confirmed that UV-A also oxidized hair.
*5 Nagano Region-wide Intellectual Cluster (the second stage) was adopted as a project supported by
the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for undertaking joint R&D
through industry-academia-government cooperation based on the cluster concept spanning the entire
Nagano region.
(Announcements of related academic societies)
(1) A novel method using a keratin film for quantifying the oxidation of hair keratin due to UV
irradiation, 57th Society of Polymer Science, Japan Annual Meeting (Yokohama) ,2008
(2) A novel method using a keratin film for quantifying the oxidation of hair keratin due to UV
irradiation, The Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Japan, 62nd Research Panel Discussion
(Osaka) ,2008
(3) Effect of bleach treatment on keratin films prepared from human hair, 10th Annual Conference
of Japan Society of Kansei Engineering (Tokyo), 2008
(4) New solubilization method of ultraviolet absorbers and its application to hair care products, The
International Federation of Societies of Cosmetic Chemists Melbourne Interim Congress
(Australia) ,2009
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