Hair is an important part of personal image, and many people try to cultivate long, ample hair so as to enable more sophisticated styling possibilities or generate a striking appearance. Yet long locks also suffer trouble, such as desiccation (dryness), discoloration or breakage. Using the best hair serums is one step that people take in keeping theirs strong and supple.
The serums operate on the basis of a natural, timeless concept. Ancient peoples did not wash their heads regularly, and so the natural scalp wax, or sebum, would build up and cake in it. This solidified the strands and made them very easy to style, as well as shielding them from damage. The constant washing with sometimes quite caustic detergents that people undertake these days prevents this occurrence.
Contemporary fashion, or simply standards of hygiene, also would not approve of visible sebum deposits. Yet the need for strand protection and longevity remains, and so people have resorted to the use of serums. There are, at present, two basic types on the market: organic and silicon-based (artificial). The term organic has the same connotation here as it does in other industries, such as vegetables, as opposed to the commercial, synthetic products on offer.
Silicon-based serums contain a silicon emollient which adheres to the scalp and the strands, forming a continuous plastic-like layer. It therefore insulates the individual strands in much the same way that cellophane seals food in the fridge. This provides protection against mechanical damage. The serum also contains ceramides and amino acids.
This might sound very technical but it is simple to understand. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and hair itself is mainly protein. This protein specifically is known as keratin, and it occurs in finger and toenails too (which are basically compacted keratin). The amino acids are supposed to nourish the protein so that it remains as supple and strong as it originally was when it emerged from the scalp.
Protein is prone to damage by environmental conditions. Imagine the white of an egg (the albumen), and what would happen to it if it was left outside in the sun. It would soon denature (the technical term for a protein that is damaged or changing its state). Keratin is not similar to albumen in its physical properties but, being a protein too, it undergoes similar environmental trauma, so that it ages, dries out, or becomes structurally weak and breaks. You can see this in the way that it displays these changes or loses its color.
The main difference between silicon and organic serums is that the latter do not contain silicon. Apparently, the silicon is too effective as a barrier and actually asphyxiates the strand, while trapping chemicals inside the protected space, which in turn cause it to break. Users will have to decide for themselves which version they prefer, based on their own experience and homework.
People who take their grooming seriously and try to make a favorable impression may be interested in trying the best serums on the market. Knowing the science behind the serum also helps in using it and inspecting its outcome.
The serums operate on the basis of a natural, timeless concept. Ancient peoples did not wash their heads regularly, and so the natural scalp wax, or sebum, would build up and cake in it. This solidified the strands and made them very easy to style, as well as shielding them from damage. The constant washing with sometimes quite caustic detergents that people undertake these days prevents this occurrence.
Contemporary fashion, or simply standards of hygiene, also would not approve of visible sebum deposits. Yet the need for strand protection and longevity remains, and so people have resorted to the use of serums. There are, at present, two basic types on the market: organic and silicon-based (artificial). The term organic has the same connotation here as it does in other industries, such as vegetables, as opposed to the commercial, synthetic products on offer.
Silicon-based serums contain a silicon emollient which adheres to the scalp and the strands, forming a continuous plastic-like layer. It therefore insulates the individual strands in much the same way that cellophane seals food in the fridge. This provides protection against mechanical damage. The serum also contains ceramides and amino acids.
This might sound very technical but it is simple to understand. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins, and hair itself is mainly protein. This protein specifically is known as keratin, and it occurs in finger and toenails too (which are basically compacted keratin). The amino acids are supposed to nourish the protein so that it remains as supple and strong as it originally was when it emerged from the scalp.
Protein is prone to damage by environmental conditions. Imagine the white of an egg (the albumen), and what would happen to it if it was left outside in the sun. It would soon denature (the technical term for a protein that is damaged or changing its state). Keratin is not similar to albumen in its physical properties but, being a protein too, it undergoes similar environmental trauma, so that it ages, dries out, or becomes structurally weak and breaks. You can see this in the way that it displays these changes or loses its color.
The main difference between silicon and organic serums is that the latter do not contain silicon. Apparently, the silicon is too effective as a barrier and actually asphyxiates the strand, while trapping chemicals inside the protected space, which in turn cause it to break. Users will have to decide for themselves which version they prefer, based on their own experience and homework.
People who take their grooming seriously and try to make a favorable impression may be interested in trying the best serums on the market. Knowing the science behind the serum also helps in using it and inspecting its outcome.
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