Ceramide binding to African–American hair fibre correlates with resistance to hair breakage

Abstract

Repetitive hair-relaxing treatments often applied to African-American hair weaken the hair structure. Therefore hair breakage is a common feature of African-American hair and an important cause of hair loss. Recently, by analysing the lipids extracted from human hair, a fraction of free-ceramide was isolated in which sphinganine was predominant. This study shows that this sphinganine-derived ceramide (i.e. C18-dhCer) binds to African-American hair and protects it from weakening caused by chemicals. To show this binding, we used two methods: radioactivity detection with a microimager and secondary ion mass spectrometry. We evaluated the benefits of C18-dhCer on African-American hair fibre, relaxed by guanidine hydroxide, using a new method called the Break'in Brush Technique (BBT). This method determines the hair breakage resistance during a brushing. Using this technique, we have shown less breakage when applying a shampoo with ceramide. The present study opens new prospects for the development of products able to increase the protection, provide better care and meet the needs of African-American hair thanks to the effect of ceramide binding.