The hair cuticle can heal in 36 hours?

[HylianGirl]

Hello! If there are any hair dressers, cosmetologists around here, is this true?

Even though I would never do that, I like watching youtube videos of people dyeing their hair, specially going platinum or crazy manic panic colors xD anyways, I saw this video today, and the hairdresser said that the hair cuticle can heal in 36 hours, is it true? How is it possible if hair is dead? Here's the link to the video (watch at 3:15):


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbKziN-N_D4&feature=player_detailpage&t=195

[alexis917]

Hair can't repair itself...especially within 36 hours.
That's all I know though. Maybe someone with a better understanding of the science behind hair growth will come offer some input!

[jeanniet]

You don't need science, only logic. Living tissue can repair itself; since the cuticle is not comprised of living tissue, there is no way for it to regenerate, just as a broken fingernail can't repair itself. It can regrow from the root or base, but the broken or damaged part can't regrow itself.

[akilina]

I've not once been told or taught that the hair can heal its self. Always told the severe opposite.

I want to know what Firefox (member here) says about it though.

After the cuticle is blown open from the developer you mix with the dye it will settle back a bit once its all over but hair healing its self? Absolutely not. It is dead. In that case no one would have damage from dyeing and bleaching.

I've gotten to see my own hair under microscope before sometime after bleaching and on the more previously healthy parts my hair was totally smooth, ends of course were damaged as expected.

[Leeloo]

You might get it to be in better condition for a while with different products, but hair that has left the scalp cannot heal.

[Ravenwind]

If that was the case we would rarely have split ends/damage to cut off lol. I've seen so many products that "fix split ends" by just masking the appearance of damage, but like everyone is saying it's not possible for hair that's dead to repair itself. Unfortunately a lot of hairdressers are uneducated in the hair health department lol

[furnival]

That's bullsh!t. Hair can no more heal than a broken nail can heal.

[Etna]

I don't think he means actually heal. Maybe some of the disulphide bonds in hair are weakened in the bleaching process, but will restrengthen a bit after the bleach has been removed from the hair? Sort of like in a perm, how you're not supposed to mess with the hair for a while after it is done? Whatever it is I would be willing to bet it's a chemical thing, not an actual biological "healing" process.

So maybe he sort of knows what he's talking about, even if he doesn't have the words right?

[Tota]

So maybe he sort of knows what he's talking about, even if he doesn't have the words right?

I agree with you. He is too famous and too respected as a stylist to not know what he's talking about. I'm from the other side of the planet and I know who he is ;)

[melusine963]

I don't think he means actually heal. Maybe some of the disulphide bonds in hair are weakened in the bleaching process, but will restrengthen a bit after the bleach has been removed from the hair? Sort of like in a perm, how you're not supposed to mess with the hair for a while after it is done? Whatever it is I would be willing to bet it's a chemical thing, not an actual biological "healing" process.

So maybe he sort of knows what he's talking about, even if he doesn't have the words right?

This would be my guess, too.

[fairview]

The previous posts have already established that (1) hair is not alive and (2) the cuticle can not heal itself.
During the permanent coloring process the cuticle is opened with some type of alkaline solution weather it be ammonia or some other substance. The developer is hydrogen peroxide based and is required because most all modern colors are oxidative not progressive. The hydrogen peroxide provides the oxygen necessary to process (oxidize) the color under the cuticle. After the color has processed the cuticle is reclosed through the use of a slightly acid based shampoo and conditioner to return the hair back to its normal pH of around 5.0. If a pH balanced shampoo/conditioner is not used after coloring the hair will not have what we call good condition and it will lack all condition and probably take 36 hours to return to its normal acid based level and shut the cuticle on its own accord. This is probably what he is talking about and any stylist who does not use a Ph balancing shampoo/conditioner after coloring is sorely shortchanging the guest. Permanent color is not alkaline or strong enough to effect the disulfide binds of the hair. If it did, everyone's' hair texture would change during/after coloring. Talk about playing Russian roulette with your guests hair!


I agree with you. He is too famous and too respected as a stylist to not know what he's talking about. I'm from the other side of the planet and I know who he is ;)

Haven't watched the video, don't know who the stylist is and don't know if the OP has taken a quote out of context but what I have described is basic coloring 101 in cosmo school. If I was famous and respected I sure would be using the right words and not even remotely making statements that could be interpreted as I may not know what I'm talking about. If non cosmos question what is being said and know what is being said is not possible then as a licensed cosmo, what am I to think of this individuals credibility? With the advent of the internet and you tube and forums like these, the public is becoming highly educated in any topic that is of interest to them.

IMO it renders down to the basic principle of 'Everything in this world is for sale and everyone is a prostitute, you just have to name the right price.' The stylist sold himself and compromised his reputation hawking an infomercial.

[UltraBella]

Maybe watching it before commenting would be helpful.........

It's not an infomercial, it's a homemade video -the gal filming has a YouTube channel & her mom was going blonde for the first time in her life. He used the term "heal" because it's quick & easy and gets his point across without 20 minutes of explanation - he was busy, after all. His message was not to fry your hair in a one step process, it takes time & patience to lighten that much safely. The cuticle is open & rough for the first few days - as is closes back up (heals as he put it) your hair will feel back to normal -he was telling her not to worry.
Her hair looked amazing, he knows EXACTLY what he's doing.

[jacqueline101]

That's bullsh!t. Hair can no more heal than a broken nail can heal.

I agree. If it could heal itself we wouldn't have split ends.

[furnival]

He is too famous and too respected as a stylist to not know what he's talking about. I'm from the other side of the planet and I know who he is ;)
This is the kind of assumption that allows pseudoscience, misinformation and misconception to proliferate.

If he meant that the raised cuticle will lower itself gradually after bleaching, he should have said so. What he actually said, several times, is that the cuticle will 'heal itself'. Quite apart from this being a scientific impossibility, he is blithely asserting a fairly common misconception. If he is as famous and well-respected as you say, he ought to have known better than to spread this kind of misinformation. If he is extremely knowledgable about hair, he ought to have known not to use the misleading word 'heal' in this context.

His claims point either to ignorance or carelessness with the facts, neither of which befit an internationally renowned stylist.

[HylianGirl]

Thanks for the info, everyone! I thought it was weird ffor him to say that, even more because he is a famous hairdresser, if it were a random youtube guru, I would think it would be just one more of those people that think flat irons are moisturising. Anyway, thanks the info! But I agree with furnival, even though he knows what he's doing, he could have explained it a bit more differently, some people may missunderstand what he meant.

[Anje]

Also, if you dump bleach on carpet, it can heal itself within a week.

[HylianGirl]

Also, if you dump bleach on carpet, it can heal itself within a week.

LOL that would be awesome xD

[Firefox7275]

This is the kind of assumption that allows pseudoscience, misinformation and misconception to proliferate.

If he meant that the raised cuticle will lower itself gradually after bleaching, he should have said so. What he actually said, several times, is that the cuticle will 'heal itself'. Quite apart from this being a scientific impossibility, he is blithely asserting a fairly common misconception. If he is as famous and well-respected as you say, he ought to have known better than to spread this kind of misinformation. If he is extremely knowledgable about hair, he ought to have known not to use the misleading word 'heal' in this context.

His claims point either to ignorance or carelessness with the facts, neither of which befit an internationally renowned stylist.

Really well put. Even if the 'word' heal was simply misused it still makes no sense, sometimes hair/ cuticle does not 'recover' within 36 hours of bleaching, it stays raised and the hair remains super porous. There are other ways to explain the concept in layman's terms - claiming the cuticle 'opens' and 'closes' is very common, for example.

There is a gaping void between hair styling and healthy hair care, between proficient in techniques and understanding the science. What is aesthetically pleasing to many and routine practice in salons all over the UK and US is damaging - blow frying, brushing or combing whilst wet, flat ironing, permanent colour changes and so on.