Hair under a microscope...

[countryhopper]

Have you read under the articles' section of how damaged hair looks under a microscope!! It's enough to make you RUN away from all heat products and hairsprays!

So today I went to a shop that sells something between a microscope and a magnifying glass with a light to illuminate what you're looking at (probably has a name, but not sure what it is!), and I thought, "I wonder if I have any splits or raised cuticles or damage..." So I looked at my hair and... NOTHING! Just shiny healthy hair with blunt ends. Nothing appeared broken or damaged! :cheese:

Have you ever looked at your own hair this close??

[julliams]

Sounds cool. I have always wanted to see this too. How much magnification would you need to see a damaged hair like in those pics?

[Ravenne]

I haven't but I'd really like to. Just to see if my ends are really as nice as they look to me while I'm doing S&D. Lol.

[countryhopper]

In those pics... probably a million :D

No, I'm not sure, really. Maybe it was mentioned at the bottom of the photo, but I can't remember. I just remember seeing exploded hair shafts from too much heat, cuticles from one hair ripped off and stuck in hairspray on another hair, back-combed hair.... :shudder:

The magnification I used today wasn't anywhere near that, but it was still neat to see :)

[mellie89]

I looked at my hair in the microscope in cell bio lab last week... we were supposed to be checking out our cheek cells, but I was much more curious about my hair. It looks really smooth and healthy for the first half, then the second half... well... it was kinda scary. Looked pretty much like this:

http://www.hairdressersus.com/micro/Image5b.jpg

Good to know I'm making progress, though! I can't wait to trim that damage away.

[SmileShine]

I wish I had been more interested in my hair when I had access to microscopes!

[Loreley]

I haven't, but I would love to! It must be interesting. :puppy:

[sibiryachka]

Honestly, at this point, I'd rather not see it :tmi: Maybe in a year or so...

[maria_asa]

I haven't but I would love to. (Or maybe not, if I don't see the damage I can pretend that there isn't any lol)

[rosek]

The picture that countryhopper refered to was taken with a Scanning Electron Microscope. They are only found within Universities, and very few forensics labs. You wouldn't be able to see the cuticle scales with a light microscope.

[countryhopper]

The picture that countryhopper refered to was taken with a Scanning Electron Microscope. They are only found within Universities, and very few forensics labs. You wouldn't be able to see the cuticle scales with a light microscope.

AACK!! That's probably a good thing I don't have access to one of those... it's like when you get a close-up of your complection in a magnified mirror and YIKES!! All imperfections and hairs suddenly show up!

[emmabovary]

Those pictures of damaged hair really make me feel sick! :puke: They just give me the shivers... quite enough to make me swear off heat styling and chemical dyes forever !

[Tonks]

I've only once taken a heat product to my hair since seeing those photos when I first joined THLC. Never again!

[little_cherry]

I'm so very curious to see my hair under a microscope!

[chopandchange]

I expect (at least, I hope) that my actual lengths would look OK, but the ends might be another matter. I am not immune to split ends and knots and bends...:(

[gmdiaz]

I would love to see what my hair looks like so close up.

I know that I would be able to see a difference in the healthy length and my last little bit of damage on the ends!