Here’s an interesting story that is making the rounds on the internet about blondes, genetics and natural selection. According to the story (from the BBC no less) the number of natural blondes has decreased to such low levels that in 200 years there may not be any left. It seems that “bottle blondes” are out-competing natural blondes for mates thus having an easier time passing along their non-blonde hair genes. Does this mean you should run out and invest in companies like Revlon, Garnier, and Clairol that make hair dyes?
Don’t bother because it turns out that this story is completely false! The truth is blondes are not headed for extinction any time soon. The investigators at one of our favorite sites Snopes.com have shown that this is a different version of an urban legend that has been circulating since as early as 1865.
In this BBC story, it’s suggested that German researchers made the pronouncement. But upon further investigation the story’s source was actually an article published in the German equivalent to Cosmo. And while Cosmo, Glamour, Allure, and all the other women’s magazines have some great information, they are also not immune to sloppy reporting and accepting naivety.
No, natural blondes won’t be extinct any time soon. And you can’t believe everything you read no matter how respected the source. It’s a basic Beauty Brains’ belief…
Always have independent confirmation of the facts
Here’s a question that comes from our good friends over at Women’s Health Research News. If you get a chance, please go over and check out this great blog by a fellow indy science blogger.
Trisha’s question:
In a previous post you mentioned that gray hair looks gray because it has lost its melanin, which gives hair its pigment. What`s the biology involved with that? What actually causes hair to lose its melanin? And is there anything we can do to slow the process down? And why do my gray hairs seem more kinky and unruly compared to the rest of my hair?
The Left Brain’s Response:
Melanin is a pigment that is naturally produced in the hair follicle and “injected” into the hair fibers as the protein is formed and pushed out of the head. It’s the same kind of melanin that gives your skin its color. There are two basic types of melanin (eumelanin and pheomelanin) that are responsible for every hair color from brown and black to blonde and red.
No one knows why hair follicles stop producing melanin. Genetics mostly. There just gets to be a point where the melanocytes (the melanin producing cells) just stop producing. Thus you get gray hair.
Slowing the process? No one has figured this one out just yet. And the truth is that only the pharmaceutical companies would be looking for the solution anyway. Cosmetic companies focus on things that do not react with your body. I’m not sure if there will be a solution to this problem anytime soon. (By the way, there are products out there like Reminex that claim to restore melanin production but we’ve seen no data to indicate they really work.) Of course you can always dye your hair. Or you can use Verseo Greyban. (It’s not a dye. Not exactly.)
There is no solid data to show that gray hair has a different physical structure that makes it feel more kinky and unruly. In fact, we’ve seen experiments that show if you have people close their eyes they can not feel a difference between gray hair and “normal” hair. Why do people think gray hair is so different? There are probably two reasons: First, we know that as you age, the follicles produce less of their natural lubricating oils. That can make hair feel dry and coarse. Second, gray hairs are just easier to notice because of the color difference. Think about all the hairs on your head that are unruly but they are the same color as the rest of your hair so you don’t notice them.
In a world where every hair care product claims to be made for your individual hair type, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that there really are true scientific differences between hair types.
For example, a study recently published in the Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (57, 327-338 July 2006) discovered that there are at least 5 basic differences between Asian and Caucasian hair.
1) Number of Cuticle Layers
Cuticles are the protective “shingles” that guard the inner protein structure of your hair. Typical human hair has 5 to 10 layers of cuticles. Asian hair has more (closer to 10) than Caucasian (which has closer to 5). Asian cuticles are also wider, thicker and more densely packed.
2) Flatness of Cuticles
On Asian hair, the cuticles are laid down with at a steeper angle. Caucasian hair has flatter cuticles.
3) Distance Between Cuticles
The interval, or distance, between cuticle cells is narrower in Asian hair than in Caucasian hair.
4) How Hair Breaks
As Asian hair is stretched or pulled, the cuticles tend to break off in large pieces that keep their original shape. On the other hand, the cuticles of Caucasian hair tend to break into smaller fragments and fall off. In this sense, Caucasian cuticles are more fragile.
5) Why Hair Breaks
The cuticles of Asian hair tends to fall off because the adhesive that holds the cuticle cells together fails. In Caucasian hair, the adhesive holds better but the cuticle cell itself starts to break first.
What does this all mean?
For the first time, scientists have proven that Asian hair has a more solid structure than Caucasian hair. This may account for the beautiful long, shiny look that so many Asian women are known for. The Beauty Brains think it also suggests that Asians may need different hair care products than Caucasians.
Jim’s Got A Problem:
Here’s my problem. I’m an “older” male who has kept his long hair. Now that I’m left with only about 26,000 hairs!! it’s still long, curly … and once I spend 20 minutes in the shower with a ton of conditioner, looks great.
My hair is SO tangly that virtually every hair I have tangles with every other hair. After gobs of conditioner and 20 minutes in the shower separating every hair from every other hair - 2 days later it’s a tangled mess again. I stopped using any shampoo or soap or anything (except conditioner) a long time ago. I’ve never coloured my hair or used any chemicals on it.
So - what’s the most powerful, de-tangler you know of? I’d be prepared to use some spray on Teflon cookware product it that meant not having to slowly, slowly (from the bottom up naturally) separate every hair with tons of conditioner! Please help this super tangled guy!
The Right Brain Responds:
Jim, as always it’s a pleasure to hear from our male readers. We just wish there was more we could do to help you.
What Makes Hair So Tangly?
It’s possible that you have a medical condition that can cause hair to become excessively tangled. It’s called Uncombable Hair Syndrome and it occurs when your hair shaft is more triangular than cylindrical. Without examining your hair, it’s difficult to determine what your condition really is.
Would A Homemade Moisturizer Help?
Probably not, homemade products just aren’t that powerful. There are plenty of good conditioners that should be sufficient to detangle “normal” hair. Pantene is a great product because it combines fatty alcohols and silicones in a very slippery formula. If you haven’t tried that product, you might give it a shot. You might also try using a wide tooth pick in the shower to work the conditioner through your wet hair. Finally, you might also consider using a leave in conditioner in your hair at night to reducing tangling while you toss and turn in your sleep.
You’ve probably heard some of this advice in the long hair forums, but we hope some of this info helps. Please write back and let The Beauty Brains know how this works out for you.
Anon Asks:
Do split ends serums really repair split ends?
The Right Beauty Brain Replies:
We’re afraid that split end repair products are lots of bluff and not much stuff.
To see why, you have to understand a couple of things about basic hair biology. Hair is dead and once it’s damaged it can’t repair itself. A new strand of hair can grow out, but any part of the fiber that’s already damaged can’t heal itself. And when hair is damaged it looks like this:
Despite what hair care companies might tell you, there’s nothing that can actually repair a hair that looks like that.
At best, you can temporarily smooth the split by using a product that covers the damaged area with a film. But the next time you wash your hair that protective film washes away too. Products like Frieda’s Frizz-Ease work this way. Of course, the best thing you can do is PREVENT split ends by always conditioning your hair before brushing or blow drying.
For more tips, check out E-How. There’s some good information here on preventing split ends, with the exception it item #7. It says to use a shampoo that lists sunscreen as a major ingredient. First of all, NO shampoo has sunscreen as a “major” ingredient. Second, even if you DID put a huge dose of a sunscreen in, it wouldn’t do much to protect your hair. But that’s a discussion for another post…
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