Hair health is a determining factor in their external gloss, without which it isn’t easy to imagine fashionable colouring or styling. On the condition of the hair – their smoothness and strength – that attention is focused on developing new, more and more “smart” care lines.
One of them, Metal Detox, created in the laboratory of L’Oréal Professionnel Paris, works for the future: it gets rid of metal particles in the hair, which reduces hair breakage and makes it easier to colour.
Whole Colour
It seems that girls worldwide can breathe a sigh of relief: no more withered hair after highlighting, the unpredictable appearance of shades, dull colour and greenish tint on light strands. Paradoxically, even the ideal condition of the hair and modern, gentle dyes do not guarantee the absence of damage after the dyeing procedure and perfect colour.
This problem required seven years of joint research by experts from L’Oréal Professionnel Paris and scientists from the University of Ioannina in Thessaloniki – experts were looking for an element in the structure of the hair that spoils the result of the work of even the most experienced colourists.
They came to a fundamental conclusion: it turns out that metals tend to accumulate not only on the surface – this was known for a long time, but also in the deep structures of the hair, which scientists and experts at L’Oréal Professionnel Paris learned about for the first time.
In addition, when stained, they react with oxidizing agents: this provokes brittleness and dryness. The process itself is made similar to playing roulette – it is impossible to predict what colour will be accurate.
Previously, having received a similar result and being dissatisfied with the shade, many thought it was all about a specialist or an incorrectly selected dye. However, no one believed hair tends to absorb harmful elements from the environment, like a sponge, especially water. Having accumulated metal particles in the hair, one can again and again encounter brittleness and dull hair colour.
“Indeed, we did not know that metal particles could penetrate so deeply into the hair. They accumulate imperceptibly: when washing your hair due to corrosion of water pipes while swimming in the pool or swimming in the river and the sea.
Copper is the most dangerous: it interferes with oxidative processes more than other metals and directly affects staining quality. The accumulation of metals worsens the condition of the hair: they become brittle and brittle, lose elasticity, and may acquire a matte finish.
Hair with a porous texture is most susceptible to this problem: the more it is expressed, the easier it is for the metal to penetrate the cortex,” says Daria Tarabanovskaya, head of training at L’Oréal Professionnel Paris.
Response Division
The solution was the glucosamine molecule, a key ingredient in the new L’Oréal Professionnel Paris Metal Detox line. “Glycoamine is a special chemical compound that can bind metal atoms. The molecule is small enough to penetrate the hair and powerful enough to remove the metal due to the high force of attraction to its particles,” explains Charlotte Felten, director of L’Oréal Haircare Laboratories.
It turned out that the glucosamine molecule, like a metal detector, finds and neutralizes metal particles, even if they are unevenly distributed inside the hair. This is the basis of the new Metal Detox care procedure, which the masters carry out in salons using the products of the L’Oréal Professionnel Paris line of the same name.
The system can become a separate ritual of deep hair restoration to detoxify it or act as a preparatory stage before colouring to guarantee a cleaner and brighter shade while maintaining healthy-looking hair.
Such a “detox” helps preserve the integrity of the hair and stabilize the colour and make the colouring effect more pronounced – this is especially important for bleaching, balayage, radical blond, and other complex techniques.
Getting rid of metal particles has additional excellent bonuses: long-lasting pigment brightness, exceptional smoothness of hair and their beautiful shine.
“After the salon service, it is essential to continue to clean the hair from the accumulation of metal particles – for this, and the Metal Detox line has home care products, shampoo and a protective mask.
An integrated approach also works here, so it is better to use two products together to maintain the brightness of the colour, care for the quality of the hair, restore their structure and reduce porosity,” adds Daria Tarabanovskaya.
After many tests, L’Oréal Professionnel Paris experts noted that the tendency to accumulate metal in the hair is an individual feature, depending on its natural structure and care.
The ecological situation in the country plays a huge role in this matter – and it is enough to recall how hard water flows from taps in most Russian cities to understand, most likely, everyone has metal particles in their hair.
In addition to its direct task – getting rid of metals in the hair structure, Metal Detox care turns regular visits to the colourist into a ritual of hair care, elevates the safety of colouring and its result to a whole new level, while maintaining the most important thing – the health and natural beauty of the hair.
