Progressive hair straightening using an automated flat iron: function of silicones.

An automated hair iron was built with which the hair temperature, contact force of the iron against the hair tress, and gliding speed were controlled. The changes in keratin were characterized by several techniques including differential scanning calorimetry, birefringence measurements, and wet tensile tests. Undamaged curly hair was ironed for several iron cycles at temperatures ranging from 120°C to 175°C and washed between each iron cycle. Irreversible straightening of curly hair was observed and depended on the temperature and the number of cycles. The birefringence data suggested that the straightening was related to a gradual decrease of the microfilament organization. Silicone treatment did not significantly affect the course of microfilament denaturation, but it improved the quality of straightening. It enhanced the fiber alignment under the gliding action of the iron. Progressive thermal straightening may be a promising method to achieve permanent smoothing of curly hair without chemical treatment. Ironing at the onset temperature (∼154°C), before substantial disulfide bond scission occurred, seemed to be a good compromise between process speed, straightening performance, and hair integrity (i.e., reduced loss of cross-linking).