Hairy tales

Hair has always been one factor that determines physical attractiveness. However, the standard for what is deemed acceptable and beautiful inevitably changes throughout generations. While lush, healthy hair and a clean scalp are the worldwide ideal today, this was not so in 1700’s Europe, where tall pompadours were the craze. It could be said that the beautiful and fashionable women of those times were those who had their hair literally standing by their roots. Because the rage was for tall coiffure that could reach up to two feet, natural hair was brushed up to cover pillows or wire frames placed on the head to achieve the stylish height. To keep the unwieldy structure stable, hair was heavily pomaded to keep each strand in place.               

The result of the heavy edifices on the women’s heads was not good. Aside from being unable to sleep comfortably, the added strain on their necks and heads made women prone to frequent headaches. Moreover, since hair styling was a cumbersome process that took considerable time and patience, the hairdos remained untouched and unwashed for up to several months. One can just imagine the havoc wreaked by that unhygienic custom on the hair, scalp, and overall health. Although hair powder was also fashionable and masked the presence of dandruff flakes, those women undoubtedly endured much discomfort for vanity’s sake. Proof: The long, narrow sticks with claws on ends that are mistaken as back scratchers and sold in antique shops today were really meant to be inserted into the elaborate hairstyles to relieve the unbearable itching from both dandruff and vermin that vigorously bred in unwashed hair.                    

Fortunately for us, the fashion of towering hairstyles and filthy hair is outmoded and has not cropped up again. Nowadays, a premium is placed on clean hair and a healthy scalp instead. However, although consciousness about cleanliness has lessened the likelihood of vermin (e.g. hair lice or kuto in Filipino), frequent hair washing is not enough to eliminate dandruff. Various folk remedies to solve the issue of dandruff that include applying coconut oil, rubbing aloe vera or even treating the scalp with the juice from mashed coriander leaves may provide temporary solutions, but the problem recurs. Fortunately, research has allowed more understanding about dandruff and provided more lasting solutions.               

Alison Roughley, senior scientist and scientific communications manager for research and development of Procter & Gamble, was in town recently to talk about the underlying cause of dandruff. She refutes the misconception that it is simply dirt that can be easily washed away. She explains that more than 40 years of research at Procter & Gamble have allowed scientists to understand that dandruff is a skin problem, specifically a disruption of the scalp’s barrier function.The skin’s structure in a healthy scalp is well organized and allows a controlled amount of moisture to pass through to make the scalp supple. A normal cycle of cell turnover rate results with dead skin cells being lost as almost imperceptible flakes. A dandruff problem is indication that there is disruption of the normal state. The orderly arrangement of cells becomes haphazard and the skin’s barrier function is affected. Moisture escapes faster, resulting in dry scalp, itchiness, and irritation. Moreover, a disruption in the cell turnover rate means that scalp cells are shed faster, resulting in visible white flakes or dandruff. Naturally, hair follicles are also adversely affected and an individual may experience hair loss.The main cause of cell structure disruption and dandruff is a naturally occurring fungus called Malassezia globosa (M. globosa). As a common fungus that lives on the skin of humans, it feeds on the oil that humans naturally secrete. Although the average human can host up to 10 million M. globosa, dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis occur when three factors come together. These factors are genetic susceptibility for an inflammatory response, the presence of sebum on the scalp, and the presence of M. globosa.               

Recently, scientists from P&G have successfully sequenced the complete genome of M. globosa. The results of the gene sequencing were published in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The development has opened up new possibilities in improving human health. After all, the Malassezia fungus family causes conditions more serious than dandruff. Other types of the fungus have been found to be particularly threatening to individuals with early and compromised immune systems, including infants and those suffering from autoimmune diseases. They are also implicated in skin and respiratory allergies.                

For those of us who are more interested in aesthetic applications and preventing dandruff, however, P&G’s continuing scientific research is confirmation that the company is committed to providing the best solutions for our hair and beauty concerns. Alison Roughley explained that the Head and Shoulders scalp-renew formula by P&G contains a powerful ZPT system that begins to work from first wash to eliminate the cause of dandruff. The mechanism of action is simple: By controlling the Malassezia, the scalp is able to revert to a healthy state. And once again, the truism that “beauty is a science” has been corroborated.