0:00:02 > 0:00:03Stand by, everyone.
0:00:03 > 0:00:05And...action.
0:00:05 > 0:00:09Hair really is the crowning glory and it can represent you
0:00:09 > 0:00:10in so many different ways.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12Hair is the most important thing with your identity.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15I think my hair says I'm a bit Bohemian.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18It's, like, totally free. Flouncy, bouncy - a bit like me.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21There's also something that you can see - immediately see.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23It's like clothes you're wearing.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25You're making, effectively, a statement.
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Each one of us has a unique head of hair,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31whether it's straight, curly,
0:00:31 > 0:00:33frizzy, long,
0:00:33 > 0:00:35short, bleached,
0:00:35 > 0:00:37coloured or natural.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42Around 150,000 individual hair strands,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45growing approximately one centimetre every month.
0:00:46 > 0:00:50Horizon has gathered together a team of scientists and doctors,
0:00:50 > 0:00:55to investigate this precious material growing out of our heads.
0:00:55 > 0:01:00We're entering a world where science and business operate hand-in-hand.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05The time and effort that we put into our hair
0:01:05 > 0:01:07creates a global hair care market
0:01:07 > 0:01:10worth a staggering £60 billion.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13An estimated £1.5 billion of that
0:01:13 > 0:01:15is spent on hair loss treatments.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19That's four times the amount that we spend on malaria research.
0:01:20 > 0:01:24'The growing list of hair care products caters to our every
0:01:24 > 0:01:28'possible need and seems to offer the world.'
0:01:28 > 0:01:31It's actually got an ingredient which can reduce hair growth.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33You know, it actually mends things like split ends.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35It stops the hair from falling out.
0:01:35 > 0:01:37And it also gets rid of frizz.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Today, some of the most popular hair care products
0:01:42 > 0:01:45are sold on the basis that they work scientifically.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52But with more and more products competing with each other
0:01:52 > 0:01:54to make ever-bolder claims,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58it's not easy to work out what the scientific evidence actually is.
0:01:58 > 0:02:00You know, anything that claims to be "free from",
0:02:00 > 0:02:04you should look at what else is in their ingredients.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08We're going to sort the science from the spin
0:02:08 > 0:02:12and untangle some of the most common hair care myths.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17We've gained access to the research laboratories of some of the world's
0:02:17 > 0:02:18leading hair care companies.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22We have almost 4,000 scientists across the world
0:02:22 > 0:02:24working to develop these new products.
0:02:24 > 0:02:28We're investigating the latest cutting-edge technology.
0:02:28 > 0:02:32Well, there's only one machine of this type.
0:02:32 > 0:02:35We'll test that for 250,000 cycles,
0:02:35 > 0:02:38before we deem it as being OK.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42And we have answers to some of the most essential questions.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45Is there absolutely no damage to the hair?
0:02:45 > 0:02:48We cannot say zero, never, nothing, nyet.
0:02:48 > 0:02:51How much of this information is available to the public?
0:02:51 > 0:02:52How much is in the public domain?
0:02:52 > 0:02:56As a team, we're going to reveal the latest scientific discoveries
0:02:56 > 0:03:00that push the boundaries of our knowledge of this
0:03:00 > 0:03:02extraordinary natural material...
0:03:02 > 0:03:04our hair.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14SNIPPING
0:03:20 > 0:03:22Hair is really important to our looks.
0:03:22 > 0:03:24It's our biggest accessory.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Our hair is something we have to wear every single day.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The thing about hair is it's one part of you that you get to design.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34A lot of people laugh at me or maybe point and say, "Your hair".
0:03:34 > 0:03:37And I just acknowledge it and move on.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41I think a lot of importance is put on hair, whether we like it or not.
0:03:43 > 0:03:49As a busy scientist, the state of my hair is not always my top priority.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51But I like to feel the style I've chosen reflects
0:03:51 > 0:03:53some of my personality,
0:03:53 > 0:03:57although it doesn't always go to plan.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01We've all had them - days when our hair just doesn't do the right thing
0:04:01 > 0:04:03and when your hair doesn't do what you want it to do,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06nothing else seems to go right, either.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10It can make or break a good day or a bad day.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14Good hair - great day. Bad hair - it's not going to work out
0:04:14 > 0:04:16as well as I hope it is.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19My hair has been very loyal to me.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21All this time, I've never had problems.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24The ones that did, I pulled them out straight away...
0:04:25 > 0:04:29Research carried out at Yale University concluded
0:04:29 > 0:04:31that a bad hair day can negatively affect
0:04:31 > 0:04:34a person's self-esteem and social insecurity.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Bad hair days - more make-up day for me.
0:04:39 > 0:04:41As a molecular biologist,
0:04:41 > 0:04:44I know that what's sitting on top of my head
0:04:44 > 0:04:46is just a mass of dead protein.
0:04:46 > 0:04:51So, why does it have such a big impact on my mood?
0:04:51 > 0:04:55'One theory is that it's down to the split-second judgments we make
0:04:55 > 0:04:57'when we meet people for the first time.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03'Psychologist Graham Hole believes
0:05:03 > 0:05:06'that these early moments are critical.'
0:05:07 > 0:05:11It takes as little as 13 milliseconds to decide
0:05:11 > 0:05:13whether you find a face attractive or unattractive.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17- That's really short. What's that...? - That's faster than you can actually
0:05:17 > 0:05:20consciously be aware that you've seen anything.
0:05:20 > 0:05:24'Graham believes our hair plays a key role in these unconscious judgments.'
0:05:24 > 0:05:27What we do know, from eye-tracking studies, for example,
0:05:27 > 0:05:30is that the external parts of the face are very important
0:05:30 > 0:05:32for recognising faces you've only just seen for the first time.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35So, the hair and the face shape.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Whereas, the internal part of the face is important
0:05:37 > 0:05:40for recognising faces that you know well.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42SHUTTER CLICKING
0:05:42 > 0:05:44Just a neutral expression.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49Graham wants to show me just how influential our hair can be.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52- Yeah, that looks really good. - Yep?- Yeah.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55He's recruited pairs of mothers and daughters
0:05:55 > 0:05:58willing to swap their hairstyles with each other.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00Mothers will get the daughter's hairstyle
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and the daughters will get the mother's hairstyle.
0:06:02 > 0:06:03According to Graham,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06the change of hairstyle should influence the first impressions
0:06:06 > 0:06:08the mothers and daughters make.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11OK, so, could all the daughters please go upstairs,
0:06:11 > 0:06:13while the mothers have their wigs put on?
0:06:18 > 0:06:22We spend millions of pounds on hair care products.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24So, hair is obviously very important to us.
0:06:24 > 0:06:27But we don't know what kind of role it plays in the perception of things
0:06:27 > 0:06:30like age, health, attractiveness and so on.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34So, this experiment is trying to see what effect simply a change
0:06:34 > 0:06:36of hairstyle will do to the person's face.
0:06:40 > 0:06:43The mothers are given wigs similar to their daughters'
0:06:43 > 0:06:44younger hairstyles.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Wow!
0:06:50 > 0:06:52I think I look silly.
0:06:52 > 0:06:57I think I look like somebody from a heavy metal rock band - male.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03And the daughters are styled in wigs that match their mothers'
0:07:03 > 0:07:05older styles.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09Whoa!
0:07:09 > 0:07:12It's just not for me, is it?!
0:07:12 > 0:07:14I look like a small boy!
0:07:16 > 0:07:18Transformations complete,
0:07:18 > 0:07:20it's time to see what they think of their new looks.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24OK, three, two, one...
0:07:28 > 0:07:31OK, Maddy, do you think your mum looks good in that hairstyle?
0:07:31 > 0:07:35- No.- Actually, I think she looks rather lovely.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38She looks a bit dowdy.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41And it makes you look like you're trying too hard, as well.
0:07:41 > 0:07:43- I think.- OK.
0:07:43 > 0:07:47The new styles may not have gone down well in our salon,
0:07:47 > 0:07:51but the real test is to see how they're perceived by strangers.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54OK, we're doing a survey about person perception.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57Can I ask you how old you think this woman is, to the nearest year?
0:07:57 > 0:08:00- I would say around 20.- Around 26.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02I would say 21.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04- 37.- 40.- 55.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07- 52.- 57.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11When Graham analyses the data,
0:08:11 > 0:08:13a familiar pattern emerges.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19With previous experiments, we've got similar kinds of age differences.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22So, the daughters' ages were increased by a couple of years
0:08:22 > 0:08:26and the mothers' ages were decreased by about four years or so.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30Change in the perceived age of our pairs is particularly marked
0:08:30 > 0:08:31in one mother.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35There was a whopping reduction of about seven years in the age of
0:08:35 > 0:08:38one of the mothers, making her look about seven years younger
0:08:38 > 0:08:41- than she actually was.- Seven years is quite substantial, actually.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43How would you explain that?
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Presumably the participants in our study paid more attention
0:08:46 > 0:08:50to the hair and that biased their overall, kind of, age estimate.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55'Graham believes the younger hair styles send out telling signals.'
0:08:55 > 0:08:58In our past, it might have been equivalent to a peacock's tail.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01It, kind of, basically says, "Look, I've got so many kind of resources
0:09:01 > 0:09:04"that I can afford to squander them in long tresses."
0:09:04 > 0:09:07For our ancestors, it would have been very useful for them
0:09:07 > 0:09:10to pay attention to hair, because it would have been an honest signal
0:09:10 > 0:09:14to the age of the person concerned.
0:09:14 > 0:09:16So, at least, in our past, it has been a good strategy
0:09:16 > 0:09:20for helping us to decide whether somebody's worth mating with.
0:09:26 > 0:09:27The importance of our hair
0:09:27 > 0:09:30may have its origins in our evolutionary past,
0:09:30 > 0:09:35but it remains a powerful part of our identity in the modern world
0:09:35 > 0:09:39and this deep attachment to our hair is perhaps most apparent
0:09:39 > 0:09:43when we are faced with the prospect of its loss.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47I think the possibility of losing my hair would be dramatic.
0:09:47 > 0:09:50I am very worried about losing my hair.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52I think it is a lot worse for a lady than it is for a guy.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55Post-pregnancy, I lost quite a lot of hair.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58It's quite... It provokes quite a lot of anxiety.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Whilst I have come to accept it now
0:10:01 > 0:10:03and it is part of who I am,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06and now I'm totally fine with it, even looking back,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09I see it as being
0:10:09 > 0:10:12one of my periods of life trauma.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18First response paramedic Joe
0:10:18 > 0:10:22noticed the initial signs of hair loss in his early teens.
0:10:25 > 0:10:27I've brought some pictures.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I've got one when I just started high school, and one a couple of
0:10:30 > 0:10:34years after. When I started high school I must have been what, 11 years old?
0:10:34 > 0:10:38And I've got a perfectly straight line of hair across my forehead,
0:10:38 > 0:10:41but two years later I'd lost 50%
0:10:41 > 0:10:43of that hair in that corner.
0:10:43 > 0:10:48And I can personally see now, back then it didn't bother me as much.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51I was thinking about football or chocolate.
0:10:55 > 0:10:56As he's got older,
0:10:56 > 0:11:00Joe's receding hairline has become an increasingly large
0:11:00 > 0:11:02part of his life.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06I'm always thinking about ways to conceal it when it's a windy day,
0:11:06 > 0:11:09readdressing my hair to cover the areas I've got,
0:11:09 > 0:11:10and not make it more noticeable.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Different things affect different people in different ways, and for me
0:11:15 > 0:11:17it's very much my hairline.
0:11:19 > 0:11:20This is my issue,
0:11:20 > 0:11:24and this is something that has bothered me for 12/13 years,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26so it's something I'm dealing with.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32Joe has already tried a number of off-the shelf solutions,
0:11:32 > 0:11:34but with little success.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I'm a master of disguise.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42If I pull my hair back real quick you can see I've probably lost about
0:11:42 > 0:11:46three inches of hair in those two corners, at last, I think...
0:11:46 > 0:11:49Between when I was 13 and 20, anyway.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52So, I've been like that for the last ten years.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56He's now decided to take the extreme step
0:11:56 > 0:11:59of opting for hair transplant surgery,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02a technique that will move hair from the back of his head
0:12:02 > 0:12:04to the balding areas.
0:12:04 > 0:12:05I'm a bit nervous,
0:12:05 > 0:12:09but I'm kind of hoping that, once I've had the surgery done,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12once I've had my own hair, the same colour, the same texture,
0:12:12 > 0:12:15going into them corners that...
0:12:15 > 0:12:17I'll not think about it as much, it will be a bit more....
0:12:17 > 0:12:18I'll feel better.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22I'll feel more confident and, I think, healthier as well.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I'll look a bit healthier, you know...
0:12:24 > 0:12:26So, fingers crossed.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34While Joe's prepared to undergo surgery
0:12:34 > 0:12:36to feel happier about his hair,
0:12:36 > 0:12:39most of us opt for less dramatic ways to improve our locks...
0:12:40 > 0:12:43..by splashing out on our favourite products.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52I've just bought four bottles of shampoo and conditioner -
0:12:52 > 0:12:53it was the best part of £100.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Yeah, I would say about £50 a month.
0:12:56 > 0:12:59Well, between £20-£30 per product,
0:12:59 > 0:13:03so quite high-end ones that you can generally only buy in salons.
0:13:03 > 0:13:06I think it's kind of irrelevant for me, cos I probably spend about
0:13:06 > 0:13:08£30 a year on my hair.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11You're probably looking £100-£150 a month.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14That's one of the greatest benefits of not having hair,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17I spend little to nothing.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25As a chemist, I spend my time formulating and analysing products
0:13:25 > 0:13:28that we use every day, and one of the questions I'm often asked
0:13:28 > 0:13:32is whether or not an expensive shampoo cleans your hair any better
0:13:32 > 0:13:34than a cheap shampoo.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39- You haven't washed it for seven days?- No, I haven't, no.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42'In order to find out, I've persuaded my students,
0:13:42 > 0:13:45'Catherine and Tanya, to stop washing their hair for a week.'
0:13:45 > 0:13:48It feels quite oily, I must admit.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51- Does it feel oily to you as well? - Yeah, it feels horrible.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55The reason there's so much oil is because the hair produces
0:13:55 > 0:13:57a natural oil called sebum
0:13:57 > 0:14:00that extends through the whole hair shaft.
0:14:00 > 0:14:03And, unfortunately, with all the pollutants around and all the dirt
0:14:03 > 0:14:04that you might come across,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07all of those things are going to stick to your hair.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14The job of any shampoo is to get rid of all this dirt,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17along with other debris, such as dead skin cells.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24The price tag for a standard 250ml bottle of shampoo
0:14:24 > 0:14:25can vary dramatically.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31So, I've chosen to compare three at very different price points.
0:14:33 > 0:14:36The first of our shampoos is our cheapest shampoo -
0:14:36 > 0:14:38it costs about £1 a bottle.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41Our second shampoo, our mid-range product,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44which costs about £6 a bottle,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and our final shampoo costs over £40 a bottle.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52Despite the differences in price, they all contain similar
0:14:52 > 0:14:56cleaning ingredients which are known as surfactants.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58Now, here we have some surfactant.
0:14:58 > 0:15:01This is sodium lauryl sulphate - it's the most common surfactant
0:15:01 > 0:15:04used in shampoo, and what it does is one end of the molecule
0:15:04 > 0:15:06is hydrophilic - it remains in the water.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10The other is hydrophobic, and attaches to the dirt.
0:15:10 > 0:15:14So, when you wash away your shampoo the surfactant carries the dirt away
0:15:14 > 0:15:17with the water so your hair is left clean.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27I want to find out whether the surfactants in our three
0:15:27 > 0:15:30differently priced shampoos can clean Tanya and Catherine's hair
0:15:30 > 0:15:32to the same standard.
0:15:35 > 0:15:39So, we've analysed your hair samples and we have the results here.
0:15:39 > 0:15:40So Catherine, you're first.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43These images were taken using a scanning electron microscope,
0:15:43 > 0:15:48which has magnified your hair 1,000-2,000 that that you would
0:15:48 > 0:15:50normally have. This is your unwashed hair.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54We can clearly see there's some dirt on the surface.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57Now, this next image we have here is, this is with the cheap shampoo.
0:15:57 > 0:15:59The hair look much cleaner.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02It has worked. It has removed the dirt from your hair.
0:16:02 > 0:16:06And then the mid-range product does look clean as well.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09And then finally through to the expensive shampoo.
0:16:09 > 0:16:11Again, it's done a good job of cleaning.
0:16:11 > 0:16:16So, all three of these shampoos have cleaned your hair really well.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19Tanya's unwashed hair was also used to test
0:16:19 > 0:16:21the three differently priced shampoos.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24But her results are not so straightforward.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27Now, with the cheap shampoo, although it did clean the hair,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30what we also found from the digital microscope image,
0:16:30 > 0:16:32the surface of your hair became quite static,
0:16:32 > 0:16:35and you can see here, as soon as you create that static,
0:16:35 > 0:16:38then dust is going to stick to your hair.
0:16:38 > 0:16:41So, yes, initially your hair looked clean,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44but soon after that you would start to pick up dust and dirt
0:16:44 > 0:16:46- from the atmosphere.- Can I wash my hair now?
0:16:46 > 0:16:49Yes, you can go and wash your hair now.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The cheap shampoo made Tanya's hair more prone to generating
0:16:54 > 0:16:58static electricity because it was missing a key ingredient
0:16:58 > 0:17:02that the other two shampoos contained - a conditioning agent.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09Conditioning lies at the heart of some of our sleekest of locks.
0:17:10 > 0:17:11And for some of us,
0:17:11 > 0:17:15they are the most important part of our hair care routine.
0:17:16 > 0:17:20My hair is very dry, which is typical for Afro hair.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23So, I choose not to use shampoos at all, I just use conditioners.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25And not only do conditioners make my hair fresh,
0:17:25 > 0:17:27they also help to detangle.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30I'm curious to know how my conditioner can achieve all of that.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I've come to Manchester, home to Lonza -
0:17:36 > 0:17:38one of the world's leading producers of ingredients
0:17:38 > 0:17:40for hair care products.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46Lonza is a global manufacturer of speciality chemicals...
0:17:46 > 0:17:49Dr Jamie Hawkes is keen to demonstrate how conditioners
0:17:49 > 0:17:53transform our hair, using a combing friction tester.
0:17:56 > 0:17:59Right, well, this piece of equipment is something that we can use
0:17:59 > 0:18:02to demonstrate how a conditioner works.
0:18:02 > 0:18:04Basically, we're going to take a hair tress,
0:18:04 > 0:18:06and both have had shampoo treatments,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10but one has had the additional conditioner treatment, as well.
0:18:10 > 0:18:14So, firstly, we need to just wet this,
0:18:14 > 0:18:15realign the fibres.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18This tress has no conditioner.
0:18:18 > 0:18:20We put this into the machine.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24And then the machine measures the force required to pull through
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- the hair fibres.- OK.- So, we'll be able to see, does the conditioner
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- have an effect on combing.- OK.
0:18:30 > 0:18:34So, we simply start the machine and as it starts to move,
0:18:34 > 0:18:39- you'll notice the comb being pulled through - there it goes.- Yeah.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42- Ouch!- If that was your hair that would probably hurt.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44That would be quite painful, wouldn't it?
0:18:44 > 0:18:47Presumably that's going to cause some breakage to the hair as well?
0:18:47 > 0:18:49It will, it will cause a lot of damage.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51If you were to do this multiple times, you would end up
0:18:51 > 0:18:54actually collecting a large pile of fibres on the bottom.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56So, that's now finished.
0:18:57 > 0:19:00'The next hair tress HAS been treated with conditioner.'
0:19:04 > 0:19:06I think, even though it's going at the same speed,
0:19:06 > 0:19:10- here from a distance, you can just see it's moving through much more easily.- It is.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13And you can see how the hair fibres are actually just being teased apart
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- as the comb pulls through.- Yeah.
0:19:17 > 0:19:18So, there you go.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22'And the difference in force required to comb the two tresses
0:19:22 > 0:19:25'looks even more dramatic on the graph.'
0:19:25 > 0:19:27This is the first tress that we tried.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30As you'll see, the amount of force required as the comb
0:19:30 > 0:19:33is pulled through the hair tress goes up enormously,
0:19:33 > 0:19:34whereas if you look at the second line,
0:19:34 > 0:19:37which you can only just see at if bottom,
0:19:37 > 0:19:38that's the conditioned sample.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40So, hardly any force at all.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Yes, absolutely.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Unlike shampoos,
0:19:45 > 0:19:48the key ingredients in conditioners are designed to stay on the hair,
0:19:48 > 0:19:51to improve its look and feel.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53And one is known as a quat.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56A quat is a quaternion surfactant,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59which means that it is a positively charged surfactant,
0:19:59 > 0:20:01and we call it quat.
0:20:03 > 0:20:05Hair, when it's clean, is negatively charged,
0:20:05 > 0:20:09which means that this positively charged quat sits on the hair
0:20:09 > 0:20:11with a nice chain, and it's the chain that actually
0:20:11 > 0:20:15gives the conditioning effect on the hair fibre.
0:20:15 > 0:20:18So, when you have tangled hair and you apply conditioner to that,
0:20:18 > 0:20:23you're actually applying a nice chain around, so the hair fibres move.
0:20:23 > 0:20:25Then when you rinse your hair through,
0:20:25 > 0:20:30the fibres move apart nicely and realign to make your hair detangled.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32So, when you're choosing your bottle of conditioner and looking
0:20:32 > 0:20:35at the ingredients list, what are we looking for?
0:20:35 > 0:20:37What are they going to be called?
0:20:37 > 0:20:40Well, firstly, you'll be wanting to find something that says quaternium
0:20:40 > 0:20:44or Polyquaternium, or realistically, anything ending in "ium".
0:20:44 > 0:20:46Ium. That's always a good way to look at it.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49Pretty much every conditioner will have a quat in there,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52it's just the presence of it at the top of the ingredients list
0:20:52 > 0:20:56indicates that it's there in a higher quantity.
0:20:56 > 0:21:00And it's not just conditioners that list their ingredients in this way.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04All cosmetic products are required by EU law to show ingredients
0:21:04 > 0:21:06in order of quantity contained in the bottle.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Checking the ingredients list might be sound advice,
0:21:11 > 0:21:13but what do most of us actually do?
0:21:17 > 0:21:19I would smell them before I purchase them.
0:21:19 > 0:21:23You know, if it was a big enough bottle and I'm in a rush, I'll buy whatever.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Something that will match my bathroom.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28If you look on the back of a bottle of conditioner or a treatment,
0:21:28 > 0:21:31what are all those words that are, you know...?
0:21:31 > 0:21:34I think even if I did look at the back of my bottle, I don't think I'd
0:21:34 > 0:21:36understand what was in there, anyway.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39'Say! Look at this Vitalis cartoon.
0:21:39 > 0:21:42'Keeps your hair neat the greaseless way!'
0:21:42 > 0:21:46For decades, hair care companies have used marketing shorthand
0:21:46 > 0:21:49to explain to the consumer what their products can do.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51'See the difference yourself!
0:21:51 > 0:21:54'If your hair squeaks, you may be sure it's clean.'
0:21:54 > 0:21:57SQUEAKING SOUND And science sells.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01'The first proved medical treatment and pleasant shampoo all in one.'
0:22:02 > 0:22:06And as you can see, I think that's really brought this haircut to life.
0:22:06 > 0:22:09It's really has given it a nice, natural...
0:22:09 > 0:22:1245 minutes to display their best work.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18Today, at one of the UK's biggest hair shows,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21the marketing tools are very much in evidence.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23And it's actually scientifically proven to produce hair growth.
0:22:23 > 0:22:28Because the molecules are so fine, they actually penetrate the hair shaft.
0:22:28 > 0:22:30I think there's a lot of science behind any product.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36I've just turned 60, so believe me,
0:22:36 > 0:22:39I really want all of these products to work.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43But I've got quite a sceptical approach and the scientist in me
0:22:43 > 0:22:47wonders if all these claims might just be a bit misleading.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Shampoo, 80% of it is water.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00'To find out, I'm meeting Nikki Stopford from Which?,
0:23:00 > 0:23:04'the largest consumer watchdog company in the UK.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07'Nikki, along with a panel of experts,
0:23:07 > 0:23:13'has investigated the marketing tricks used to promote a variety of different shampoos.'
0:23:13 > 0:23:17We wanted to look at the types of shampoos that every consumer
0:23:17 > 0:23:19will see when they're out shopping.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22So, we went for popular shampoos that are on the market
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and that were making the type of claims that you would see as a shopper.
0:23:25 > 0:23:31'One popular claim was the boost that products were "Free from" particular ingredients.'
0:23:31 > 0:23:34We saw claims on products that were saying they were free from parabens,
0:23:34 > 0:23:39whose role is to act as preservative within a product.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41But when we looked at the ingredients, they were being
0:23:41 > 0:23:44replaced by other preservatives that are known allergens.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46So, you do have a role to play in terms of being inquisitive about
0:23:46 > 0:23:49- the products that you buy.- So, when you pick up bottles of shampoo
0:23:49 > 0:23:55you can see sometimes there's quite a lot of small print or there are little asterisks behind ingredients.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Did you look at that?- We did look at that and we saw some claims that would then...
0:23:59 > 0:24:03You'd track down from the asterisk to the small print that would then say,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06"Actually, this claim is only relevant if you're using more than
0:24:06 > 0:24:08"one product within the range."
0:24:08 > 0:24:13At its worst, it required using two products that amounted to £36.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16OK. So, if you are making scientific claims,
0:24:16 > 0:24:20how much is the industry regulated in terms of making these claims?
0:24:20 > 0:24:25The industry is regulated by, essentially, the cosmetic regulations.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28So, shampoos are a cosmetic, they are classed as a cosmetic.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31And it's the responsibility of a manufacturer
0:24:31 > 0:24:35to ensure they adhere to the regulations and the legal requirements.
0:24:35 > 0:24:39And what they must do as part of that, is they must make sure
0:24:39 > 0:24:43that any product that goes out to market is safe and that it also has
0:24:43 > 0:24:46scientific backing to support any claims that are made on the product.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52While the manufacturers must adhere to cosmetic regulations,
0:24:52 > 0:24:56they are under no obligation to make their scientific data public.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00It's understandable they have commercial interest to protect,
0:25:00 > 0:25:04but I'd like to find out more about the science behind their claims
0:25:04 > 0:25:08and one way to do this is to go direct to the laboratory.
0:25:12 > 0:25:15Leading hair care manufacturer L'Oreal
0:25:15 > 0:25:18has opened their Paris headquarters to Horizon.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21As an academic scientist, I'm used to having my research
0:25:21 > 0:25:23openly scrutinised by my peers,
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and I'm curious to see how the hair care industry operates.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31L'Oreal are really keen on promoting their science credentials,
0:25:31 > 0:25:34and they've put a lot of money into it.
0:25:34 > 0:25:37On their website, they say that, "Because we obsess about your hair,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39"we obsess about our science."
0:25:41 > 0:25:45'Which suggests they should be held to a high scientific standard.'
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So, today is going to be a fascinating day,
0:25:48 > 0:25:53because I've be granted access to their research and innovation lab.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59'UK scientific director Steve Shiel wants to demonstrate
0:25:59 > 0:26:02'their scientific credentials.'
0:26:02 > 0:26:04L'Oreal was founded by a chemist.
0:26:04 > 0:26:09We invest heavily in science, it's very important to our DNA.
0:26:09 > 0:26:12That's why we have almost 4,000 scientists across the world
0:26:12 > 0:26:15working to develop these new products.
0:26:16 > 0:26:19Steve is keen to show me some of the tests the company uses
0:26:19 > 0:26:21to substantiate their claims.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26This is our automatic shampooing machine,
0:26:26 > 0:26:30and we use this machine to wash hair automatically.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33At first glance, the facility is impressive.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36There are over 50 custom-designed machines.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40They measure minute changes to hair samples before and after
0:26:40 > 0:26:43different products have been applied.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48This machine is used to measure the properties of the hair.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51So, the sensor will just bend the hair like that,
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and it will measure the force we need to bend the hair.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59This technical analysis forms part of a wider process,
0:26:59 > 0:27:01which also includes consumer testing.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13The current jewel in their research crown is a molecule the company
0:27:13 > 0:27:17developed in order to combat the problem of hair lacking in volume.
0:27:19 > 0:27:23It's designed to penetrate the hair shaft and thicken from within.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- So, the molecule is in this bit?- Yes.
0:27:28 > 0:27:33It took research engineer Valerie Jeanne-Rose and her team ten years
0:27:33 > 0:27:37to create a formation that built a structure inside the hair.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42So, the small molecules connect together after activation
0:27:42 > 0:27:48by the water to form a 3D network inside the fibre.
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Effectively, you're building almost like a scaffolding within the hair
0:27:51 > 0:27:55to give it that added rigidity and the volume we're looking for.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00- So, it's changing?- Yes.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02Changing...
0:28:02 > 0:28:06and you can see little pieces of glass.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08It's quite magic.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13'This process for transforming liquid into solid was inspired by
0:28:13 > 0:28:15'the car industry, which uses a similar technology
0:28:15 > 0:28:18'to repair cracked windscreens.'
0:28:18 > 0:28:21So, what's the hair like once you've done this to it?
0:28:21 > 0:28:24After application of a very concentrated solution...
0:28:26 > 0:28:28- ..very concentrated. - THEY LAUGH
0:28:28 > 0:28:31That's very rigid.
0:28:31 > 0:28:36You can see the difference in terms of rigidity.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39This is an extreme version. What we do in the product is dial it down.
0:28:39 > 0:28:42- Yes!- It definitely re-enforced it.
0:28:44 > 0:28:46'I'm curious to know whether re-enforcing
0:28:46 > 0:28:49'the hair shaft in this way can cause damage.'
0:28:49 > 0:28:53What you don't want to do is try and force lots of material into
0:28:53 > 0:28:55the hair, because then the hair won't be able to
0:28:55 > 0:28:59- withstand that and it will cause damage to the hair.- Right.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03So, it's all about understanding how much you can put in
0:29:03 > 0:29:05that's going to have that significant difference,
0:29:05 > 0:29:10that will give you that change in the way your hair feels and behaves.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12But without being damaging to the hair.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16But is this genuine science, or really just a marketing tool?
0:29:16 > 0:29:20How much of this information is available to the public?
0:29:20 > 0:29:21How much is in the public domain?
0:29:21 > 0:29:25We do a lot of publications in terms of novel findings about hair,
0:29:25 > 0:29:29and we're very active in participating at academic conferences,
0:29:29 > 0:29:32which really helps us get this science to a wide number of people.
0:29:32 > 0:29:35So, I looked at one of the journal papers
0:29:35 > 0:29:38that was published in February, I think, about the filloxane molecule,
0:29:38 > 0:29:43and one of the things that struck me is that when I'm teaching my students how to write papers,
0:29:43 > 0:29:46it's always that you should publish a critical analysis, you know,
0:29:46 > 0:29:49that you should discuss the advantages and the disadvantages,
0:29:49 > 0:29:52and one thing that struck me very strongly about that paper
0:29:52 > 0:29:53was that it only discussed the advantages.
0:29:53 > 0:29:56I mean, that particular paper was used to talk about this particular
0:29:56 > 0:29:59ingredient and what it CAN deliver.
0:29:59 > 0:30:02In terms of being a new way of delivering this rigidity
0:30:02 > 0:30:04and 3D structure to the hair.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07But if they're not in the journal papers,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09and they're obviously not on the side of the bottles,
0:30:09 > 0:30:11where does a consumer find out about
0:30:11 > 0:30:15any potential disadvantages of a product?
0:30:15 > 0:30:17I mean, I think one of the important things with both hair care
0:30:17 > 0:30:20and skin care is finding the right product for you.
0:30:20 > 0:30:22Some people like one product and not another.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25And so one of the areas where we're seeing that's very helpful
0:30:25 > 0:30:28to consumers is the sort of reviews that you see online,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31which gives you a good idea of people like you
0:30:31 > 0:30:33and how they've reacted to the same product.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Today's visit was a fascinating insight
0:30:40 > 0:30:44into the scale of the operation here.
0:30:44 > 0:30:46I'm encouraged by the fact that the company has chosen to publish
0:30:46 > 0:30:50some of their work in peer-reviewed journals,
0:30:50 > 0:30:52where their data has been scrutinised
0:30:52 > 0:30:55by other experts in the field.
0:30:55 > 0:30:58But for me, there's still room for improvement.
0:30:58 > 0:31:01Particularly when it comes to a robust discussion of any potential
0:31:01 > 0:31:03downsides of their products.
0:31:12 > 0:31:16I'm on my way to the Farjo Hair Institute in Manchester.
0:31:16 > 0:31:19It's the morning of Joe's surgery.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30- Hello.- Dr Farjo, nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you.
0:31:30 > 0:31:35'Surgeon Dr Bessam Farjo will be performing Joe's six-hour operation,
0:31:35 > 0:31:39'a procedure that's not available on the NHS.'
0:31:39 > 0:31:41So, what we're doing today, we are
0:31:41 > 0:31:44lowering Joe's hairline
0:31:44 > 0:31:46and changing the shape of it a little.
0:31:46 > 0:31:51So, Joe has a naturally high forehead that's receded a little bit.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54He's got no history of hair loss at the back.
0:31:54 > 0:31:57'The clinic performs around six hair transplants a week.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00'Each costing on average £7,000.'
0:32:01 > 0:32:05- So, the first thing I want you to do is to be facing me.- Yep.
0:32:05 > 0:32:08'For Joe, the first stage is to plan
0:32:08 > 0:32:11'where his hair follicles will be transplanted.'
0:32:11 > 0:32:15So, the line I'm drawing is basically the frontal border
0:32:15 > 0:32:20of how low we're going to get with Joe's hairline.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23'Joe suffers from male-pattern hair loss.
0:32:24 > 0:32:25'With this condition,
0:32:25 > 0:32:30'hair is progressively lost from the temples and the top of the head.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33'With female-pattern hair loss, it's more diffuse,
0:32:33 > 0:32:35'all over the head.'
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- So, we're going to turn you around...- Yeah.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41..so you can see what I've drawn in the mirror. All right?
0:32:41 > 0:32:43So, turn around for me.
0:32:43 > 0:32:47- Sit back and have a look.- That's such a massive difference.
0:32:47 > 0:32:49I'm really excited.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51- I can tell you're excited. - Definitely.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- I'm excited.- Nervous.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57And genuinely, that will change a lot for me.
0:32:57 > 0:32:59Yeah. And you'll be able to style your hair however you want.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02That's it. Comb-over, flat down, no product day.
0:33:02 > 0:33:05After all this you're going to have a comb-over?
0:33:05 > 0:33:09- That's it. Pull it forward and get rid of my hairline!- He can do what he likes!
0:33:09 > 0:33:12- Let me know if you feel any discomfort.- OK.
0:33:12 > 0:33:14'With his new hairline drawn,
0:33:14 > 0:33:17'Joe's given a local anaesthetic to numb the back of his head
0:33:17 > 0:33:20'from where the hair follicles will be extracted.'
0:33:20 > 0:33:21Chin to your chest, please.
0:33:21 > 0:33:23There you go. Yeah. All right?
0:33:23 > 0:33:27'Dr Farjo is using a pioneering robotic system
0:33:27 > 0:33:30'to harvest the hair follicles.'
0:33:30 > 0:33:32Begin, please.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36So, the green dot is where it's going to hit next,
0:33:36 > 0:33:39the pink one is the one after that,
0:33:39 > 0:33:41and the blue is where it's been before,
0:33:41 > 0:33:44- and it'll never go in there again.- OK.
0:33:44 > 0:33:49'The robot will extract 2,500 individual hair follicles
0:33:49 > 0:33:51'from the back of Joe's head.'
0:33:51 > 0:33:55These are the hairs that we know are most likely to stay
0:33:55 > 0:33:58throughout Joe's lifetime.
0:33:58 > 0:34:02'Hairs at the back of the head will stay because they won't interact
0:34:02 > 0:34:05'with the male hormone dihydrotestosterone, or DHT,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08'which is linked to hair loss.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11'The hair on the top of the head is more likely to fall out
0:34:11 > 0:34:14'because it does interact with this hormone.'
0:34:14 > 0:34:16That one's down to genetics,
0:34:16 > 0:34:19so different family trees will determine how many
0:34:19 > 0:34:22of these hairs on your head react to the hormone.
0:34:22 > 0:34:26The general idea is this horseshoe at the back doesn't get affected.
0:34:26 > 0:34:30So, do you know if you look at your own parents,
0:34:30 > 0:34:31particularly, perhaps, your father,
0:34:31 > 0:34:36would you be able to judge from your paternal line whether you were
0:34:36 > 0:34:38- likely to go bald?- Not just the father,
0:34:38 > 0:34:41but the males on the mother's side as well.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50There's nothing we can do about the genes we inherit
0:34:50 > 0:34:53that may or may not lead to hair loss.
0:34:53 > 0:34:55But we do have control over the every day decisions
0:34:55 > 0:34:58we make when it comes to styling our hair.
0:34:58 > 0:35:01Decisions that CAN have a dramatic impact
0:35:01 > 0:35:03on whether or not we cause damage.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11I do use heat on my hair
0:35:11 > 0:35:12when I need to style it.
0:35:12 > 0:35:14I do use heat on my hair often.
0:35:14 > 0:35:16No. I never use heat.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19I never, ever use any heat on my hair.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21I think it's really bad.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24If I use too much straightener, it's going to damage my hair.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Tongs now have... You can set different heat settings
0:35:27 > 0:35:29and I'll just put it to the top one.
0:35:29 > 0:35:31I don't know if I should do that.
0:35:33 > 0:35:37Today, the thermal styling industry, including products such as
0:35:37 > 0:35:39hair straighteners and curling tongs, has an
0:35:39 > 0:35:42estimated global market worth £11 billion.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47I've been given access to the UK's leading hair styling company,
0:35:47 > 0:35:49GHD's research labs.
0:35:51 > 0:35:53Here, heat is big business.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56According to Dr Tim Moore,
0:35:56 > 0:35:59sculpting hair with heat requires an understanding
0:35:59 > 0:36:01of its basic chemistry.
0:36:01 > 0:36:04Well, here we have lots and lots of different types
0:36:04 > 0:36:07of human hair from all around the globe.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11So, for example, over here, we have a dyed,
0:36:11 > 0:36:13bleached Spanish black hair.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15We have what we call white hair.
0:36:15 > 0:36:18Very, very fine. Very, very blond hair.
0:36:18 > 0:36:20- We have Afro hair here. - That looks familiar to me.
0:36:20 > 0:36:25Indeed! Now, they all look and feel very, very different.
0:36:25 > 0:36:27Yet fundamental building blocks of all of these hair
0:36:27 > 0:36:29are exactly the same.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33These building blocks are strands of the protein keratin,
0:36:33 > 0:36:36which are held together by chemical bonds.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Within the hair, there are two types of bonds that we're very,
0:36:40 > 0:36:43very interested in. There are the disulphide bonds
0:36:43 > 0:36:45and there are the hydrogen bonds.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49The disulphide bonds are like the fundamental structure of the hair.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52So, they're like the cement in a brick wall.
0:36:52 > 0:36:54If you imagine, if you take the cement out of a brick wall
0:36:54 > 0:36:57then that brick wall's going to become very weak.
0:36:57 > 0:36:59The other bonds are the hydrogen bond and the hydrogen bonds
0:36:59 > 0:37:02are the ones that we're interested in because they're the ones
0:37:02 > 0:37:04that allow you to repeatedly style your hair.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08They're reversible bonds, so you can break them and remake them
0:37:08 > 0:37:09as you see fit.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12You can do that thermally, using heat, for example.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17Tim wants to show me what happens when hair is styled
0:37:17 > 0:37:19using a range of temperatures.
0:37:21 > 0:37:24So what we've done is we've taken some Afro hair tresses
0:37:24 > 0:37:26and then we've treated them.
0:37:26 > 0:37:29One tress we treated at 185 degrees to straighten it
0:37:29 > 0:37:33and the other one we treated at 220 degrees to straighten it.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36And to each tress, we subjected them to 50 passes,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41which is the equivalent to 25 days worth of styling.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- OK.- And what I am going to show you is what happens when we put those
0:37:45 > 0:37:47fibres into water.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50If you'd like to start the timer...
0:37:52 > 0:37:56So, first of all, we're going to put the one in that's been treated
0:37:56 > 0:37:58at 185 degrees centigrade.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02- OK.- Then I'm going to put the 220 degrees centigrade.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07So, already in, we're only what? Ten seconds or so in.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10And you can already see, right now, at this time, you can see the 185.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Look, that's starting to curl.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14It's curling back up quite healthily.
0:38:14 > 0:38:18It's all gone nice and coily as well, whereas look at what's happened at 220.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20- Nothing so far. - It's like a dead worm.
0:38:23 > 0:38:26To get a really good style using heat,
0:38:26 > 0:38:29what you really want to do is break the hydrogen bonds,
0:38:29 > 0:38:31so these are these reversible bonds.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33But you do not want to break the disulphide bonds
0:38:33 > 0:38:36because you don't want to weaken your hair.
0:38:37 > 0:38:40You can see the hair that's been treated at 185 degrees
0:38:40 > 0:38:44has now reverted back to a very, very coiled form.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47And that's because only the hydrogen bonds
0:38:47 > 0:38:50have been affected, the disulphide bonds are still intact?
0:38:50 > 0:38:53Absolutely. The fundamental structure hasn't changed.
0:38:53 > 0:38:56Whereas if you look at 220, you can see there now,
0:38:56 > 0:38:59that's curled a very small amount. It's tried its best.
0:38:59 > 0:39:03This is really quite worrying, isn't it? Because that's now a permanent change.
0:39:03 > 0:39:06That's correct. That that hair is now permanently altered and if you
0:39:06 > 0:39:10wanted it to go back to how it was before, no way.
0:39:10 > 0:39:11- You can't.- You can't.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14You'll have to wait for your hair to grow out.
0:39:16 > 0:39:19It's not just the shape of hair that can change
0:39:19 > 0:39:21when excessive heat is applied.
0:39:21 > 0:39:23So what we've got here is a nice,
0:39:23 > 0:39:26lovely blonde tress here of human hair.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28Then we have two stylers.
0:39:28 > 0:39:32'One styler is set at 185 degrees centigrade
0:39:32 > 0:39:37'and the other is set at 230 degrees centigrade.'
0:39:37 > 0:39:41In a moment, we're going to apply our respective stylers to the hair
0:39:41 > 0:39:46and we're going to leave it on the hair for 15 seconds.
0:39:46 > 0:39:49Three, two, one, go.
0:39:49 > 0:39:53'15 seconds is the equivalent to using a hair straightener across
0:39:53 > 0:39:57'a whole head of hair for 30 minutes every day for a week.'
0:39:57 > 0:39:58Oh, my gosh, look at that!
0:39:58 > 0:40:01- There's smoke coming off it.- Yeah. - It absolutely stinks.
0:40:01 > 0:40:05- What is that smell?- That really rotten, eggy-type smell,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07that's actually hydrogen sulfide,
0:40:07 > 0:40:11and that's created by the breaking down of the disulphide bonds.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14So it really is the product of you destroying your hair.
0:40:14 > 0:40:16- OK. - SHE GASPS
0:40:16 > 0:40:18You can see what's happened here.
0:40:18 > 0:40:20- Yeah.- That has completely and utterly changed colour.
0:40:20 > 0:40:22- Look how brown that's gone. - Look at that.
0:40:22 > 0:40:25- It's completely changed colour. - Look where the 185 was.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28- That's incredible. - That's no change at all.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32'Crucially, these results only hold for dry hair.
0:40:32 > 0:40:36'Using heat on wet hair dramatically lowers the temperature
0:40:36 > 0:40:38'at which you can safely style.'
0:40:38 > 0:40:43So if you're using a styler directly onto wet hair then you're going to
0:40:43 > 0:40:45be really breaking the disulphide bonds,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49- so almost like little explosions within the hair.- Yeah!
0:40:49 > 0:40:52'While there are strict safety regulations on products,
0:40:52 > 0:40:54'there are no legal requirements to limit
0:40:54 > 0:40:57'the maximum temperature of a styler plate.'
0:40:57 > 0:41:00The thing is, when you style for the first time,
0:41:00 > 0:41:02for example at 230 degrees,
0:41:02 > 0:41:04you first of all run your hair through and think, "Wow,
0:41:04 > 0:41:07"what a great style," that's partly because you've melted it there.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11Than as you keep on repeating that process at 230, over and over again,
0:41:11 > 0:41:13what gradually happens, of course,
0:41:13 > 0:41:15is that the hair will get weaker and weaker,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18and that's when you start to see the impact.
0:41:18 > 0:41:22So at 185 degrees, is there absolutely no damage to the hair?
0:41:22 > 0:41:24It pretty well much means there is.
0:41:24 > 0:41:25There's always going to be.
0:41:25 > 0:41:28If you're do anything to your hair, even if you are towel-drying,
0:41:28 > 0:41:30believe it or not, will cause damage to your hair.
0:41:30 > 0:41:33That's why you shouldn't shake your hair like this,
0:41:33 > 0:41:34you should squidge it more.
0:41:34 > 0:41:36You cannot say so you cannot say zero, never, nothing, nyet.
0:41:36 > 0:41:40There's always a little bit but it's very small to the point
0:41:40 > 0:41:42that you would never, ever really notice it.
0:41:42 > 0:41:47GHD invest heavily in scientific research that helps
0:41:47 > 0:41:52increase their understanding of the limits of this extraordinary material.
0:41:52 > 0:41:57This is reassuring for any of us using heat on our hair.
0:41:57 > 0:42:01But what IS disappointing is that although this leading hair care
0:42:01 > 0:42:04company has presented research at conferences,
0:42:04 > 0:42:08to date none of it is published in peer review journals.
0:42:12 > 0:42:15What I would most desire is healthy-looking hair.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17Smooth and silky.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20Well, I'd like my hair to look healthy and shiny.
0:42:20 > 0:42:22But, yeah, shiny hair is the killer.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24That's the nice one. You want it to look like glass,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26reflecting like glass.
0:42:27 > 0:42:30Shiny hair is one of the most desired qualities
0:42:30 > 0:42:32in the world of hair care.
0:42:32 > 0:42:37But in order for any product to make claims to create this elusive
0:42:37 > 0:42:41quality, there needs to be some means of measuring it.
0:42:44 > 0:42:48'Professor Franz Wortmann has spent the last 15 years developing ways
0:42:48 > 0:42:51'to measure shiny hair for the hair care industry.'
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Well, it is for good reason that the most important claim
0:42:54 > 0:42:56for the industry is shiny hair.
0:42:56 > 0:43:01So most products will relate in some way or another to shine,
0:43:01 > 0:43:06because shiny, healthy-looking hair is a very important component
0:43:06 > 0:43:07of our perception of beauty.
0:43:09 > 0:43:12Franz starts by looking at single strands of hair.
0:43:12 > 0:43:17Every fibre is different and he's able to build up an incredibly
0:43:17 > 0:43:20accurate picture of the whole head.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Today, some of mine are under scrutiny
0:43:23 > 0:43:26by being compared with commercial hair samples.
0:43:26 > 0:43:32This frame has been prepared to contain three brown
0:43:32 > 0:43:36and blonde and four of your hairs.
0:43:37 > 0:43:39The frame goes in there.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42There is a green light laser in here.
0:43:42 > 0:43:45So then the laser shines onto the hair
0:43:45 > 0:43:47and the reflection is then measured.
0:43:50 > 0:43:53'As the only machine of its kind in the world,
0:43:53 > 0:43:55'it's in demand by the hair care industry.'
0:43:55 > 0:43:59- So, all we need to do now is start the computer.- OK.
0:43:59 > 0:44:03'It generates scientific data that that helps determine
0:44:03 > 0:44:05'which products produce the best shine.'
0:44:07 > 0:44:12Shine is measured by calculating the ratio between the light reflecting
0:44:12 > 0:44:16off the hair surface and the light penetrating the hair
0:44:16 > 0:44:18and reflecting back out.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21And colour plays a key role.
0:44:21 > 0:44:25The darker the hair, the less light is reflected from within,
0:44:25 > 0:44:29which gives a greater shine ratio compared to lighter hair.
0:44:30 > 0:44:33Time to find out how my hair measures up.
0:44:33 > 0:44:39Your hair reflects about 30-33% of the light and that's actually much
0:44:39 > 0:44:42better than the commercial brown hair or commercial bleach hair.
0:44:42 > 0:44:46You're a bit lower than the Asian hair,
0:44:46 > 0:44:50but that is to be expected because your hair is a lighter colour than the Asian hair.
0:44:50 > 0:44:52So you're basically
0:44:52 > 0:44:57at the upper threshold, so pretty much at the optimum reflecting.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59Yes. You've got shiny hair.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02'My results are better than the bleached hair
0:45:02 > 0:45:04'because dyeing hair damages the surface.'
0:45:04 > 0:45:06So, if the surface is rough,
0:45:06 > 0:45:10that means that it's kind of broken up and then the light bounces off in all different directions?
0:45:10 > 0:45:12The light just bounces off in all directions.
0:45:12 > 0:45:15So it's basically the structure of the surface.
0:45:15 > 0:45:19So how rough is the surface, how well organised is the surface?
0:45:23 > 0:45:25The machine is so precise
0:45:25 > 0:45:29it can distinguish differences in shine that the human eye can't see.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38If we really give it a go, we can measure differences of 1%.
0:45:38 > 0:45:42So we are much, much better than the consumer will
0:45:42 > 0:45:44ever be able to pick up,
0:45:44 > 0:45:48but that helps your development towards something that works.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51That's basically what we do,
0:45:51 > 0:45:57provide a very, very sensitive tool to make sure that you don't
0:45:57 > 0:45:59miss a winner in your game.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06The science is fascinating, but everything we've just seen
0:46:06 > 0:46:08is all about a single strand of hair at a time,
0:46:08 > 0:46:11when most of us walk around with a full head of hair.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13So the next thing is a challenge.
0:46:13 > 0:46:17Just how shiny can I make my own hair look?
0:46:17 > 0:46:19MUSIC: The Good Life by Tony Bennett
0:46:21 > 0:46:24Easy. I can cheat.
0:46:29 > 0:46:33'Of course, there's a lot more going on in these images than naturally
0:46:33 > 0:46:37'shiny hair, and the physicist in me can't help but want to work out
0:46:37 > 0:46:39'exactly what that is.'
0:46:39 > 0:46:43These adverts work by generating an emotional response,
0:46:43 > 0:46:45but this is all physics.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48Now, these models have beautiful long hair so you can see the shine
0:46:48 > 0:46:51really easily, but this is a logical problem and it's going to be really
0:46:51 > 0:46:53interesting to see if we can recreate
0:46:53 > 0:46:55some of these effects on my hair.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00We don't have a top-end commercial's budget,
0:47:00 > 0:47:04but knowing how light behaves on different surfaces
0:47:04 > 0:47:06should get us pretty close.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11The first stage is to get my hair as straight as possible.
0:47:11 > 0:47:16'I'm in the capable hands of hair and make-up artist Shari Rendle.'
0:47:16 > 0:47:20We want the hair to be blown down the shaft to flatten it,
0:47:20 > 0:47:23cos then that creates that lovely shine because the light
0:47:23 > 0:47:26has a flatter surface area to be reflected from.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29- So you want it to be like a flat mirror?- Exactly.
0:47:32 > 0:47:35'However straight my hair, it still needs a bit of extra help.'
0:47:37 > 0:47:41I think we need more length, so we've got some extensions to put in.
0:47:41 > 0:47:44- That's long, isn't it? Wow.- All part of the illusion.
0:47:44 > 0:47:46SHARI LAUGHS
0:47:46 > 0:47:49'With my hair smooth and extensions added,
0:47:49 > 0:47:52'I've increased the surface area for the shine.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54'Next, it's time to add some light.
0:47:57 > 0:48:02'Director of photography, Patrick, is overseeing the set-up.'
0:48:02 > 0:48:05Above, we've got these fluorescent tubes that fire through a trace frame.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07The trace frame is diffusing it,
0:48:07 > 0:48:09but it's also making it into a bigger source,
0:48:09 > 0:48:12so this will bring up the area of shine on the top of your head.
0:48:12 > 0:48:14And then there's two ones at the side?
0:48:14 > 0:48:17The ones at the side, as your hair moves around,
0:48:17 > 0:48:21they're going to move through the optimum bit of light
0:48:21 > 0:48:22at different times.
0:48:22 > 0:48:25The top light won't be able to do everything.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29And then there's one more, which is this ring thing over there.
0:48:29 > 0:48:33Yes, so this ring light, a lot of celebrities like this kind of lighting.
0:48:33 > 0:48:36The lens will go through the middle. It's very flat lighting.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39It hides all the wrinkles, all the imperfections in the skin.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42It gets into the eye sockets, so you don't have bags under your eyes.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44And also because the lens is firing through the middle,
0:48:44 > 0:48:46you'll get the reflection of that
0:48:46 > 0:48:50ring light in your eyes, so you'll get little circles of light.
0:48:50 > 0:48:53It pings up and makes you look really vital.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01In order to make sure my hair is falling in exactly the right place,
0:49:01 > 0:49:05we've persuaded one of the team to don a green suit.
0:49:05 > 0:49:08Because he's the same colour as the set,
0:49:08 > 0:49:12he can be removed in postproduction when a new background is keyed in.
0:49:18 > 0:49:21So let's see how the finished results compare with
0:49:21 > 0:49:24my unstyled hair from this morning.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34I think the tricks we've used have created a shine
0:49:34 > 0:49:36that certainly looks impressive.
0:49:38 > 0:49:42But eventually, Mother Nature catches up with us all.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48'As we age and we lose natural colour from our hair,
0:49:48 > 0:49:53'it starts to become less reflective and therefore less shiny.'
0:50:00 > 0:50:03I've been quite lucky with grey hair.
0:50:03 > 0:50:05I haven't really found one yet.
0:50:05 > 0:50:08I've actually got a grey hair. I've got one, which I quite like,
0:50:08 > 0:50:10although it means I'm not really a Peter Pan any more.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12It means I'm going to get old.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15No, I think, you know, grow old gracefully, or disgracefully, rather.
0:50:15 > 0:50:19Going grey is something that I am fighting.
0:50:19 > 0:50:23Men look good when they're grey when they've got a full head of hair,
0:50:23 > 0:50:24so I'm looking forward to it.
0:50:24 > 0:50:28I've found two grey hairs recently in only the last couple of weeks,
0:50:28 > 0:50:31and they were plucked out immediately.
0:50:31 > 0:50:35Most of us will start to find the odd grey hair on our heads around
0:50:35 > 0:50:38the age of 30, and by the age of 50,
0:50:38 > 0:50:41it's not unusual for about 50% of the hairs to be grey.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44Whilst many people are happy to embrace the silver look,
0:50:44 > 0:50:48just as many will go to great lengths to try to conceal it.
0:50:51 > 0:50:56My hairdresser, Sandra, is one of tens of thousands across the country
0:50:56 > 0:50:58with the skills to cover up the grey.
0:50:58 > 0:51:02People want to hold on to their youthful look, really.
0:51:02 > 0:51:06They start coming in and they might just have one strand and they think
0:51:06 > 0:51:08their world is ending, and they decide
0:51:08 > 0:51:10that they want to dye their hair.
0:51:10 > 0:51:14And this horror of grey makes for big business.
0:51:14 > 0:51:20The UK hair colourant industry alone is worth £415 million a year.
0:51:21 > 0:51:24Men are just as vain as us women.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28A lot of them do opt for highlights and putting different coloured
0:51:28 > 0:51:32variations in their hair, so it looks more natural.
0:51:32 > 0:51:34In order to cover up the grey,
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Sandra needs to make sure the hair dye penetrates the outer layer of
0:51:38 > 0:51:42the hair shaft and deposits the new colour into its core.
0:51:42 > 0:51:47This is where the hair's natural pigmentation, the melanin, is found.
0:51:47 > 0:51:52When we go grey, we gradually lose the ability to make this pigment,
0:51:52 > 0:51:54and hair becomes translucent.
0:51:56 > 0:52:00Yes, I'm just covering these slight little grey hairs
0:52:00 > 0:52:02just around the hairline.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Although all of us will go grey eventually,
0:52:06 > 0:52:10the properties of Afro and Far East Asian hair may delay substantial
0:52:10 > 0:52:14greying by up to ten years compared to Caucasian hair.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20Masking grey with colour is currently the most effective way
0:52:20 > 0:52:22of getting rid of the grey.
0:52:23 > 0:52:27But according to hair and skin scientist Professor Des Tobin,
0:52:27 > 0:52:30we could be on the brink of a revolution.
0:52:32 > 0:52:35It's all thanks to an improved understanding
0:52:35 > 0:52:37of the traits we inherit.
0:52:37 > 0:52:38If you look at your family,
0:52:38 > 0:52:41you can see a sense of what's down the tracks for you if you
0:52:41 > 0:52:45haven't yet greyed, but there's also evidence from twin studies
0:52:45 > 0:52:47that some of the twins that smoke, for example,
0:52:47 > 0:52:50and are involved in other lifestyle choices may grey earlier than their
0:52:50 > 0:52:52non-smoking twin.
0:52:52 > 0:52:55So there's a mixture of genetics and what we call
0:52:55 > 0:52:58epigenetics, or the influences from the environment,
0:52:58 > 0:53:00that affect your genes.
0:53:00 > 0:53:04Earlier this year, Des and a team of international scientists announced
0:53:04 > 0:53:06the discovery of a grey gene.
0:53:08 > 0:53:12This was a very big collaborative study, headed by UCL in London.
0:53:12 > 0:53:17And these researchers checked the genetic background of 6,500 people.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19They photographed them.
0:53:19 > 0:53:22They looked at different features of their hair and from that kind of
0:53:22 > 0:53:25chase, they were able to get several very interesting genes,
0:53:25 > 0:53:28the first one, associated with hair greying.
0:53:29 > 0:53:33This grey gene goes by the catchy name of IRF4,
0:53:33 > 0:53:37and it helps regulate the production of the pigment melanin.
0:53:37 > 0:53:41Now we may be able to look underneath the skin to see if we can
0:53:41 > 0:53:45influence how the hair actually is made before it grows out.
0:53:45 > 0:53:49So, now that we have a very specific target to chase,
0:53:49 > 0:53:53it should be relatively straightforward to repair
0:53:53 > 0:53:56that deficit from the outside in, rather than having to
0:53:56 > 0:53:59tweak any genes or anything much more fundamental.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Are we looking at the next big revolution here in hair care?
0:54:02 > 0:54:04It's definitely new.
0:54:04 > 0:54:08People thought that greying would be lost in a whole mixture of ageing
0:54:08 > 0:54:11consequences and that we would never be able to find the needle in the haystack.
0:54:11 > 0:54:14This appears to be one important needle within that haystack,
0:54:14 > 0:54:17so there's going to be an interesting balance between just how
0:54:17 > 0:54:20interested companies are to stop hair greying,
0:54:20 > 0:54:22if their main business is to cover up grey hair.
0:54:22 > 0:54:26I hope that I'm one of those people that embrace it.
0:54:26 > 0:54:27Will I embrace grey?
0:54:27 > 0:54:30No way. And I won't let any of my clients either.
0:54:30 > 0:54:33I think it's great. I think old age is brilliant.
0:54:33 > 0:54:34So, just embrace it.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37I think I'm more likely to lose my hair before it goes grey anyway.
0:54:37 > 0:54:39Yeah, I'd love to have grey.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42But losing it is probably going to be an issue.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Joe's hair transplant operation is in full swing.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53While his final hair follicles are being extracted,
0:54:53 > 0:54:56I took the opportunity to meet up with Scott,
0:54:56 > 0:55:00who received his hair transplant two years ago.
0:55:00 > 0:55:06As you can see, just round here, the hairline's really receded back here.
0:55:06 > 0:55:10Basically, I had a more or less a very thin strip there.
0:55:10 > 0:55:13So all of this has been built up by hair transplants
0:55:13 > 0:55:15and then thickened as well.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18So how do you feel your life has changed?
0:55:18 > 0:55:21I don't even think about hair now, which is weird,
0:55:21 > 0:55:24because when you've got it, you don't.
0:55:24 > 0:55:28Now, I just feel like I'm back to the person I was
0:55:28 > 0:55:29before I had the hair loss.
0:55:29 > 0:55:32It's made me feel younger as well.
0:55:32 > 0:55:35It's given me that confidence, gave me that self-esteem.
0:55:35 > 0:55:39So I've been really positive and happy with the procedure done.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44After four hours, Joe is now ready
0:55:44 > 0:55:47for the final stage of the transplant.
0:55:48 > 0:55:51His follicles have been harvested and carefully sorted into groups
0:55:51 > 0:55:55according to the number of strands in each graft.
0:55:55 > 0:55:59The graft that has one hair gets put in number one compartment, then two,
0:55:59 > 0:56:02and the number three compartment has anything three or above.
0:56:02 > 0:56:08The reason for that is because I want to preserve the single hairs
0:56:08 > 0:56:11for the hairline, for the front.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15They're useful for a natural look, but they're not useful for density.
0:56:20 > 0:56:23And then behind that, you put the two hairs per graft and then
0:56:23 > 0:56:27the three and more, you leave them until you get to the very back,
0:56:27 > 0:56:31where they can contribute to density, but not directly visible.
0:56:36 > 0:56:40It's a delicate process that takes Dr Farjo and two of his technicians
0:56:40 > 0:56:43nearly two hours to complete.
0:56:44 > 0:56:48As his new hairline takes shape, Joe gets a first glimpse.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51- You hold the mirror, lift it up. - OK.- Keep your head where it is.
0:56:51 > 0:56:55- Yeah. Wow.- There's a lot there, isn't there?
0:56:55 > 0:56:56There's a lot there already.
0:56:56 > 0:56:59So you see the bits with the white tops,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02- that's where the grafts have gone in.- OK.
0:57:02 > 0:57:06The new follicles will take around six to eight months to grow
0:57:06 > 0:57:09hair long enough to make a cosmetic difference.
0:57:09 > 0:57:12It's really cool. I'm really excited.
0:57:12 > 0:57:14You've all changed my life.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16It's something that I won't ever forget, this day,
0:57:16 > 0:57:20so thank you for what you've done. Honestly, it's...
0:57:20 > 0:57:22I'm getting upset here!
0:57:22 > 0:57:25You've made a real difference, thank you.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33'Whether we like it or not,
0:57:33 > 0:57:37'our hair plays a fundamental role in who we are.'
0:57:37 > 0:57:39I like the fact that I can change it.
0:57:39 > 0:57:41I can make it look like yours or yours,
0:57:41 > 0:57:43but then I can make it look like mine.
0:57:43 > 0:57:45It's the one part of you that you get to design.
0:57:45 > 0:57:48The obsession so many of us have with our hair
0:57:48 > 0:57:51sustains a multi-billion pound industry,
0:57:51 > 0:57:55pushing the scientific boundaries and creating ever more ingenious
0:57:55 > 0:57:57solutions to transform our locks.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01It's all about understanding how much you can put in
0:58:01 > 0:58:04without it being damaging to the hair.
0:58:04 > 0:58:09But there is a limit to how much we can change what nature has given us.
0:58:09 > 0:58:10SHE GASPS
0:58:10 > 0:58:13And more often than not, prevention is better than cure.
0:58:13 > 0:58:16If you take your hair temperature too high when you're styling,
0:58:16 > 0:58:19you will cause significant damage.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23Our investigations have shown that understanding the science behind
0:58:23 > 0:58:27this incredible material can help you make better choices.
0:58:27 > 0:58:32And when deciding what this billion-pound industry has to offer
0:58:32 > 0:58:35our hair, it pays to keep asking questions.