Method for assessing hair fibers

Abstract

A method for assessing the state of hair by releasably engaging a first end of hair fibers with a holder which so that an opposite, second end of said hair fibers hangs free and applying sufficient force to the second end of the hair fibers such that the hair fibers at the first end are pulled from the holder.

Claims

1. A method, comprising: i) treating a first switch of hair fibres with a conditioning composition; ii) wetting, after step (i), the first switch of hair fibres; iii) attaching, after step (ii), the first switch of hair fibres to a holder by releasably engaging a first end of the first switch of hair fibres with the holder so that an opposite, second end of the first switch of hair fibres hangs free; iv) applying a first force to the second end of the first switch of hair fibres such that a first force is insufficient to pull the first switch of hair fibres at the first end from the holder; v) applying a plurality of forces to the second end of the first switch of hair fibres, wherein the plurality of forces are progressively increased from a second force that is greater than the first force until a third force which is sufficient to pull the first switch of hair fibres at the first end from the holder, and wherein the second force is smaller than the third force; and vi) applying the third force to a second switch of hair fibres to assess a state of hair fibres.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the composition is a rinse-off conditioning composition.

3. A method for comparing or demonstrating the conditioning efficacy of at least two conditioning compositions by performing the method of claim 1 on hair fibres treated with the at least two conditioning compositions.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the method of claim 1 is conducted simultaneously on the treated hair fibres.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applying the first force comprises attaching a first mass to the second end of the first switch of hair fibres.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the applying the plurality of forces comprises attaching a plurality of masses to the second end of the first switch of hair fibres and wherein the second force corresponds to a second mass and the third force corresponds to a third mass.

Description

(1) FIG. 1 shows a cylindrical brush (1) with radially extending bristles (2). Two hair switches (3A and 3B) are attached over the brush (1) such that they hang loose. At the loose end of each of the switches is a clip (4) with weight (5) depending therefrom.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a pair of switches as described in FIG. 1. Switch A is pulled more easily from the cylindrical brush than switch B.

EXAMPLE 1

(3) A hair switch is treated with a conditioning composition and then rinsed for 10 seconds.

(4) One end of the switch is attached to a cylindrical brush and the other end is left to hang freely. A bulldog clip is attached to the free hanging end of the hair fibres and a weight attached to the clip. Further weights are added to the clip until the hair switch is pulled from the brush. The switch is then pulled from the brush and falls freely. Weights are added in a manner such that the minimum weight added required to pull the switch from the brush can be recoded.

EXAMPLE 2

(5) The experiment of example 1 is repeated but with two switches treated with different conditioning compositions and a comb is used instead of a brush.

(6) The two switches are conditioned and then rinsed for 10 seconds.

(7) Equal weight is attached to the clips of each fibre simultaneously until sufficient weight is added to one that the switch is pulled from the comb.

(8) The switch which is pulled from the comb more easily is considered the least tangled and so the best conditioned.