USE OF A COMPOSITION AS A WHITE HAIR-PREVENTING AGENT AND KITCONTAINING THE SAME

Abstract: A white hair-preventive agent containing at least one ef­ fective component selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing agent such as stabilized ClO₂, NaBrO₃, NaBO₃ or KBrO₃ and female hormone. The white hair-preventive agent activates tyrosinase or oxidizing enzyme and promote the for­ mation of melanin within the pigment-forming cells of the hair follicle. Further, a Kit comprising said white hair preventing agent and tyrosine or an intermediate material to be produced in the process of forming melanin, is provided.

Description: White hair-preventive agent and kit containing the same The present invention relates to a white hairpreventive agent which serves to suppress conversion of pigmented hairs to white hairs and promote growth of the original pigmented hairs. Human hairs are originally pigmented black, brown, red, golden, etc. depending on genetic inheritance. The color of human hair depends on melanin granules. For example, the coloration of black, brown and golden hairs is said to be determined by amount of eumelanin pigment granules. Likewise, the coloration of red hair is said to be determined by the amount of pheomelanin pigment granules contained in the hair. Particles of melanocyte, i.e., a pigment cell having branched projections within the cells of the germinative layer surrounding the dermal-papilla, are interspersed among particles of keratinocyte, i.e., keratin-forming cells, forming the hair cortex. Melanin is secreted from melanocytes to impart the particular color to the hair cortex cells. Tyrosine, which is one of the amino acids, absorbs enzymes under the action of tyrosinase to be converted into melanin as shown below: EMI1.1 <tb> <SEP> tyrosinase <SEP> (melanin <SEP> forming <SEP> enzyme) <SEP> eumelanin <tb> tyrosine <SEP> - <SEP> dÏp o <SEP> - <SEP> dopa <SEP> quinone <SEP> (black) <tb> <SEP> pheomelanin <tb> <SEP> (red) <tb> When melanin is not formed, human hairs turn white. Aging and disappearance of melanocytes, metabolic disorder of tyrosine, inactivation of tyrosinase, etc., are thought to stop formation of melanin. Grey hair represents a reduction in the function of melanocytes, with white hair denoting a complete loss of melanocyte function. Conversion of colored hair to grey hair and then to white hair is irreversible. It is said that white hair can never be replaced by a new growth of the original pigmented hair. The present invention is intended to provide a white hair-preventive agent which will prevent the original pigmented hair from turning white, and serves to promote growth of the original pigmented hair. The invention includes a white hair-preventive agent containing, as a main component, at least one of the tyrosinase amino acids serving to promote melanin formation within the pigment-forming cell of the hair follicle, an oxidizing agent in an amount large enough to promote the activity of the oxidizing enzyme, and a female hormone agent. It is impossible to eliminate white hair if melanocyte function has ceased. However, the present inventor has found that the pigmented hair can be prevented from turning white and growth of pigmented hairs can be promoted by applying a medication containing an oxidizing agent, dopa component and hormone agent, particularly a female hormone agent, as well as tyrosinase, during the regenerating process of the hair follicle after artificial or natural expiration of a hair. The medication should be applied topically to permeate the hair pore and the cells of the germinative region of the regenerated hair follicle. The oxidizing agent, which serves to promote the activity of tyrosinase, includes potassium bromate, sodium bromate, stabilized chlorine dioxide, etc. Particularly, a synergetic effect is produced if the oxiding agent is used together with a female hormone agent, enabling the medication, i.e., the white hairpreventive agent, to produce significant effects. The normal pigmented hair has a regenerating cycle of 6 to 7 years, whereas the regenerating cycle of white hair is shorter than that of the pigmented hair. Thus, if the white hair-preventive agent is used over a long period of time, the entire hair is finally pigmented completely because the activated tyrosinase serves to encourage growth of the original pigmented hair in the regenerating phase. If the white hair-preventive agent is applied while employing an artificial hair-regenerating measure such as brushing, the white hair problem can be solved in a shorter period. The white hair-preventive agent of the present invention is particularly effective if applied in the early stage of white hair occurrence. The agent of the present invention also serves to promote new growth of hairs. The amounts of the oxidizing agent and female hormone used in the present invention should be large enough to promote activation of tyrosinase or oxidizing enzyme serving to promote the melanin formation within the pigment-forming cell (melanocyte). However, the amounts mentioned should not be large enough to have negative side effects. A mixture of the oxidizing agent and female hormone agent, which may contain additional components, as required, is applied to the scalp skin and then the scalp is lightly massaged. This treatment is repeated several times a day and continued over a considerable period of time. Before or after the application of the oxidizing agent-containing solution, a solution containing tyrosine or an intermediate material to be produced in the process of forming melanin such as dopa, dopa quinone and hallachrome may preferably be applied to accelerate melanin formation. Thus, the invention also refers to a Kit containing the white hair preventing agent of the invention together with a solution containing tyrosine or an intermediate as defined above. Tyrosine or the intermediate materials mentioned above may be applied in simultaneous with the application of the oxidizing agent-containing solution. The term stabilized chlorine dioxide mentioned previously represents an aqueous solution of chlorine dioxide subjected to a chemical stabilizing treatment, which is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 4,296,103; 3,147,124; 3,123,521; and 2,701,781. In order to chemically stabilize chlorine dioxide, which is otherwise explosive, a stabilizer such as caustic soda is added to chlorine dioxide so as to obtain the stabilized chlorine dioxide in question. It is known that stabilized chlorine dioxide can be made harmless to the human body by properly adjusting the chlorine dioxide concentration of the aqueous solution or by dissolving suitable additives in the solution. Clinical tests were conducted using stabilized chlorine dioxide (in aqueous solution), aqueous solutions of sodium bromate, sodium perborate, potassium bromate, and a female hormone agent. In each test, the medication was applied to three oriental men, 35 to 50 years-old, 3 times a day at intervals of 5 hours. The stabilized chlorine dioxide used in the test was an aqueous solution containing about 25X of sodium chlorite and 4 to 5X of caustic soda used as a stabilizer. The original solution with chlorine dioxide concentration of 5 to 15% was properly diluted for actual application. Table 1 shows the results of the tests. The average evaluations are shown in the table because the results of the test were somewhat different from person to person. As seen in Table 1, the white hair-preventive agent of the present invention suppresses white hair and promotes the growth of the original pigmented hair. Table 1 EMI5.1 <tb> Test <SEP> Chemicals <SEP> Effect <SEP> (Condition <SEP> of <SEP> Regen. <SEP> Hair) <tb> No. <SEP> (Conc.) <SEP> 6 <SEP> Months <SEP> Later <SEP> 12 <SEP> Months <SEP> Later <tb> <SEP> 1 <SEP> A*(50 <SEP> ppm) <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <SEP> Fairly <SEP> black <tb> <SEP> 2 <SEP> A <SEP> (100 <SEP> ppm) <SEP> Grey <SEP> & black <SEP> mixed <SEP> Ditto <tb> <SEP> 3 <SEP> A <SEP> (250 <SEP> ppm) <SEP> Somewhat <SEP> black <SEP> Ditto <tb> <SEP> 4 <SEP> A <SEP> (500 <SEP> ppm) <SEP> ** <tb> <SEP> 5 <SEP> B*(5%) <SEP> No <SEP> effect <SEP> No <SEP> effect <tb> <SEP> 6 <SEP> B <SEP> (8%) <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <SEP> Fairly <SEP> black <tb> <SEP> 7 <SEP> B <SEP> (12%) <SEP> Ditto <SEP> Ditto <tb> <SEP> 8 <SEP> C*(5%) <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <tb> <SEP> 9 <SEP> C <SEP> (8%) <SEP> Tends <SEP> to <SEP> turn <SEP> brown <SEP> Tend <SEP> to <SEP> turn <SEP> brown <tb> <SEP> 10 <SEP> C <SEP> (12%) <SEP> Tends <SEP> to <SEP> break <SEP> when <SEP> Tend <SEP> to <SEP> break <SEP> when <tb> <SEP> combed <SEP> combed <tb> <SEP> 11 <SEP> D*(5%) <SEP> No <SEP> effect <SEP> No <SEP> effect <tb> <SEP> 12 <SEP> D <SEP> (8%) <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <SEP> Grey <SEP> hair <tb> <SEP> 13 <SEP> D <SEP> (12%) <SEP> Ditto <SEP> - <SEP> Ditto <tb> <SEP> 14 <SEP> E* <SEP> Somewhat <SEP> black <SEP> About <SEP> 50% <SEP> black <tb> <SEP> 15 <SEP> F* <SEP> Clearly <SEP> blackened <SEP> Blackening <SEP> is <tb> <SEP> prominent <tb> Note: * A: Stabilized chlorine dioxide (aqueous solution) B: Aqueous solution of sodium bromate C: Aqueous solution of sodium perborate D: Aqueous solution of potassium bromate E: Only female hormone agent (estrasiol), 0.05 mg/cc. F: Mixture of estrasiol (0.05 mg/cc) and chlorine dioxide (250 ppm) ** ... Blackened, but the regenerated hairs tend to turn brown because the oxidizing action is too strong. *** ... The regenerated hairs tend to be break off when combed because the oxidizing action is too strong.

Claims: Claims: 1. A white hair-preventive agent containing at least one effective component selected from the group consisting of an oxidizing agent and female hormone in an amount large enough to activate tyrosinase or oxidizing enzyme which serves to promote the formation of melanin within the pigment-forming cells (melanocyte) of the hair follicle. 2. The agent according to claim 1, characterized in that the oxidizing agent is at least one compound selected from the group consisting of stabilized chlorine dioxide, sodium bromate, sodium perborate, and potassium bromate. 3. The agent according to claim 2, characterized in that the stabilized chlorine dioxide content is 100 to 500 ppm. 4. The agent according to claim 2, characterized in that the sodium bromate content is 50,000 to 120,000 ppm. 5. The agent according to claim 2, characterized in that the potassium bromate content is 5% to 12%. 6. The agent according to claim 2, characterized in that the sodium perborate content is 5%. 7. The agent according to claim 1, characterized in that the female hormone (estrasiol) is contained in a 60% alcohole solution at the rate of 5 mg to 10 mg relative to 100 cc of the alcohole solution. 8. The agent according to claim 1, characterized in that a solution of fyrosine or an intermediate material in the process forming melanin is further included. 9. The agent according to claims 1 to 8 for the use together with tyrosine or an intermediate material to be produced in the process of forming melanin, before, after or simultaneously with the agent. 10. A Kit comprising the white hair-preventive agent of claim 1, and a solution of tyrosine or an intermediate material to be produced in the process of forming melanin, for the application before, after or simultaneously with said white hair-preventive agent to hair.

Inventors: INABA, MASUMI
Applicants: INABA, MASUMI, MEDICAL HAIR RESEARCH KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1984
Main classification: A61K7
IPC codes: A61K31, A61K8, A61K33, A61P43, A61Q5, A61Q11