METHOD OF PERMANENTING

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for performing a hair permanent treatment using a substance soaked into a carrier material and acting chemically on the hair, such as a reducing agent, and heating elements on rolled-up strands of hair. The method comprises steps for: a) rolling up merely a strand of hair; b) placing a flexible carrier material, into which the active agent has been soaked, on the roll in one or more layers; c) placing a heating element on the carrier material and the roll; d) allowing heat to act over a predetermined period; and e) fixing and trimming in a manner known per se.

Description: Method of permanenting The invention relates to a method for peforming a hair permanent treatment as defined in the preamble of accompanying claim 1. The invention relates particularly to a new method of permanenting based on the nonwoven permanent known per se and thermal permanent techniques. In chemical hair treatment, such as a permanent performed by means of a substance reducing sulphur bridges, an active agent is allowed to act chemically on the hair over a suitable period. Such operations are usually performed by dosing an appropriate amount of a liquid substance containing an active agent into the hair. Various methods and substances used for curling hair or straightening curled hair are known in the haircare field. A commonly used substance is tioglycolic acid, which, when penetrating into the hair texture, breaks cysteine i.e. sulphur bridges which substantially influence the shape of the hair and allows the hair to set in a new shape. Other frequently used substances are for instance glycerol monothioglycolate, cysteine, 2- or 3-mercaptopropionic acid, 2-mercaptoethyl amine and ammonium or sodium sulphite, all of which are susceptible of producing a hair permanent owing to their deoxidising action. All these compounds have the inconvenience of unpleasant smell and skin and mucuous membrane irritation caused by the mercaptanes usually formed, which may prevent their application to allergic persons and persons with sensitive skin. These substances are sold in the form of various liquid mixtures, which are often applied to the hair directly from a dispenser. The use of liquid substances involves the problem of correct dosing. Besides dosing problems, various protective measures must be taken in order to avoid an irregular effect of the active agent. In addition, these solutions involve an additional pollution load in waste waters from hairdressers' shops. Caref bres Oy has patented a method (FI patent 97104) for performing permanent treatment, in which an active agent containing amino groups is soaked into a fibrous material, which is rolled up together with a strand of hair. This method allows to reduce unpleasant smells to some extent and to decrease the use of chemicals. This technique also enables excess chemicals to be either destroyed under control or regenerated for reuse. Nonetheless, this method does not either allow the time required for the permanent substance to act nor the overall time for performing the permanent to be shortened. Unpleasant smells will also still occur. The active agent to be absorbed is preferably ammonium tioglycolate, however, other reducing agents mentioned above can also be used alongside this or in addition to this. The fibrous material used may consist of any fibre or fibre mixture, yet a preferred is a cellulose fibre containing silicic acid, to which the active agent can be attached through arnino groups by a mechanism which is unknown per se. The fibrous material is preferably viscose fibre, to which the active agent is bonded by means of silicic acid. A viscose fibre containing silicic acid which is suitable as a raw material, sold under the trademark "VISIL", can be prepared by a method known per se, for instance the method disclosed in GB patent 1 064 271. The viscose containing silicic acid prepared by the method of this GB patent is subjected to an after-treatment with a solution containing aluminium, e.g. a sodium aluminate solution, so that aluminium silicate groups are formed on the surface of the silicic acid, enhancing the permanence of silicic acid in the viscose structure. Finnish patent 91778 also discloses a method for preparing a viscose fibre containing silicic acid. The amount of silicic acid in the viscose fibre calculated as SiO may account for 10- 40% by weight of the total mass of the fibre, and when alumimum silicate is used, the aluminium concentration calculated as aluminium oxide may vary in the range from 0.5 to 15% by weight of the total amount of fibre containing silicic acid. A solution containing 1-20% by weight, preferably 5-10% by weight of active agent can be soaked into the nonwoven fabric material. US patent 4 848 377 discloses a haircare product consisting of a nonwoven fabric and a solution soaked into this, the solution being for instance any reducing solution commonly used in permanents. The patent proposes i.a. that a continuous web is soaked with a solution containing the active agent and is cut into strips of a specific length, which are packaged while still moist, so that these strips are ready for use to be rolled up with strands of hair in permanent treatment. Flexible spongy or fibrous materials of different types, which are capable of adsorbing a sufficient liquid amount, e.g. paper and nonwoven fabric, have been mentioned as potential carrier materials. DE Patent Application 4 129 769, in turn, proposes moisturised strips to be packaged either in dispensable or multiple-use packaging materials. When doing a permanent, a hairdresser usually rolls up the hair together with a support paper strip, and after this the hair is wetted with a permanent chemical. When using a nonwoven permanent method, the hairdresser can replace the support paper with a fibrous material into which the active agent has been presoaked. The packaging of the material in the form of a continuous web cuts down packaging expenses and material consumption. The amount of material per package can be adapted to the amount required for one single permanent treatmenζ and standard packages of different sizes can be provided for various amounts of material needed. Especially for permanenting purposes, Perma has developed an apparatus under the trademark Professional, which activates the effect of the permanent substance under heat. The apparatus is supplied with data about the type and texture of the hair, and the apparatus indicates the concentration of the active agent to be used for presoaking. There are for instance four concentrations of the substance, an individual one for different types of hair. On the basis of the selections it has made, a microprocessor sets the suitable temperature. The apparatus includes a plurality of heating rods, on which heating clips are placed to be heated. The apparatus heats the heating clips automatically to the temperature it has chosen. When the heating clips have reached the correct temperature, they are placed on the rolls wetted with permanent substance, on which the hair has been rolled together with the support paper strips. The apparatus indicates the action time required, and marks the end of the action time with a sound signal. When the action time has ended, the heating clips are removed from the rolls. The heat released by the heating clips jointly with the mechanical pressure achieves a well lasting permanent and elasticity of the hair. Nonetheless, this apparatus does not allow the time for making the permanent to be influenced, i.e. the time required for a curl to become permanently formed under the action of the permanent substance. Rolling up the hair is also very time-consuming. The object of the present invention is to propose a method for making a permanent, by means of which a hair permanent performed with absorbed carrier substances can be made more economical, versatile and practical than before. To achieve this object, the method is principally characterised by the features defined in the characterising clause of accompanying claim 1. The present invention relates to a new combination of nonwoven permanent techniques and thermal permanent techniques, which achieves both technical and economical advantages. The new permanent method of the invention utilises successfully nonwoven fabric containing silicic acid alongside with thermal treatment. The materials used in the method are a nonwoven material as described above and a permanent substance with a formulation such that it breaks the sulphur bridges in the molecular structure of the hair in a reducing reaction, subsequent reoxidation resulting in the sulphur bridges mentioned above being rebuilt in a new shape. The second material used is a nonwoven texture containing silicic acid, which takes an active part in the reaction above by directing the reaction. In addition, the method requires rolls and a heating element controlling the reaction for each roll. In the method of the invention, the solution containing active agent has been soaked in a carrier material for instance in the form of a continuous web packaged while humid in a packaging material which preserves the properties of the active agent and prevents evaporation. During the application, this continuous web is arranged so as to allow the hairdresser to dose material strips with the desired length and the correct moisture favouring the action of the active agent. A strip cut from the carrier material is placed as such or folded in a pad-like layer on the roll, on both sides if desired, after the hair has been rolled up on the roll. In other words, the nonwoven material is not wound around the roll together with the strand, as it used to be. On top of this, a heating element is placed, which may be preheatable or adapted to be heated only after it has been fitted into position. The heating element is characterised by the fact that it is made of a material having high heat capacity, e.g. a rock material. It may be chemically or electrically heated - connected to a battery or the mains current. An arrangement applicable to the method of the invention is illustrated in figure 1. In figure 1, a strand of hair 3 has been rolled up on a permanent roll 4 and a nonwoven pad 2 has been placed on these. A preheated heating element 1 has been placed on the unit formed by the roll, the strand of hair and the nonwoven pad. The heating element may have any shape, provided that it allows the entire portion of the roll above the scalp 5 to be substantially covered over its total length. The thickness of the pad and the size of the portion of hair covered by it can be varied in order to achieve the desired final result. The final result is influenced also by other factors, such as i.a. the size of the rolls, the substance concentrations, the moisture and the temperature of the nonwoven pad. Such a method of the invention achieves a notably faster reaction, and thus a shorter action time of the permanent substance. The reaction is better controlled and appreciably accelerated, i.e. requires a shorter time for the permanent substance to act. Such a notable reduction of the action time has not been stated when a nonwoven fabric or thermal treatment have been used separately. Also, the rolling up of the strand of hair on the roll can be performed more rapidly, because no support paper strip or nonwoven fabric needs to be wound up along with the strand of hair. The treatment is further speeded up with the use of the method of the invention by the fact that, after the heating elements have been allowed to act over the required period and have been removed along with the nonwoven pads, the rolled up hair can be treated with a fixative without previous rinsing, because the surplus of active agent is removed along with the nonwoven pads. Owing to the faster treatment, both nonwoven fabric and permanent substance are needed in smaller amounts. Moreover, with the method of the invention, unpleasant smells are appreciably reduced or eliminated almost completely. For each roll, a separate heater and local removals can be used, e.g. a hood and water/vacuum. The method of the invention easily provides a hairdresser's shop which is odourless with regard to permanent substances. On principle, any thermal permanent apparatus is usable in the method. The heating elements can be designed so as to meet the requirements of the method in accordance with the invention. The method has the additional advantages of not requiring high investments in user framing, but on the contrary, can be taken into use after very short training owing to its straightforwardness. Nonetheless, the main benefit of the method to the hairdresser's shop itself and also to its customers is its rapidity. The time saving is approx. 40-50%, so that having taken the method of the invention into use, the hairdresser's shop can quite easily increase its capacity and thus its competitivity. The method of the invention also enables hairdressers' shops to offer a larger range of special services. For instance the treatment called "root permanent" becomes easier when the permanent can be directed only to a given part of the hair. In addition, it allows a notable decrease in water consumption, which involves a significant improvement in the quality of the resulting permanent and naturally also reduces the environmental load caused by the hairdresser's shop. Owing to the method, heating hoods can be replaced with local removals, resulting in improved air quality in the hairdresser's shop. Conventional heating hoods yield an irregular temperature and call for concentrated permanent substances. The permanent achieved with the method of the invention has a permanence equal to that of a conventional permanent, and in terms of quality, it is less harmful to the customer's hair than a conventional permanent, and thus requires a smaller amount of conditioners used. Another result of the improved control feature is that no permanent substance will get on the customer's skin, which constitutes a significant benefit and may give especially persons with a sensitive skin and allergic persons better chances to have a permanent. The invention is further illuminated below by means of examples. Example 1 The hair quality was examined and analysed and the desired final result was determined. The hair was washed with a shampoo (Eliocap Shampoo) and and a protective and moisturising active agent (Eliocap Idratante) was additionally applied. Towel-dried hair was treated with a conditioner containing amino acids (Eliocap Composto), which was left in the hair. The hair was rolled up. The permanent substance was selected in a concentration suitable for the thermal permanent and the hair quality. The number of nonwoven layers containing silicic acid was selected in view of the length of the hair and the desired final result. The nonwoven layers were soaked with the permanent substance and a nonwoven pad was placed on top and the sides of the rolls so as to avoid contact with the scalp. Heating elements with a heat retention over 70 minutes were used, and they were preheated to a temperature above 35 °C depending on the selected final result and the type of hair. The heating elements were allowed to act for 8 minutes, and the heating elements and nonwoven pads were subsequently removed. The rolled-up hair was treated with a fixative which was allowed to act for about 5 minutes. The rolls were opened and fixative was added in a small amount, and after this an emulsifying rinse was performed and a conditioner (Eliocap Maschera Ristuturante) was applied to the hair. The hair was finally rinsed with water and a hairstyle was done after towel drying. The final result were stronger, shiny hair with a look of greater volume. The curls were confirmed to have good permanence. Example 2 The time required for making a conventional permanent performed with a nonwoven fabric presoaked with permanent substance and for making a thermal treatment permanent was compared with the time required for making the permanent of the invention comprising both nonwoven and thermal treatment. The methods were carried out as in example 1 using, when applicable, the same techniques and the same substances, and aiming at the same end result for the same hair quality. The results are shown in table 1. Table 1 The time rquired for making a permanent with different methods (min.) The table shows that the permanent method of the invention achieves a substantial difference with regard to time management compared with the other methods. Compared with a conventional nonwoven permanent, the treatment time with the permanent method of the invention is 30% shorter, and compared with a thermal treatment permanent up to about 45% shorter. A number of embodiments of the invention have been described above. The invention is obviously not confined to the examples above, the principle of the invention being modifiable within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Claims 1. A method for performing a hair permanent treatment using a substance soaked into a carrier material and acting chemically on the hair, such as a reducing agent, and heating elements on rolled-up strands of hair, characterised in that the method comprises steps for a) rolling up merely a strand of hair; b) placing an elastic carrier material , into which the active agent has been soaked, on the roll in one or more layers; c) placing a heating element on the carrier material and the roll; d) allowing the heat to act over a predetermined period; and e) fixing and trimming in a manner known per se. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the carrier material consists at least partly of fibres containing silicic acid. 3. A method as defined in claim 2, characterised in that the fibres containing silicic acid are viscose fibres containing silicic acid. 4. A method as defined in claim 1, characterised in that the active agent is thioglycolic acid.

Inventors: OEVERMARK-LEHTO HELEENA, OEVERMARK-LEHTO, HELEENA
Applicants: OEVERMARK LEHTO HELEENA, TOPORIINA OY, OEVERMARK-LEHTO, HELEENA
Application year: 1999
Main classification: A61K7
IPC codes: A45D7