Patent ID: 7550136

Claim:
A method of treating hair to induce a permanent, reversible stiffening of hair shafts, the method comprising applying a water-soluble photoreactive polymer to the hair, wherein the photoreactive polymer comprises a photoreactive monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylbenzylthymines, vinylbenzyluracils, vinylphenylcinnamates, vinylcoumarins, vinylchalcones, N-acryloylamidopyridinium halides, and mixtures thereof and a water-soluble monomer selected from the group consisting of vinylbenzylammonium cations, vinylbenzylsulfonium cations, N-alkylvinylpyridinium ions, vinylphenylsufonate anions, vinylbenzoate anions, vinyphenylphosphate anions, vinylbenzamide ions, vinylphenylsufonamide ions, ethylene oxides, propylene oxides, oxazolines, and mixtures thereof; shaping the hair into a desired configuration; and irradiating the polymer at a wavelength from about 200 nm to about 600 nm to crosslink the polymer thereby stiffening the hair shafts sufficiently to maintain the desired configuration.