HAIR CARE


Bamboo vacuolar extract to decrease hair loss


Sonia Dini – Innovacos


The hair makes us unique, it serves to frame and decorate our face, and defines our personal style. People invest a lot in the appearance of their own hair, so much so that hair significantly contributes to the first impression that we make on others.1 Historically, hair has defined a precise


membership to a social group. Just think about the coloured crests of punk, or the dreadlocks that symbolise Rastafarian culture, or the extravagant hairstyles of Marie Antoinette, or the cut of Cleopatra, still famous after millennia. When Delilah cut Samson’s hair, he lost


his power and strength. This biblical situation shows the symbolism associated with the loss of our hair. Nowadays, career portals provide tips for correct hairstyling in application photos, introductory meetings and appointments with management, while magazines provide information about the unconscious messages we send with our hairstyle. Yet hair is not just an aesthetic ornament, it


also contributes to protecting parts of our body from trauma, UV rays, and the penetration of external agents, such as microbes and bacteria. The shield function implemented by the hair prevents some environmental pollutants from entering and coming into contact with the scalp.


Hair anatomy Strands of hair originate in the hair follicle, an epidermal penetration of the dermis. The hair shaft is the visible portion that comes out of the scalp, while the hair root is anchored in the follicle and lies below the surface in the dermis. The hair bulb surrounds the hair papilla, which is made of connective tissue and contains blood


capillaries and nerve endings from the dermis (Figure 1). New cells are constantly forming in the hair


bulb. These cells stick together and harden. As the new hardened cells continue to stick to the old ones from below, the hair is gradually pushed out of the skin. A single hair on the head grows at a rate of about 1cm per month. As long as new hair cells continue to grow in


the hair bulb, the hair continues to grow longer. At any point in time, about 90% of a person’s total amount of hair is in this growth phase. At the end of the growth phase, the hair root


separates from the papilla, and the supply of blood is cut off. The hair is gradually pushed


out of the skin and eventually falls out. The resting phase can last several months. New hair cells then start to multiply at the base of the ‘empty’ hair follicle to form new hair, and the growth phase of the hair growth cycle starts all over again. Because hair continues to enter the resting


phase and then fall out, we are constantly losing hair. A healthy adult may lose about 70 to 100 hair on their head per day. Yet because new hair is always growing and is replaced, this natural hair loss is not noticeable. There are periods of the year when hair loss


becomes more pronounced, in conjunction with spring (April-May) and autumn (October- November); it is the so-called seasonal hair loss. The causes can be sought in different areas, such as hormonal balance, stress situations or climatic factors. The seasonal fall is, however, part of the


physiological process of hair replacement and has a limited duration, equal to a few weeks. The situation becomes worrying when hair loss becomes more noticeable and does not stop autonomously. The condition of the scalp can influence


the quality of the hair which is produced. Biochemical changes in proteins and lipid components have been observed in hair emerging from unhealthy skin. A number of observations have found that


premature hair loss can be caused by poor health of the scalp which would result in an impaired fibre anchoring force with the follicle.2 Innovacos has developed Plant C-Stem™ Bamboo (INCI: Glycerin, Water, Phyllostachys Pubescens Meristem Cell Lysate), hereafter known as the bamboo vacuolar extract. This active ingredient has been studied to offer a solution against hair loss. It is a different concept of plant extraction


because through technological know-how, the vacuole content of bamboo stem cells is selectively extracted at low temperatures and without solvents or enzymes to maintain the maximal biological potential of bamboo. The vacuole is an essential organelle for


Figure 1 – Hair structure www.personalcaremagazine.com


plants; it works as a site of storage for bioactive components required for plant growth and repair. The content of the vacuole is a cocktail of minerals, proteins, nutrients, and growth factors that the plant can use to be repaired and grow again in case of damage. Using the plant cell vacuole extract is like using the plant ‘serum’. The bamboo variety chosen for the bamboo vacuolar extract is Phyllostachys pubescens.


January 2024 PERSONAL CARE


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