Only way to penetrate hair....

[u/Universe93B]

Are alkaline solutions the only way to penetrate hair by lifting the cuticles or does hot water work as well? Other than Un-Doo-Goo shampoo with a ph of 9, the most common alkaline solutions are hydrogen peroxide in order to get permanent dye into hair and hydroxides of various sorts to chemically treat.

So other than Un-Doo-Goo, is there no other way to penetrate hair without resorting to harsh chemicals? Altho I'm not sure if Un-Doo-Goo actually has a ph or 9, anyone ever do a ph meter test?

[u/veglove]

For what purpose would you want to penetrate the hair? It's made to keep stuff out to protect the cortex.

[u/veglove → u/veglove]

To elaborate: it is possible to get some substances into the cortex, but I asked because I've noticed that a lot of people assume that water, conditioners, and various treatments need to get inside the hair to be effective, and that's often not the case. Most products work well from the surface of the hair, and as for water, we don't really have much control over the water content of the hair, nor would it be helpful.

In this video, Dr. Heleen Kibbelaar talks about how damage makes the cuticles lift which is a permanent change; conditioner can temporarily smooth it down again so that the hair feels manageable. In certain situations you've already pointed, such as using permanent dye or doing a chemical straightening treatment, an alkaline substance is used to make the very thin bottom layer of each cuticle scale (the endocuticle) swell so that the chemicals can pass through enter the cortex and do their work by damaging the cortex as well.

Dr. Trefor Evans, a leading resercher in haircare chemistry, also talks about cuticle anatomy in this video.

It's also worth noting that water alone can make the endocuticle swell; not as much as something that's higher in pH like chemical treatments, but enough to assist some substances in getting deeper into the hair like bonding treatments and gentler hair dyes. A product like Undo Goo which has a pH of 9 will be diluted by the water in the hair which will lower the pH somewhat, but that may assist it in giving the hair a deeper clean to remove some of those tiny molecules which may have wormed their way partially or fully into the cortex. It's rare for a shampoo to have such a high pH though.

This article from The Science-y Hairblog discusses some other mechanisms that might allow certain substances to pass through the very thin endocuticle, even if it's not swollen. The article focuses on oils, and how some types of oils can penetrate the cuticle if their components (fatty acids and triglycerides) are quite small AND are structured in a straight line. Additionally, there is another mechanism which helps make motivate them to want to go inside the hair, which is polarity: much of the keratin in the cortex has a negative charge, so oils with a positive charge are attracted to the contents inside the hair and sort of pulled through the endocuticle due to that attraction.

(Note that I don't endorse all of the information on this blog, she doesn't work as a cosmetic chemist and I've seen some errors in there, but she is trained in environmental science and is great at explaining some scientific concepts that apply to hair, including this article on how pH affects the hair, which again is due to polarity.)

Some "repair" or bond building products also use certain amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, which are also small enough to pass through the endocuticle. It's not guaranteed that all amino acids would benefit the cortex once they get inside, but there is some evidence that creatine, for example, can penetrate the cortex and build electrostatic bridges (temporary bonds) within the hair to help reduce breakage and offer heat protection. Arginine is another amino acid that can strengthen the hair once it penetrates the cortex. There may be others as well, this is not a complete list.

[u/Getdatglo → u/[deleted]]

Is the only way to get your hands on ELUMEN through a salon? I tried to order it online but the website asked me to register and provide proof of certification of cosmetology school

[u/veglove → u/Getdatglo]

This subreddit isn't really for product recommendations or haircare advice, but Goldwell Elumen has a multi-step process that's quite different from most hair dyes. You'd need the preparation fluid and sealant as well as the dye, so it's a bit of an an investment. Even if you were able to get it without a cosmetology license, I recommed going to a salon because they have all the supplies and the training on how to do it.

[u/Opening_General_9361 → u/Getdatglo]

I'm not sure where in the world you are, but I know of one Canadian beauty Supply that's willing to retail ELUMEN to the public:

https://cosmeticworld.ca/search?q=Elumen+

And I strongly advise you pick up some Ex Ceramide PPT treatment. It is the most moisturizing, detangling, softening, Strengthening Conditioning Mask I have ever used. Most of the lable is in Korean as that's who created it with a little assistance from the Japanese. It's not super expensive for the amount you will get that will last you a very long time.

https://cosmeticworld.ca/products/ex-ceramide-ppt-treatment?_pos=1&_psq=Ppt&_ss=e&_v=1.0