title: Patterns of light interference produced by damaged cuticle cells in human hair.
abstract: Colorful patterns of light interference have been observed to occur in human hair cuticle cells. The light interference phenomenon has been analyzed by optical microscopy. The strong patterns of light interference appeared only in cuticle cells that had been damaged either mechanically or by thermal stresses. Cuticle cells that were not damaged did not produce this phenomenon. The zones of light interference on the hair surface were seen to extend to cuticle sheath areas whose damage was not apparent when analyzed under the Scanning Electron Microscope. The presence of oils and other hydrophobic materials in the hair had a strong effect in the appearance or disappearance of the interference patterns.
authors.affiliation: Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Polymer Effect Research, 540 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY 10591-9005, USA.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gamez-Garcia
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D006197:Hair / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008027:Light; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D012031:Refractometry