A method for the determination of viscoelastic parameters of human hair in relation to its structure.

An analytical model and the corresponding experimental procedure are presented, which make it possible to separately analyze the viscous and elastic components of human hair. Moreover, a computerized experimental system is described with which a standardized quantitative determination of the most important mechanical parameters of human hair can be performed. Comparative investigations of the mechanical behavior of hair specimens obtained from the frontoparietal and occipital scalp regions of 10 healthy human subjects showed no statistically significant differences with regard to their mechanical parameters. Nevertheless, the paired analysis of the mechanical parameters of thin and thick hair specimens revealed that the values of two of these parameters are significantly higher in thin than in thick hair specimens. These findings suggest that there are mechanical parameters of human hair related to gross hair morphology, whereas others depend on hair microstructure.