In Search of Hair Damage Using Metabolomics

The document discussed the application of metabolomics to study hair damage, highlighting a study by Joo et al. that used metabolomic techniques to analyze chemical treatments on hair. The study involved standardized chemical treatments like bleaching, dyeing, and perming, and employed statistical methods typical of metabolomics, such as PCA and OPLS-DA, to identify biomarkers of hair damage. The research found expected amino acid changes, such as cysteine to cysteic acid conversion, and alterations in tryptophan and methionine. Additionally, it identified specific lipid changes correlating with the severity of hair damage. The study suggested that while metabolomics could reveal detailed biochemical changes in hair, its potential to guide the development of antidamage treatments remained uncertain.