The Current State of "Hair Science" that Defies Common Sense & Realizes All of Our Ideals

Previous installments have reflected on the history of Japanese hairstyles and hair colors. What has been revealed is that throughout the ages, people have always had a high awareness of hair. We have consistently cared for our hair while enjoying different hairstyles and colors according to our individual feelings.
 
So, what can we do to protect our hair? In the third installment of this feature, we would like to explore hair from a scientific perspective. What research is currently underway in hair science, and how have we come to obtain "beautiful hair" through it?
 
This time, we interviewed Milbon Co., Ltd., which champions the philosophy "Everything is with hair designers" and researches and develops products for professionals. We learned about the secrets of hair that hair science has revealed from researchers Ren Ito and Miki Hasebe.

Standards of "Beautiful Hair" Vary from Person to Person

With current advancements in science and technology, it may seem that there is nothing we don't know about hair. But what is the reality?
 
“A while ago, hair research was conducted as an extension of wool or fiber research. It was basically limited to measuring things like how hair would break when a 150g weight was attached or how hard it was when twisted.
 
"Later on, researchers began to investigate differences in hair quality among different ethnicities. Serious hair research has only been possible recently, thanks to innovations in measurement devices that allow for molecular-level studies.”
 
Some might find Ito’s explanation surprising, but it turns out that because hair is not related to life and death, it has not been a field actively advanced in research. As a result, even at academic conferences, there have been very few researchers specializing in hair studies from universities.