Women's Health - USA (2019-06)

44 / WOMEN’S HEALTH JUNE 2019

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We t H a i r,

Do Care!

Just one strand of dr y hair is stronger

than copper wire of the same diameter.

You can thank the protein-rich inner

cortex for that strength. But when you

add water—from showering, swimming,

or sweating—a chemical change occurs

that makes hair weaker. “Water allows

the proteins to relax and stretch more,”

says cosmetic chemist Joe Cincotta, PhD.

“Stretch hair too much and you perma-

nently damage its internal structure.”

This in turn makes it more fra gile, wet or

dry. Here’s the right (and wrong) way to

treat your soaked strands.

By Maddie Aberman