HAIR TREATMENT METHOD

• US 20130152959A1
• Filed: 05/11/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Original Assignee: L'Oreal SA
• Inventors: Genain, Gilles, Vic, Gabin, Nuzzo, Stefania, Muller, Marie
• Granted Patent: US 9,775,419 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 132/206
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 1/04 by electricity
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2/001 Hair straightening appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2001/008 with vapor generation, e.g. steam
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 2200/207 Vibration, e.g. ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A45D 7/06 combined chemical and thermal

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cosmetic hair treatment method comprising at least the steps consisting of: a) applying a mechanical tension to said hair, b) exposing said hair under mechanical tension to microwaves, in the presence of a solvent in vapour form in contact with said hair, without complete drying of the hair during microwave exposure, the solvent in vapour form being entirely generated by the evaporation of a compound which is present, before emission of the microwaves, in contact with the treated hair.

Claims

1. A cosmetic hair treatment method comprising:

a) applying a mechanical tension to the hair to be treated,

b) exposing the hair under the mechanical tension to microwaves, while contacting the hair with a solvent vapour, without complete drying of the hair during the microwave exposure, to obtain the treated hair;

wherein

the solvent vapour is generated by evaporation of a solvent which is in contact with the hair to be treated before the exposure to the microwaves.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein a) and b) are successive or simultaneous.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising c) applying to the treated hair at least one composition for durable shaping of the hair.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the at least one composition for durable shaping of the hair comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a reducing agent, an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the shaping composition is applied to the hair before a), after b) or both before a) and after b).

6. The method according to claim 3, further comprising applying to the treated hair at least one fixing composition comprising one or more oxidizing agents.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the fixing composition is applied to the hair before a), after b) and after c) or after b) and after c).

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical tension in a) comprises application to the hair to be treated of at least one selected from the group consisting of a torsional stress, a tensile stress and a compressive stress.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein a duration of b) is between 1 s and 30 min.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein a frequency of the microwaves is between 500 MHz and 10 GHz.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwaves having a power of the microwaves is less than 500 W.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises, a polar protic liquid having a dielectric constant at 20°

C. greater than or equal to 8.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent vapour comprises at least one of water and propanol.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein b) takes place in an enclosure which is impervious to microwaves.

15. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recovering the solvent vapour during b), after b) or both during and after b).

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein during part or a total of b), the hair is in a volume defined by at least a wall of a material which allows passage of microwaves and limits evaporation of the solvent in contact with the treated hair before emission of the microwaves.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the material comprises cellophane.