Manipulating PH in the Treatment Room:

Introducing various PH values to the skin, hair and nails will change the physical makeup of the areas to which the solution is applied.

* Important to Remember
 Acidic Solutions

- tightens integumentary tissues, constrict the body’s blood network as well as eliminate water.

Alkaline Solutions

Cosmetologist, skin care therapist and nail technicians alike all manipulate the PH of the Integumentary System in order to obtain results. Below are a few of the professional services which change PH.

Facial - Desincrustation/ Alkaline wash

These treatments both employ the use of extremely alkaline solutions (PH @12) in order to aggressively breakdown oils (sebum) in the skin. Desincrustation solutions are typically done before extractions because in addition to degreasing the skin, the solution also softens skin tissue relaxing the follicle opening making extractions easier. In addition to a very alkaline PH, alkaline washes contain enzymes which force the skin to slough off; hence they are used at the beginning of professional facial treatments in order to effectively prepare the skin for the skin specific treatment. Alkaline wash allows the treatment solutions to absorb more readily and evenly into deeper layers of the skin. Think of it like the dusting of furniture. You wouldn’t put wood treatment oil on your dining room table before you removed the layers of dust. Another benefit of an alkaline wash is that the wash, over a series of treatments will remove the unwanted hairs on the tip of the nose.

Permanent Waving

Stylist will mold the hair to its desired texture, utilizing huge rollers for straight hair, tiny rollers for curls, and then introduce an alkaline solution to the cortex of the hair which ultimately breaks apart the united keratinized cells. Then the stylist will introduce an extremely acidic solution which will re-establish a connection between the cells of the newly textured hair. Because the process of chemical waving does not affect the root of the hair, this service is deemed temporary as new growth is already programmed with the individual’s natural cortex.

Chemical Texturizing of the Hair

Whether an individual wants straight bone straight hair or she desires a day at the beach soft sexy waves. The hair stylist can customize the texture of the hair to meet her exact needs! This manipulation is called permanent waving. Stylists will mold the hair to its desired texture, utilizing huge rollers for straight hair, tiny rollers for curls, and then introduce an alkaline solution to the cortex of the hair which ultimately breaks apart the united keratinized cells. Then the stylist will introduce an extremely acidic solution which will reestablish a connection between the cells of the newly textured hair. Because the process of chemical waving does not affect the root of the hair, this service is deemed temporary as new growth is already. programmed with the individual’s natural cortex.

PH of Retail Products:

Products that you are retailing to your client for home care use should match that of the skin, hair and nails as closely as possible, (slightly acidic in PH).  As professionals, our responsibility is to perform results oriented services. Manipulating the client’s skin, hair and nails is a necessary part of that goal. Client’s main responsibility however, is to protect their skin hair and nails, thus safeguarding their results! You have learned that the skin, hair and nails react differently depending on the PH of a solution. More specifically, PH can literally change the physical makeup of the skin, hair and nails allowing products to penetrate faster and deeper into the skin. PH can change the texture of hair and introduce semi-permanent materials into the fingernails. This manipulation of PH is best left to the professional as negative cosmetic and health effects can be caused from improper application of PH.

FOR EXAMPLE : A client with acne, determined to remove oil, washes frequently with a cleanser which has an alkaline pH. Thus, the cleanser leaves the pores open, removes water and oil from the acid mantle. Her acne worsens.

Why? Human sebum contains strong antibacterial properties. Bacteria that cause acne are only harmful after they have penetrated into the skin. It is within the skin that oil is a growth medium for bacteria. The protective nature of the oils atop our skin should not be stripped away by harsh alkaline cleansers. The removal of the acid mantle is allowing bacteria to penetrate more readily. Also, the body reacts to the dehydration caused by the alkaline cleanser by creating oil underneath the skin. The client needs an antibacterial cleanser in which the pH mimics the client’s skin.

Client is using an alkaline over the counter shampoo and conditioner daily and finds that their hair seems to be frizzy, oily at the root yet, very dry throughout the hair.

Why? The alkaline cleanser is stripping the hair of the shield of the acid mantle of sebum, thus stimulating the sebaceous glands to produce more oil. Hence, the oily scalp yet, the dry frizzy ends. The client needs a shampoo and conditioner with a pH that mimics that of the clients scalp.

III - ANATOMY OF THE SKIN

There are three distinct divisions of the skin: Epidermis, Dermis, and Subcutaneous. 

IV - Anatomy of the Hair

Hair is a main characteristic of all mammals. In some parts of the body, hair is so small it seems invisible yet, in other places it is very obvious as on the head, armpits and around the genitalia. The amount of hair a person develops is related to complex genetic factors.

V. ANATOMY OF THE NAIL

While our furry mammal friends such as birds, cats, dogs have claws, humanoids have finger and toe nails. The nail, technically referred to as onyx (AHN-iks) is actually leathery epidermal skin cells which modify our outermost layer of skin at the hands and feet. Their function is to create traction and grip for us as well as provide protection from predators. A healthy nail is whitish and somewhat translucent, with a pinkish hue apparent. Nails are porous, allowing water to pass. The water content of the nail actually depends on the environment. It is the water content of a nail thiat gives the nails their flexability.

1. Nail bed
Is the bed of living skin where the nail plate, or hardened keratin sits. The nail bed is supplied with many nerves and is enriched with many blood vessels.

2. Matrix
The actual root of the nail. The matrix is composed of nerves, lymph, and blood vessels which provide the nourishment for the nail to form. The visible portion of the matrix is the lunula. The lunula extends from underneath living skin, out and underneath the nail palate. The lunula is the white half moon shaped area at the bottom of the nail.

3. Nail Plate
Most visible portion of the nail. The nail plate is composed of 100s of layers of nail cells whose primary function is to manufacture the hard keratinized nail plate.

4. Cuticle
Dead, sticky tissue attached to the nail plate. The cuticles job is seal the space between the nail plate and the living skin of the finger above the nail plate. The seal that the cuticle created protects the matrix from microorganisms, thus preventing infection and disease.

5. Eponychium (ep-oh-NIK-eeum)
Living skin at base of the nail plate. Cuticle tissue is attached to the underside of the eponychium and the top of the nail plate. As the nail plate slides along the nail bed, growing out, the cuticle breaks away from the eponychium and eventually serves as a protective seal between the nail plate and the eponychium.

6. Hyponychium (hy-poh-NIK-eeum)
Slightly thickened skin underneath the free edge of the nail plate (portion of nail that extends over the tip of the finger). This tissue protects the underside of the nail plate from infection.