Certain hair dye ingredients can reduce melanin production in hair. Specifically, resorcinol and lawsone are known to inhibit melanin production.
How Resorcinol and Lawsone Affect Melanin
Based on research, resorcinol and lawsone, commonly found in hair dyes, don't necessarily "destroy" existing melanin but rather inhibit its production.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
- Inhibition: Resorcinol and lawsone interfere with tyrosinase activity. Tyrosinase is an enzyme crucial for melanin synthesis.
- Reduced Production: By inhibiting tyrosinase, these chemicals effectively lower the amount of melanin produced in the hair.
- In-vitro Studies: Laboratory tests (in vitro) using mushroom and cellular tyrosinase have confirmed these inhibitory effects.
Mechanisms of Action
| Chemical | Mechanism |
|---|---|
| Resorcinol | Inhibits tyrosinase activity, reducing melanin synthesis |
| Lawsone | Inhibits tyrosinase activity, reducing melanin synthesis |
Practical Insights
- Hair Lightening: The reduction of melanin through these ingredients leads to hair lightening, a key reason why they're used in dyes.
- Color Change: By decreasing melanin, these chemicals facilitate the new color from hair dyes to become more noticeable.
- Caution: While effective for hair coloring, the use of these chemicals should be done with care as they might cause reactions for some people.
Therefore, while resorcinol and lawsone don't directly destroy melanin that's already in the hair shaft, they prevent new melanin from forming, which leads to a change in hair color.
