New Tech Allows Hair To Reflect Almost Any Colour

Washington: What if you could alter your hair to reflect any color in the spectrum? It may soon become a reality!

New research suggests individuals can alter their hair color and use a flatiron to press a new hair pattern.

Researchers at the University of New Mexico and Los Alamos National Labs collaborated on the use of focused ion beam technologies and the way they can be used to pattern different materials.

Their research explores a way to etch diffraction gratings on individual hairs to reflect light in a specific way.

The project began in 2009 when Bruce C Lamartine disclosed an invention for non-chemical directional colouring of hair using milled or impressed nanopatterns.

Lamartine and Zayd C Leseman explored ion beam etching on single strands of human hair.

Using Lamartine's ion beam control programmes, Leseman and his graduate students Khawar Abbas and Drew Goettler began experimenting with fine etching of the diffraction gratings which allowed them to create patterns that reflected specific bandwidths of light depending on how far apart the lines were, and how wide and deep they were.

The patterning technique proved to be most effective on brown hair, and also produced results on blond and black hair.

Researchers speculate if someone wanted a permanent change in hair colour, they might be able to use something like a flatiron to etch the diffraction gratings into the hair.

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