albert...@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 1/4/2009 1:11:04 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
hippy_dippy_dan...@yahoo.com writes:
if I remember correctly, silk has the same chemical make up as human hair.
******************
I find that hard to believe. Silk comes from caterpillars....it's their
cocoon. It has little to do with hair. I'd say what you are trying to remember is
WOOL has about the same chemical make up as human hair....since both are
hair....made by mammals.
The point here is that both silk and wool are both animal protein fibers, not
plant fibers like cotton or linen.
The discussion was about using bleach on silk. Bleach dissolves protein
fibers. This is the basis of the bleach test for fabrics. If you throw a
swatch of wool or silk into a jar of bleach, it will dissolve. Cotton and
linen swatches will typically lose their color but remain intact. If the
fabric is a blend, you will get some really interesting effects. Only the
animal proteins will disappear, so depending on how much of each fiber there
is, and whether the fabric is made of two different types of threads or
whether the threads themselves are blended, you might get a less-dense fabric,
a little tangle of loose fibers, or intact threads lined up neatly in the
bottom of the jar.
It can take a little while for the bleach to do its work. I suppose that is
why you can use certain (weak) bleach products to alter the color of your hair
and not end up bald ... but it's certainly not good for your hair.
Years ago, I remember a friend of mine telling me she didn't shave her legs,
but instead "bleached" the hair there. She assumed the bleach simply made the
hair color lighter so the hair didn't show, but I suspect the bleach treatment
she bought actually thinned out the hair on her legs over time.
--Robin
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