Woods - the Mystery Revealed
Exotic woods have been the preferred choice in accessories for centuries; there's nothing like the warmth and beauty of this natural, organic material. Bunning damp hair is very common, both in terms of ease of manipulation and the cooling effect evaporation provides during the summer months. Metals and composites would be the first chioce here, since they are not affected by moisture, but there's just something about natural woods that helps us stay tuned to nature. Here are some facts about the use of wood products and the integrity of wood finishes you can use as a guideline when choosing accessories.
For our purposes here, the goal is to avoid the absorption of moisture. In a nutshell, direct contact with water causes the tubular structure of fine grains in cured woods to rehydrate. They draw in moisture by capillary action - water displaces air normally contained within the cell structure of cured woods. The fibers expand, and the once silky smooth surface now resembles a cat's tongue, with hundreds of tiny barbs that snag hair, and can literally shear off individual strands. Thus, the need for a suitable sealer and finish. This subject can be a bit complex, since the dozens of species of exotic and domestic hardwoods used in accessory design exhibit different characteristics. Each must be considered on an individual basis for the most effective results.
Woods fall into two primary categories, generally determined by their cellular grain structure.
The first category is resinous woods, such as the large family of rosewoods. The natural resins that once fed the tree slowly evaporate their moisture content as wood cures, and what's left hardens within their tightly packed cell structure to create a naturally water resistant base material. Then there's the porous, open grained woods. These are typically domestic species, but they lend themselves favorably to hair accessories as long as they are correctly sealed. Since most of these naturally create a lifegiving sap mostly composed of water, it makes sense that during the curing process the majority of the water evaporates, leaving a material composed primarily of cellulose fiber and air. This accounts for the lighter weight of most domestic species. These open grains need to be sealed to avoid rehydration, so we introduce a compound that simulates that of the natural resinous woods. This material fills the tubular grains and hardens, forming a moisture resistant seal. Once this cures, we apply a final finish. Like resinous woods, all that's left in terms of maintenance is the occasional cleaning and oiling.
While we're at it, let's dispel some myths regarding the ever popular Dymondwood. Some makers like to create an air of mystery around this unusual material, but truth be told – there’s only one way to manufacture it, so it's basically the same stuff no matter who's using it. Dymondwood is a combination product where numerous layers of birch veneers are pre-dyed, assembled in various alternating color layers, and bonded with phenolic resin under a proprietary process using extreme heat and pressure. The advantages are superior strength, the ability to get a glass like finish, and debatably something of a waterproof finish. These characteristics are possible because the finished product is no longer wood - you have a material that looks like wood and acts like plastic. In terms of moisture resistance, this is the next best thing to metals and composites.
All natural woods need some sort of sealer or finish. Here we need to bear in mind that hair care products contain various blends of detergents, surfactants, PH stabilizers, foaming agents, fruit acids and sugars, preservatives, etc. Any one of these can have an effect on common wood finishes, so it's wise for the designer to have a bit of knowledge in basic chemistry. A specific example would be that most hair sprays contain alcohol to keep the base material in solution, while some finish compounds such as lacquers use alcohol for the same purpose. We wouldn't consider using these as a final finish, since they could be dissolved during normal use. Regardless of the type of finish used on your accessory, natural hair oils and those blended into conditioning products tend to collect on the surface. While providing some additional sealing effect, they can build up in layers and harden, causing a dull appearance and even rough spots. Most properly sealed accessories can be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth - heavy build up may require a bit of isopropanol, or rubbing alcohol. When the surface is clean and dry, oiling is easy - use any natural oil suitable for hair care since these usually do not contain damaging solvents.
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