What is horn?
Horn is the keratinous layer of fibres covering the surface of boney core, which is an outgrowth of the frontal bones of select herbivorous mammals.
Horn grows in slowly thickening layers, creating a cone-within-cone structure. Each cone is finely corrugated longitudinally and made of flat or tubular cells aligned parallel to the long axis of the horn containing keratin fibres.
Keratin is a complex protein, held together by hydrogen bonds, polar linkages, and disulphide linkages of cystine. Unlike bone, horn is not ossified tissue in any way, it is formed by layers of keratin (a fibrous protein that also makes up feathers, hooves, nails and claws). The surface of horn is characterised by a structure of fine parallel lines, which distinguishes it from bone, antler, and ivory.
Horn exists in a great variety of sizes and colours, and is translucent when first harvested.
What’s the deal with keratin?
Our hair and nails are made from the tough protein keratin-the same protein that horns, hooves, feathers and beaks are made from. Keratin is as an external protective protein in the cuticle (outer layers of hair) and also as an internal structural protein in the inner core of hair, the cortex. Keratin levels in our hair deplete with age, chemical and environmental factors. Compromised immunity and natural health drags even more protein from our hair to other parts of the body. When you use a horn comb, the keratin in the horn helps to close the hair cuticle scales. The hair scales, once closed, are resistant to the external aggressions of sunlight, weather, extreme temperatures and humidity. Hair is less greasy, less dehydrated and shinier!
How will a Beauty & The Beast comb benefit my hair?
strengthening your hair and its elasticity
anti-static properties mean more controllable hair and less unruly flyaways
loosening knots rather than tears through them
stimulating blood flow in scalp
thorough cleaning
stimulating hair growth
preventing split ends
achieving less frizzy and easier to manage (and style) hair
balancing natural oils
providing an extra layer of protection and conditioning
How do the different types of horn combs benefit different hair problems?
Beauty & The Beast combs re made from a variety of different types of horn including water buffalo, ox buffalo, dairy, longhorn, brahman, highland cattle and sheep. Each type of livestock displays distinct keratin grades, properties and aesthetics.
Water Buffalo
Achieves semi soft, semi shiny and semi silky hair with a low to moderate boosted growth rate.
Dairy Horn
Suitable for children’s hair (children have a much higher percentage of keratin in their hair than adults), and effective in pulling grease from upper hair, achieving amazing shine and softness.
Brahman Horn
Neutral keratin level that suits all hair types.
Longhorn
The “silken” suited more specifically to male hair, with a medium to high boost in growth rate.
Highland Cattle Horn
The “velvet” comb, which softens hair, pulls grease from higher on the head, makes hair feel thicker and keeps colour brilliant.
Ox Buffalo Horn
The “creme de la creme” of horn combs, achieving super soft, extremely shiny, silky hair with maximum hair growth and reparation
Sheep Horn
Most suited to cultures with lower protein consumption, with white sheep horn being rich in lanolin, offering more restorative properties while black sheep target achieving greater silkiness in the minimum of time-the ‘ten second’ comb.
How does the grade of keratin affect the comb’s qualities?
The higher the grade of keratin, the more effectively the comb closes the hair follicle to achieve the many benefits of enriched keratin. (Remember that the hair scales, once closed, are resistant to the external aggressions of sunlight, weather, extreme temperatures and humidity. Hair is less greasy, less dehydrated and shinier)
Cattle and sheep combs keratin grades start at
3A - 5A low keratin
6A - 7A keratin medium in keratin
8A - 9A high keratin
9A - 9.9A super keratin
9.9,1A - 9.9,9A extremely high keratin
How do you match keratin grades with specific hair needs?
This is where the magic really happens!
Each hair type needs the opposite hair grade to close the cuticle scales to protect the hair follicle from chemical and environmental nasties, and to improve softness, silkiness and shine, as well as close split ends.
++ Keratin
For when your hair is out of control with high grease
(cattle comb)
+ Keratin
Balanced grease throughout your hair, nice shine & thinner hair
(cattle comb)
+- Keratin
Your hair is greasy on top of your hair and then halfway down your hair becomes dry
(cattle comb)
-+ Keratin
Your hair gets patches of grease throughout, at times your hair feels drier, unbalanced with high incidence of knots
(cattle comb)
- Keratin
Semi dry hair, still soft, semi-shiny, little thinning out with medium hair loss
(cattle/sheep comb)
- - Keratin
Dry, heavy, crusty and unmanageable hair
(sheep gives instant softness & the best for dry hair or high grade cattle comb )
eg. 8A -9A keratin-ox buffalo
- - - Keratin
Extremely dry , super bleached or chemically damaged hair
(black merino sheep 8A-9A keratin)