# US 9,775,419 B2 · Hair treatment method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,775,419 B2 - Document ID: US9775419B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/697,281 - Filed: 2011-05-11 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Granted: 2017-10-03 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-11 - Assignees: L'oreal - Applicants: Gilles Genain; Gabin Vic; Stefania Nuzzo; Marie Muller - Inventors: Gilles Genain; Gabin Vic; Stefania Nuzzo; Marie Muller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9775419B2 ## CPC - A45D 7/06: combined chemical and thermal - A45D 1/04: by electricity - A45D 2/001: {Hair straightening appliances} - A45D 2001/008: {with vapor generation, e.g. steam} - A45D 2200/207: Vibration, e.g. ultrasound - A45D: HAIRDRESSING OR SHAVING EQUIPMENT (wigs, toupees or the like A41G3/00, A41G5/00; hairdressers' chairs A47C1/04; hair cutting appliances, razors B26B); EQUIPMENT FOR COSMETICS OR COSMETIC TREATMENTS, e.g. FOR MANICURING OR PEDICURING ## Abstract The present invention relates to a cosmetic hair treatment method comprising at least the steps consisting of: a) applying a mechanical tension to said hair, b) exposing said hair under mechanical tension to microwaves, in the presence of a solvent in vapor form in contact with said hair, without complete drying of the hair during microwave exposure, the solvent in vapor form being entirely generated by the evaporation of a compound which is present, before emission of the microwaves, in contact with the treated hair. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cosmetic hair treatment method comprising: a) applying a mechanical tension to the hair to be treated, b) exposing the hair under the mechanical tension to microwaves, while contacting the hair with a solvent vapour, without complete drying of the hair during the microwave exposure, to obtain the treated hair; wherein the solvent vapour is generated by evaporation of a solvent which is in contact with the hair to be treated before the exposure to the microwaves, the solvent vapour having, in the vicinity of and/or in contact with the hair, in step b), a temperature of between 100 and 150° C.; and after step b) the hair retains at least 5% of the weight of liquid compounds present before step b), in contact therewith, the liquid compound adding to natural moisture of the hair before treatment, and wherein a frequency of the microwaves is between 500 MHz and 10 GHz, the method further comprising c) applying to the treated hair at least one composition for durable shaping of the hair, the composition being a reducing composition comprising one or more reducing agents, the pH of the reducing composition being between 7 and 11, the reducing composition comprising at least one alkalifying agent, the alkalifying agent being selected from: aqueous ammonia, alkanolamines and derivatives thereof, ethoxylated and/or propoxylated ethylenediamines, alkali metal silicates, amino acids, compounds of formula (II): wherein W is a propylene residue which is optionally substituted by a hydroxyl group, or a C1-C4 alkyl radical, and Ra, Rb, Rc and Rd are identical or different and may be a hydrogen atom or a C1-C4 alkyl or C1-C4 hydroxyalkyl radical. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a) and b) are successive or simultaneous. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one composition for durable shaping of the hair comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a reducing agent, an alkali metal hydroxide and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the shaping composition is applied to the hair before a), after b) or both before a) and after b). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising applying to the treated hair at least one fixing composition comprising one or more oxidizing agents. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, wherein the fixing composition is applied to the hair before a), after b) and after c) or after b) and after c). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical tension in a) comprises application to the hair to be treated of at least one selected from the group consisting of a torsional stress, a tensile stress and a compressive stress. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein a duration of b) is between 1 s and 30 min. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the microwaves having a power of the microwaves is less than 500 W. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent comprises a polar protic liquid having a dielectric constant at 20° C. greater than or equal to 8. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent vapour comprises at least one of water and propanol. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1 wherein b) takes place in an enclosure which is impervious to microwaves. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising recovering the solvent vapour during b), after b) or both during and after b). ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein during part or a total of b), the hair is in a volume defined by at least a wall of a material which allows passage of microwaves and limits evaporation of the solvent in contact with the treated hair before emission of the microwaves. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method according to claim 14, wherein the material comprises cellophane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent vapour is entirely generated by said evaporation of said solvent which is in contact with the hair to be treated before the exposure to the microwaves. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the solvent vapour comprises propanol. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein step b) is repeated between 2 and 10 times. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkalifying agent is an alkanolamine selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine and triethanolamine and derivatives thereof. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkalifying agent is an alkali metal silicate, which is a sodium metasilicate. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the alkalifying agent is an amino acid selected from the group consisting of arginine, lysine, ornithine, citrulline and histidine.