What can break down hair? ——Comprehensive analysis from science to daily life
Hair is a fibrous structure made of keratin, which requires specific chemical or biological conditions to break down. Among the hot topics on the Internet recently, content about hair care, environmental degradation and scientific experiments have attracted much attention. This article will combine the hot topics of the past 10 days and analyze which substances can break down hair from three aspects: scientific principles, daily necessities and experimental data.
1. Scientific principles: structure and decomposition mechanism of hair

The core component of hair is keratin, whose stability comes from the strong connections of disulfide and hydrogen bonds. Breaking down hair requires breaking these chemical bonds. Common ways include:
| Decomposition method | Principle of action | typical substances |
|---|---|---|
| chemical decomposition | Break disulfide bonds (-S-S-) | Sodium hydroxide, thioglycolic acid |
| biodegradable | Enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis | Keratinase, bacteria |
| Physical decomposition | Mechanical damage | High temperature and high pressure, grinding |
2. Decomposition substances that can be used daily (relevant to hot searches in the past 10 days)
According to social media and e-commerce platform data, the following substances are widely discussed for their hair-breaking effects:
| Substance name | Usage scenarios | Decomposition time | Hot search index |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bleach (contains sodium hypochlorite) | Duct cleaning | 2-4 hours | ★★★☆☆ |
| baking soda + vinegar | home cleaning | 12-24 hours | ★★★★☆ |
| Enzymatic drain cleaner | Unclogging pipelines | 6-8 hours | ★★★★★ |
3. Comparison of laboratory data (source: recent scientific research papers)
The latest research from the Chinese Academy of Sciences shows that hair decomposition efficiency varies significantly under different conditions:
| Processing conditions | temperature | pH value | complete decomposition time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% sodium hydroxide | 25℃ | 13 | 72 hours |
| Keratinase solution | 37℃ | 7.5 | 48 hours |
| High temperature steam | 120℃ | - | 30 minutes |
4. Environmentally friendly alternatives (recent hot topics)
As environmental awareness increases, the following natural decomposition methods have received millions of views on TikTok and Weibo:
| Plan | Material | Operation steps |
|---|---|---|
| Banana peel fermented liquid | Banana peel + brown sugar + water | Soak hair after 7 days of fermentation |
| Bromelain | fresh pineapple peel | Crush and apply to hair for 30 minutes |
5. Things to note
1.Security protection: Wear gloves when handling strong alkaline substances
2.Pipeline compatibility: Bleach may corrode PVC pipes (Weibo hot search #pipecorrosion#)
3.Environmental certification: Choose biodegradable products with ECOCERT certification (Xiaohongshu popular tags)
Conclusion
Hair decomposition is both a scientific subject and closely related to daily life. The recent hot topic of environmentally friendly cleaning shows that consumers are more inclined to choose enzyme preparations and natural solutions. Understanding the principles of decomposition can help us deal with hair clogging problems more efficiently while reducing environmental burden.
check the details
check the details