WO2013040668A2

WO2013040668A2 - Method for assessing hair conditions and diagnostic system for prescription of customized cosmetic treatment and/or product

Info

Publication number: WO2013040668A2
Application number: PCT/BR2012/000357
Authority: WO
Inventors: Marcello MAGRI AMARAL; Adriana DE ANDRADE FREGONESI; Carla MARIA SANCHES SCANAVEZ DE PAULA; Luciana DE MIRANDA CHAVEZ VASQUEZ PINTO
Original assignee: Natura Cosméticos S.A.
Priority date: 2011-09-19
Filing date: 2012-09-19
Publication date: 2013-03-28
Also published as: US20140216492A1; WO2013040668A3; BR112014006601A2; EP2758904A2; FR2980270A1

Abstract

It describes a method for assessing hair conditions, conceived to prescribe a customized cosmetic treatment and/or product, comprising the following steps: A) obtaining information about the hair of at least one user by means of at least one questionnaire with at least one question that combines parameters of tactile perception of hair with at least three attributes, defined by softness, combing and coarseness; B) inserting the information obtained in step A in a matrix for classification of hair damages, in order to obtain at least one classification about the hair conditions of the user; C) associating the classification about the hair condition of the user obtained in step B with the characteristics of at least one cosmetic product stored in a database that stores registrations of at least one cosmetic product, in order to obtain at least one result about the customized cosmetic treatment and/or product; and D) prescribing to the user at least one customized cosmetic treatment and/or product according to the result obtained in step C. It is also describes a system for diagnosing the hair conditions by using at least one matrix for classification of hair damages and one database.

Description

Specification of Patent of Invention for "METHOD FOR ASSESSING HAIR CONDITIONS AND DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM FOR PRESCRIPTION OF CUSTOMIZED COSMETIC TREATMENT AND/OR PRODUCT."

The present invention refers to a method for assessing hair conditions and a diagnostic system according to parameters of tactile perception of hair, particularly conceived to prescribe a customized cosmetic treatment with specific products for the hair of users.

Description of State of the Art

Hair care is a promising market in the cosmetic industry worldwide, wherein innovation and practicality are strategic targets when users make their choice in view of the wide range of products that are constantly launched in this segment.

Over time, the search for specific products for a certain type of hair stopped being considered just vanity and started being interpreted as a need. Concerns with personal care have increased all over the world, especially considering the fact that physical appearance is essential, either for good professional presentation or for behavior within the personal or social level.

With the expansion of consumption of cosmetics targeted for hair care, countless products have been constantly developed and marketed on the shelves of perfumeries, supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores. Normally, it is possible to find, in such establishments, products prepared for all hair types, including shampoos, conditioners, combing condi- ttoners, products for chemical processes in general, treatment for hair loss, among others.

The decision to buy a product for a certain type of hair is usually associated with several related factors, mainly with the user's type of hair and the cosmetic treatment to be applied.

Treatments for daily hair care generally consist of merely washing the hair using shampoo and conditioner; hydrating it; using a blow drier, flat iron or curling iron and/or cauterizing the hair. On the other hand, there are also treatments made in a longer period of time, including chemical processes such as hair highlights, streaking, dyeing, perm, hair relaxing, straightening, bleaching and/or blond dyeing.

In view of the diversity of existing products, before buying, many users rely on the advice given by sellers of establishments which sell cosmetic products, in order to obtain a suggestion on the most suitable product for their hair type - either for daily care or for care applied for a longer period of time.

Users usually search for alternatives to make their hair look healthy, fighting external natural damaging factors (such as sunbeams and chlorine) and/or other factors caused by the use of chemical products that modify the structure of the strands of hair. There are also those users who search for specialized cosmetic products for relatively more common treatments, such as treatments for oily hair and scalp, dry ends and dandruff; and users who worry about volume, shine and dryness of the strands of hair, among other variables.

Some users believe in the direct relationship between price and quality, or brand and quality, and they purchase cosmetic products often expensive, sure that they are making a good deal. In this case, when the result offered by the purchased product is not the expected one, the user usually relates the brand of the purchased product to the resulting unsatisfactory performance.

It is very common to see users who search for cosmetic products recommended by friends or acquaintances that have been successful in their choice of the used treatment. However, it is known that the structure of the strands of hair varies from person to person, just as the result of the applied treatment can be good or not for a certain user.

If there is no specialist working as a personal counselor in a perfumery or establishment that sells cosmetics, the solution generally found by customers is to read and analyze the information described on the label of the product in question and follow their intuition when searching for the product most suitable for their type of hair. However, the selection of a product based on an isolated visual analysis of hair can lead users to choose the wrong cosmetic product for purchase, once external factors, such as environment light, can be an obstacle, influencing users to purchase products which do not meet the structural needs of their hair.

The hair has four main components: cuticle, cortex, medulla and the complex of the cell membrane joining the adjacent cuticle cells and cortical cells. Cuticle, made of an amorphous and protein material, is the outermost part of the strand, being responsible for protecting cortical cells. Cuticle also regulates the intake and exit of water from the fiber, which allows keeping the physical properties of the fiber. Cortex, making up the majority of the hair fiber, is formed by macrofibrils of keratin aligned in the direction of the strand. The medulla is located inside the cortex. This component may be present or missing along the length of the strand. Randomly distributed in the cortex are the melanin granules, whose type, size and quantity determine the hair color. Changes to the strands of hair may happen in cuticles and in the cortex as well, and, depending on the applied treatment, damages can be different and occur through different processes.

Therefore, for a more accurate analysis of the hair conditions, the purchase of a cosmetic product must consider both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the hair, increasing the chances of having the strands respond favorably tb the recommended treatment.

As it is technically known about the topic, cosmetic counseling is currently a service that has been regularly offered by aesthetic clinics, gyms, beauty parlors, Internet, among other places. This counseling service is usually performed based on visual analyses or by means of electronic procedures/specialized devices.

After one first analysis made by the expert; a representation of the user's hair conditions is outlined and, then, counseling on the product is given. Perhaps, the use of this cosmetic counseling service may be based on the submission of a questionnaire with random questions about the hair conditions and habits of the user. In this regard, patent US 2007/0012320 describes a method and system for diagnosing the degree of severity of hair loss based on answers to a set of questions presented to the consumer. Depending on the result from the analysis of the answers, a second questionnaire is presented in order to recommend a more specific cosmetic product or treatment. Although this document refers to a cosmetic counseling service, the method described was developed only to recommend cosmetic products for the treatment of hair loss.

Patent document US 2009/0076639 also describes a method for cosmetic counseling and a system for diagnosing a cosmetic product for treating the hair conditions. However, this method comprises measuring the condition of the scalp and hair of users by using a diagnosis device for such purpose, with a subsequent analysis of the collected data and the handling of the customized formulation, in order to provide the user with a product suitable for the cosmetic treatment. Although the method described by this document allows for handling a customized product essentially based on the analysis of quantity, density and condition of the hair, the diagnosis of the customized product is directly related to the use of an appropriate device to reproduce the picture of the user's scalp, therefore, requiring that the user be physically present in the establishment where such device is available.

The state of the art further discloses patent document US

2004/0202686 which describes a method for cosmetic advice and a system for producing a customized product for hair care. Such method comprises the prescription of a customized cosmetic, combining a base product and a mixture of biopharmaceuticals with vegetable extracts, and the use of the resulting combination to prepare a product for hair treatment.

Patent document US 2004/0236592, in turn, discloses a method to obtain information about the hair conditions of a user by means of an interview or questionnaire, in order to analyze the data (related to the frequency profile and applications of chemical processes, hair care habits and pa- rameters of hair oiliness) and to prepare a hair treatment program comprising (i) the recommendation of a product, (ii) one hair care service and (iii) one hair care activity. Patent document US 2006/0265244 describes a method and system for classifying the hair type and nomenclature. Such method comprises steps which include the fulfillment of a questionnaire that classifies the hair according to at least four parameters, the use of a database in order to determine the hair type among the sixteen types registered, the identification of at least one product recommendable for treating the hair, as well as one product that should be avoided by the user. The four parameters used to classify the hair type of the user include: (1) oiliness or dryness, (2) damages or not, (3) fine or large diameter, and (4) straight or wavy hair. Once the hair type is defined, the sixteen hair types registered in the database serve as basis for comparison to recommend a customized product for the user.

In light of the state of the art documents mentioned above, it is possible to observe that, although it is evident the ongoing development of new techniques of cosmetic counseling for capillary products, the methodol- ogy for diagnosing the hair conditions is often related to the collection of personal information associated with the same repetitive parameters of classification.

However, as mentioned above in this specification, the structural modifications in the hair are associated with intrinsic features of the strands which, in turn, not always correspond to the visual perceptions of users when they answer any questionnaire for cosmetic counseling.

The ideal procedure is to lead users, by means of questions prepared according to a common and popular vocabulary, to inform the conditions of tactile perception of the hair which, in turn, reflect the structural con- ditions of strands and increase the chances of obtaining a diagnosis more suitable to their need.

Purposes of the Invention

The first goal of this invention is to supply a method for assessing the hair conditions, particularly conceived to prescribe a customized treatment and/or product, mainly based on parameters of tactile perception of hair defined by softness, combing and coarseness.

Additionally, the second goal of this invention is to supply a sys- tem for diagnosing the hair conditions, comprising a matrix for classification of hair damages and a database, in order to prescribe a customized cosmetic treatment and/or product.

Brief description of the invention

The first goal of this invention is achieved by means of a method for assessing the hair conditions conceived to prescribe a customized treatment and/or product, comprising the following steps:

(A) Obtaining information about the hair of at least one user by means of at least one questionnaire with at least one question that combines parameters of tactile perception of hair with at least three attributes, defined by softness, combing and coarseness;

(B) Inserting the information obtained in step A in a matrix for classification of hair damages, in order to obtain at least one classification about the hair condition of the user;

(C) Associating the classification about the hair condition of the user obtained in step B with the characteristics of at least one cosmetic product stored in a database that stores registrations of at least one cosmetic product, in order to obtain at least one result about the customized cosmetic treatment and/or product;

(D) Prescribing to the user at least one customized cosmetic treatment and/or product according to the result obtained in step C.

The second goal of this invention is achieved by means of a system for diagnosing the hair conditions which comprises a matrix for classification of hair damages and a database, wherein the matrix for classification contains information obtained from questionnaires presented to users and is stored in a database associated with registrations of one or more cosmetic products, so that the system is configured to relate the information from the matrix for classification of damages to one or more cosmetic products registered in its database, in view of parameters of tactile perception of hair com- bined with at least three attributes defined by softness, combing and coarseness, in order to prescribe to the user one or more customized cosmetic treatments and/or products. Summarized description of the drawings

This invention will be further described in more details, based on an example of implementation represented in the drawings. The figures show:

Figure 1 - corresponds to a flow chart with the steps of the method for assessing the hair conditions;

Figure 2 - corresponds to an embodiment of the matrix for classification of damages, used in the pilot phase;

Figure 3 - corresponds to an embodiment of the matrix for clas- sification of damages, reformulated in the validation phase.

Detailed description of the figures

Figure 1 illustrates a flow chart representing the method covered by this invention, according to a preferred embodiment, comprising the following steps:

1. Obtaining personal information about the hair;

1.1 Presenting the questionnaire;

2. Feeding the matrix for classification;

3. Processing information in the matrix for classification;

3.1 Association with a product registered in the database;

4. Prescribing a cosmetic treatment and/or product.

Such method for assessing the hair conditions starts with step 1 - collection of personal information about the hair, consolidated by means of step 1.1 - presentation of the questionnaire.

This questionnaire contemplates questions preferably related to the shape, type, profile of day care and the application of chemical processes to the strands, attributes of tactile perception and any other information related to the hair conditions.

In a preferred embodiment, the options on the hair shape are described in the questionnaire in the form of alternatives, allowing the user to choose from, but not exclusively, straight (completely straight), frizzy (wavy, curly) or kinky (afro, coiled). Other alternatives about hair shape can be added to the questionnaire, so that this requirement serves as a reference to indicate the shapes of the user's hair.

More particularly, the hair shape is defined by a board with photographic scale, which is based on a system largely known in the art, attached to the questionnaire, which identifies the different hair shapes accord- ing to their curvature and serves to help the understanding of users when they must choose their hair shape.

Optionally, questions about the user's hair type are described in the questionnaire in the form of alternatives, allowing users to chose preferentially from oily, normal, combination (dry ends and oily scalp) or dry.

The questionnaire further contemplates questions about the profile of chemical processes applied to the user's hair which, in turn, are described in the form of alternatives so that the users indicate the chemical processes that have already been applied to the structure of their hair strands. Preferentially, the questionnaire proposed by this invention consid- ers as options to be indicated the chemical processes with hair highlights, streaking, dyeing, perm, hair relaxing, straightening, bleaching and/or blond dyeing, among others.

Moreover, daily care is also an important tool for the hair, once it represents the products that more often get in touch with the structure of the strands.

It is worth realizing that, in general, the profile of daily care and applications of chemical processes, combined to the frequency of these treatments, can generate more or less impact on the structure of hair strands resulting in a certain mechanism of damage to hair, once the properties of the strands tend to be naturally unprotected, thus facilitating the loss of nutrients and keratin.

Table 1 - Type of damage caused by different treatments.

Therefore, the questionnaire preferably has a question about how often the chemical processes are applied to the hair, and the alternatives are chosen from (i) at least once a month, (ii) every 2-4 months, (iii) every 4-6 months, or more than 6 months. The options are not limited by the alternatives mentioned, which only serve as referential ranges to exemplify a preferred embodiment of this invention.

Also in initial steps 1 and 1.1 for obtaining personal information about the users' hair illustrated in figure 1 , at least one question about tactile perception is included in the questionnaire presented in the method of this invention, this parameter being the most relevant and innovative in comparison to the prior arts that propose the presentation of a questionnaire.

To effectively reflect the information about the tactile perception of the user's hair, said parameter is combined with at least three attributes defined by softness (high, normal or low), combing (easy, moderate or hard) and coarseness (high or low).

Therefore, the questionnaire presented in the method of this invention should contain at least one question about the tactile perception of hair, with an, essay answer or a multiple-choice answer by the user, regard- less of the limited number of questions about the hair conditions in the questionnaire.

Preferably, the questionnaire is available to^ users in printed format, via website in the Internet, sent by e-mail or mail in response to a private appointment, or even delivered by a product consultant. The answers to the questionnaire, with personal information about the hair conditions, are preferably sent by the user in printed format, via website in the Internet, by e- mail, SMS, mail or delivered to a product consultant.

After the initial steps 1 and 1.1 , the present method for assessing hair conditions has a second step 2 about feeding the matrix for classification of damages with the users' personal information that was obtained from the presented questionnaire.

The matrix for classification conceived for this invention was de- veloped using factors intrinsic and extrinsic to the structure of the hair strands. Its system was configured to process the personal information about the users' hair, associating it with the characteristics of at least one cosmetic treatment and/or product registered in the database in which it is stored, according to steps 3 and 3.1 illustrated in figure 1 . The result obtained in steps 3 and 3.1 also allows prescribing at least one product kit and/or cosmetic treatment related to the kit.

To validate the system for diagnosing the level of damages caused to the user's hair and to indentify at least one capillary cosmetic, the matrix for classification was built with parameters of shape (or curvature), type, profile of daily care and chemical processes applied to the hair, as well as tactile perception.

The parameter of hair shape was based on the photographic scale system widely known in the art which, in turn, identifies eight different types of hair curvature, numbered from I to VIII. For the nomenclature, types I and II were considered straight, III and IV were considered frizzy, and V or higher were considered kinky.

In order to have the user's hair condition classified by the classification matrix, both the profile of daily care and the profile of chemical pro- cesses applied to the hair were associated with the respective mechanism of damage caused to the hair, wherein four groups were found.

Group one comprises only daily care, which includes washing with shampoo, use of conditioner, blow drier, hydration and flat iron, being directly related to mechanical, thermal and surfactant damages.

Group two comprises daily care (described in group one), in addition to dyeing, highlights or streaking (except bleaching or blond dyeing in the whole hair), being characterized by the presence of oxidative damages.

Group three comprises daily care (described in group one), in addition to perm, relaxing or straightening, being characterized by the pres- ence of reductive damages.

Group four comprises daily care (described in group one), in addition to bleaching, blond dyeing or the combination of treatments from groups two and three.

Yet the parameter of tactile perception was, at a first moment, structured in the classification matrix according to four attributes: softness, combing, coarseness and extension. Each attribute was subdivided into modest levels, as shown on Table 2.

Table 2 - Attributes of tactile perception subdivided into modest levels of damage.

However, during the performance of tests on the assertiveness of the classification matrix, it was verified that the attribute extension did not satisfactorily contribute to the classification of damages; so it was, afterwards, excluded from the list of attributes of tactile perception.

To attest the assertiveness of the classification matrix, tests were carried out in two phases, with the participation of volunteers and hairdressers. In phase I (pilot step), a total of 93 volunteers participated, and in phase II (validation step), the total of volunteers was 188.

In the pilot and validation step, volunteers and hairdressers answered to similar questions, and the volunteers were invited to answer to an additional question about the frequency of the profile of daily care and application of chemical processes to the hair.

The questionnaire used in the tests contemplated questions about shape (board with photographic scale attached), the profile of daily care and application of chemical processes to the hair, and tactile perception of the hair. Besides these parameters, one question about the hair type was included in the questionnaire, although the result of said parameter did im- pact the damages classification by the matrix.

The answers given by the volunteers were compared to the answers given by the hairdressers who, in turn, were trained with 90 hair streaks built (according to Table 3) on each level of damages of the attributes relating to tactile perception (softness, combing, coarseness and exten- sion) for each hair shape (straight, frizzy and kinky).

Table 3 - Procedure for washing the streaks to build the scale of tactile perception.

In the pilot stage, the answers from the 93 volunteers were assessed by four hairdressers, and it was used the multivariate technique of classification tree to list the qualitative answers given by the hairdressers and volunteers.

The dependent variable in the model was the crossing of damages and hair shape for the hairdressers' assessment. The explanatory (qualitative) variables considered were: shape, type, profile of daily care and application of chemical processes to the hair, as well as attributes of tactile perception (softness, combing, coarseness and extension).

In this pilot stage, there was no distinction among the different hair shapes (straight, frizzy and kinky) in the classification matrix. Besides, the profile of daily care and application of chemical processes to the hair was considered only as criterion to break tie, in the case of overlapping classifications (such as in the embodiment illustrated in figure 2, where overlapping of Not Damaged [ND] and Light Damages [LD] occurred in line 4 of the matrix).

It was performed one classification per hairdresser and another classification considering all the hairdressers together. The classification pattern with all hairdressers showed 57.3% of right guesses. The percentage of right guesses of the pattern for hairdressers 1 , 2, 3 and 4 corresponded to 66.7%, 52.7%, 63.4% and 60.2%, respectively. For the final classification pattern, the answers of all hairdressers were used.

Table 4 compares the results from the hairdressers' classifications to the results estimated with the classification tree, originated from the answers in the volunteers' questionnaires.

Table 4 - Matrix with result from classification - classified values vs. estimated values

All the positions on the table in white indicate that there was no observation for the crossing. The highest percentages of correct classifica- tions were observed for kinky hair with intense damages, frizzy hair with intense damages and for frizzy hair not damaged. For light damages, there was no agreement between the variable answer and the pattern prediction; in this case, most answers with light damages were classified as intense damage by the pattern. The pattern did not classify any hair with moderate damage and kinky shape, moderate damage and straight shape, and not damaged and kinky shape. The lower frequency observed for light damages and moderate damages contributes to the low percentages of correct guesses observed in these cases.

The most important variables in hair classification were the hair shape, the profile of daily care and the application of chemical processes to the hair, as well as the attribute of tactile perception of combing. The hair type and the attribute of tactile perception of extension were less important in the classification, whereas the attributes of tactile perception of coarseness and softness did not appear in the classification tree for this pilot step.

Additionally, it was noted little agreement between the volunteers and hairdressers as to the attributes of tactile perception of softness, combing, coarseness and extension, as it can be observed on Tables 5 to 8.

Table 5 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between the volunteers (column) and the hairdressers (lines) for the attribute softness.

Table 6 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between the volunteers (column) and the hairdressers (lines) for the attribute coarseness.

Table 7 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between the volunteers (column) and the hairdressers (lines) for the attribute extension.

Table 8 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between the volunteers (column) and the hairdressers (lines) for the attribute combing.

In spite of the little agreement in all levels for the attributes of tactile perception of softness, combing and coarseness, the fluctuation in the answers (considered normal) occurred among adjacent levels and did not strongly impact the final classification.

On the other hand, the attribute of tactile perception of extension was considered the one with stronger impact on the final classification according to the matrix proposed in this phase. After all, if one volunteer was classified by the hairdresser as having undamaged hair, and both disagreed only with the answer regarding extension, the volunteer could rate herself as having intensely damaged hair. It was also concluded that even the classification made by the hairdressers could suffer strong impact inherent to the construction of this classification matrix. Furthermore, it was noted that the volunteers had plenty of difficulty in understanding the attribute of tactile perception of extension. As a result, the answers given by the volunteers were random in relation to the answers given by the hairdressers (which can be observed on Table 8, in which the percentage of right guesses was 50%).

The combination of these two factors related to the attribute of tactile perception of extension was decisive for reviewing the classification matrix proposed in the pilot stage. It was verified that excluding the attribute extension would reduce the variation in the classification possibilities, thus increasing assertiveness in classification. Moreover, it was also verified the need of carrying out research to better understand the vocabulary used by the volunteers to identify the hair damages, in order to adjust the words used in the questionnaire.

Phase II (validation step) of tests on assertiveness of the matrix for damage classification started, then, with the performance of qualitative research with a a semi-structured guideline methodology, conducting group discussions, in a mirror room.

The research used 32 women aged between 25 and 35 years, with medium to long hair, belonging to classes A, B and C (meaning rich, middle-class and poor). All volunteers made use of shampoo and conditioner at least twice a week, out of whom 50% had virgin hair (no dyeing or application of chemical processes for the past twelve months) and 50% had hair with some chemical process applied within the last three months.

The volunteers were divided into four groups classified as AB1 , B2C, Straight/Wavy and Kinky/Frizzy. Additionally, to be classified as a volunteer of group Kinky/Frizzy, the volunteer had to apply one or more finishers (end mender, ointment, de-frizzing products, leave-in creams, thermal active repair cream, gel, mousse, hairspray, among others) in the hair at least once every fifteen days.

Initially, the volunteers were invited to draw, over the representation of a face, the condition of their hair in a good day and in a bad day, describing such conditions in their own words. After analyzing the results, it was noted that the ideal hair in a good day, both for the volunteers of group Straight/Wavy and for those of group Kinky/Frizzy, would be "tamed hair."

Next, it was assessed what the volunteers believed to be related to the hair damages, as well as the vocabulary used to identify them. It was veri- fied that the word "dry" appeared as effect from several sources of causes.

Finally, the attributes of tactile perception proposed in phase I were assessed (softness, combing coarseness and extension), as well as the adequacy of their levels of damages. It was verified that the attributes of softness, combing and coarseness were easily understood and had ade- quate levels, apart from being also confirmed that the first two attributes were already part of the daily language used by the volunteers. However, the concept of extension was considered hard to understand once, apart from getting mixed up with extension like artificial hair integration, it had its concept associated with elasticity.

With the final result from the qualitative research, it was possible to observe that the attribute extension was misunderstood by the volunteers, thus confirming what has already been realized during the implementation of the pilot step (phase I). Therefore, it was decided to exclude this attribute of tactile perception from the classification matrix.

Also based on the result from the qualitative research, the questionnaire was adapted according to the vocabulary identified by the volunteers who answered the qualitative research.

In view of this, the classification matrix was reformulated (as shown by the embodiment in figure 3) for the implementation of the valida- tion step, in which it was selected 95 volunteers who, together with those who participated in the pilot step, added up to 564 answers assessed by three hairdressers.

The results of Table 9 show that, in the validation step, the hairdressers and volunteers agreed considerably with the hair shape. Such agreement was perhaps the effect from using the photographic scale to guide the classification.

Table 9 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between volunteers (column) and hairdressers (lines) regarding shape.

The same may have happened for the group of treatments (profile of daily care and application of chemical processes) practiced by the vol- unteers, as presented on Table 10.

Table 10 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between volunteers (column) and hairdressers (lines) regarding treatment.

As regards the attributes of tactile perception, it was realized little variation among the answers of hairdressers and volunteers, when seen from a general overview. However, when individually comparing the answers given by the volunteers, there was more significant agreement between volunteers and hairdressers in several aspects, according to results shown on Tables 11 , 12 and 13.

Table 11 - - Percentage of agreement and disagreement be- tween volunteers (column) and hairdressers (lines) regarding softness. Volunteer

Sensation

I don't feel it coarse I feel it coarse

I don't feel it coarse 16.1

I feel it coarse 63.2 83.9

Table 12 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between volunteers (column) and hairdressers (lines) regarding sensation (coarseness).

Table 13 - Percentage of agreement and disagreement between volunteers (column) and hairdressers (lines) regarding combing.

The classification pattern with all hairdressers showed 58.7% of correct guesses and the percentage of correct guesses for hairdressers 1 , 2 and 3 was 59.6%, 59.6%, 62.2% respectively. Although the answers of all hairdressers have been used in the final pattern, it is important to clarify that the results from a hairdresser's assessment of the pilot stage were not considered once she has not performed assessment of the sample of this validation step. Table 14 compares the results from the hairdressers' classifications to the results estimated with the classification tree arising from the volunteers' answers. All the gaps indicate that there was no observation for crossing.

Table 14 - Classification matrix - Classified values vs estimated values in the final pattern

The.highest percentages of correct classifications were observed for kinky hair with intense damages (90.8%) and with slight damages (78.8%), straight and undamaged hair (63.2%).

The crossing between kinky hair and undamaged hair was a very rare event in the data set. Out of all 564 assessments performed, only two were classified in this crossing (0.35%), and, therefore, the fact that the final percentage was zero did not raise concerns regarding the final classification obtained.

Another result that had percentage equivalent to zero was the crossing for frizzy hair and with slight damages. The confusion occurred mainly due to the classification in frizzy hair; however, with moderate damages (40.0%).

Moreover, two other percentages had indexes lower than 50%, which was the case of moderate damages for kinky (32.0%) and straight (21 .7%) hair. For kinky hair, the confusion occurred in relation to damage, once another 32% were classified as intense and not moderate damages. For straight hair, the confusion also occurred in relation to damage, once 39.3% were classified as slight and not moderate damages.

The final percentage of correct classification was equivalent to 58.7%), and, although it has been similar to the pilot stage (phase I), evident improvement was observed in the matrix regarding the marginal classifications (lines).

The most important variables in the hair classification were the hair shape and the treatment (profile of daily care and application of chemical processes to the hair). The attribute of softness was important in the classification of the groups mainly for straight hair. The attributes of coarseness and combing helped at the classification for kinky hair. The attributes of type and combing helped with frizzy hair.

A classification according to damages was made, without separating the volunteers' hair according to type, in order to know what results would be observed in the classification matrix.

As it can be observed on Table 15, the highest percentage of correct classification was for hair with intense damages (91.7%), that is, there were practically no problems in identifying hair with intense damages according to the questionnaire prepared.

Table 15 - Matrix of results from damage classification: classified values vs. estimated values - pattern without separating hair according to type.

Hair with slight damages showed 58.3% of correct classifica- tions. In this case, the biggest problem could be observed for 22.0% of incorrect classifications in moderate damages, which was not significantly reflected due to the closeness in the classifications between slight and moderate damages.

Hair with moderate damages showed 56.1 % of correct classifica- tions. In this case the biggest problem could be observed for 25.5% of incorrect classifications for slight damages.

Undamaged hair showed 40% of correct classifications. Incorrect classifications were observed in slight (22.2%) and moderate (28.9%) damages. The biggest problem was for the classification in moderate damages, once it got very distant from the undamaged hair.

Considering the results from both steps performed in phases I and II of the assertiveness tests, the classification matrix was considered valid for the classification of hair for damages, according to the parameters of hair shape, profile of daily care and application of chemical processes, as well as the attributes of tactile perception of softness, combing and coarseness.

It is important to highlight that the matrix for classification of hair damages, developed to be used as a diagnostic tool, is also capable of sep- arating different agents that cause damages and of eliminating possible market beliefs.

In a preferred embodiment, the insertion of the questionnaire answers in the classification matrix leads to a position which establishes the hair damage and allows the performance of final step 4 of this method, which comprises the prescription of cosmetic treatment and/or product, or also a product kit and/or cosmetic treatment related to the kit.

The products recommended by the classification matrix consider the variations of each dimension present in the database.

The method under this invention is different from those others described in the state of the art documents, once it classifies the damages according to the attributes of tactile perception (softness, combing and coarseness), thus revealing a new way of assessing the hair conditions and meeting, more assertively, the users' needs.

Furthermore, the tests performed for the conception of this in- vention attest the importance of adjusting the vocabulary of the questionnaires presented in cosmetic counseling methods with the language used by users, in order to obtain correct personal information and ensure the prescription of a more assertive product and/or treatment.

One of the advantages of this invention is that the user is the agent who guides the method in question, and, based on her own analysis of the attributes of tactile perception (which can be made at the comfort of her home), a position will be outlined in the matrix for damage classification, so that a cosmetic treatment and/or product can be recommended.

The matrix for damage classification used as diagnostic tool in the present invention was developed regardless of any product line; being, therefore, suitable for the prescription of any capillary cosmetic in the database in which it is stored. Preferably, the compositions of the cosmetic products and/or treatments contained in the product database are essentially comprised by an active ingredient and a physiologically appropriate vehicle. The usual cosmetic adjuvant and active ingredients present in the compositions in question can be of animal, vegetal, mineral or synthetic origin.

As to the physiologically acceptable vehicle, it consists of a usual cosmetic base according to the application intended for the composition to be prepared. This vehicle is comprised by usual adjuvant and physiologically inert compounds.

One of the manners to implement the method covered by this invention can be through a computerized system accessible, for instance, by means of a website on the Internet, or even by means of a computer in which the system for diagnosing the hair conditions of the present invention runs. Such system comprises at least one matrix for classification of hair damages and a database; the matrix for classification of damages comprises information obtained from questionnaires presented to users and is stored in a database which, in turn, comprises registrations of at least one cosmetic product; the system is configured to relate the information from the classification matrix to at least one cosmetic product registered in the database, based on parameters of tactile perception of hair combined with at least three attributes defined by softness, combing and coarseness, in order to recommend to the user at least one customized cosmetic treatment and/or product, or also a product kit and/or cosmetic treatment related to the kit.

After describing an example of a preferred embodiment, it shall be understood that the scope of the present invention encompasses other possible variations, being limited only by the contents of the attached claims, where the possible equivalents are included.

Claims

1. Method for assessing the hair conditions, particularly conceived to prescribe at least one customized cosmetic treatment and/or product, characterized in that it comprises the following steps:

(C) Associating the classification about the user's hair condition obtained in step B with the characteristics of at least one cosmetic product stored in a database that stores registrations of at least one cosmetic prod- uct, in order to obtain at least one result about the customized cosmetic treatment and/or product;

2. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of softness defined by Step A is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least high, normal or low.

3. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of combing defined by Step A is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least easy, moderate or hard.

4. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of coarseness defined by Step A is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least low or high.

5. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the information about the user's hair defined by Step A is associated with at least one hair shape, chosen from at least straight, frizzy or kinky.

6. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the information about the hair shape is associated with a board with photographic scale.

7. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the information about the user's hair defined in Step A is associated with at least one hair type, chosen from at least oily, normal, combination or dry.

8. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the information about the user's hair defined in Step A is associated with the profile of chemical process applied to the hair, chosen from at least highlights, streaking, dyeing, perm, relaxing, straightening, bleaching and/or blond dyeing.

9. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the information about the user's hair defined in Step A is associated with the daily care related to the use of at least shampoo, conditioner, hydration, blow drier, flat iron, hair extension and/or cauterizing.

10. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the ques- tionnaire defined in Step A is offered in printed format, via website on the

Internet, sent by e-mail or mail in response to a private appointment, or even delivered to the user by a product consultant.

1 1. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the answers to the questionnaire defined in Step A are sent by the user in printed format, via website on the Internet, by e-mail, SMS, mail or even delivered by the user to a product consultant.

12. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the result obtained in Step C allows the prescription of at least one product kit and/or cosmetic treatment related to the kit.

13. Method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the compositions of the cosmetic products stored in the database defined in Step C comprise at least one active ingredient and at least one physiologically appropriate vehicle.

14. System for diagnosing the hair conditions characterized in that it comprises at least one matrix for classification of hair damages and a database,

the matrix for classification of damages contains information ob- tained from questionnaires presented to users and is stored in a database, the database comprises registrations of at least one cosmetic product,

the system is configured to relate the information from the classi- fication matrix to at least one cosmetic product registered in the database, based on parameters of tactile perception of hair combined with at least three attributes defined by softness, combing and coarseness, in order to recommend to the user at least one customized cosmetic treatment and/or product.

15. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of softness is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least high, normal or low.

16. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of combing is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least easy, moderate and hard.

17. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the attribute of tactile perception of coarseness is subdivided into modest levels of damages, chosen from at least low or high.

18. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the information obtained from the questionnaires is associated with at least one hair shape, chosen from at least straight, frizzy or kinky.

19. Diagnostic system according to claim 18, characterized in that the information about the hair shape is associated with a board with photographic scale.

20. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the information obtained from the questionnaires is associated with at least one hair type, chose from at least, oily, normal, combination or dry.

21. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the information obtained from the questionnaires is associated with the profile of chemical process applied to the hair, chosen from at least from highlights, streaking, dyeing, perm, relaxing, straightening, bleaching and/or blond dyeing.

22. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the information obtained from the questionnaires is associated with the daily care related to the use of at least shampoo, conditioner, hydration, blow drier, flat iron, hair extension and/or cauterizing.

23. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the questionnaires are available in printed format, via website on the Internet, sent by e-mail or mail in response to a private appointment, or even delivered by a product consultant.

24. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the answers to the questionnaires are sent by users in printed format, via website on the Internet, by e-mail, SMS, mail or delivered to a product consultant.

25. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the system relates the information from the classification matrix to at least one product kit and/or cosmetic treatment related to the kit.

26. Diagnostic system according to claim 12, characterized in that the compositions of the cosmetic products stored in the database comprise at least one active ingredient and at least one physiologically appropriate vehicle.