Chapter 9 329 Concluding Remarks Digital imaging technology offers us the opportunity to conduct quantitative measurements of phenomena occurring in hair that traditionally were evaluated subjectively by trained panelists. Luster and color are probably the most studied optical attributes of hair, in which case both can be evaluated utilizing digital imaging and image analysis techniques. Likewise, a number of other measurable properties may be examined utilizing imaging technologies and image analysis, which include hair volume, fiber alignment, and hair curliness or degree of frizz. The properties of eyelashes and the effects of mascara treatments may also be quantified by these techniques. Parameters such as curvature, volume, and treatment density are important for the consumer and can be captured/ translated into real data by imaging and image analysis. Looking forward, we should expect great advances in imaging technologies, especially for the generation of three-dimensional images of objects. It is the hope of this author that such steps forward will be embraced by those working in hair fiber science and someday will become standard techniques for the evaluation of hair properties. Acknowledgements The author would like to acknowledge the input and support of Dr. Janusz Jachowicz. Much of this work originated during the author’s tenure with Janusz and many key experimental factors/ principles came about through discussions with him. Many thanks are also due to Ashland, Inc., and its management team, especially Dr. David J. Moore and Ms. Linda Foltis, for their support in allowing these projects to come to fruition. A debt of gratitude is owed to my good friend and colleague, Timothy Gillece, for critically reviewing the text and offering his insightful input. References 1. J Russ, The Image Processing Handbook, 4th ed. CRC Press: Boca Raton, FL, 2002. 2. B Xu, Identifying fabric structures with fast Fourier transform techniques, Text Res J, 66, 496-506, 1996.