Hair Care Product Claims 522 to temporarily induce hair curvature, while permanent waving becomes popular when “big hair” styles are in fashion. Meanwhile, increased friction between hair fibers reduces a tendency for fibers to slide past each other, align, and thus limit volume. Back- combing involves a rather harsh, yet still popular approach aimed at increasing inter-fiber friction which involves an irreversible assault on the hair cuticle. Again, the use of styling products is highlighted as a more desirable approach to achieving the end means. Moisturization A discussion on the relationship between the consumer term “moisturization” and the actual water content of hair fibers is given in Chapter 10. I refer the reader back to this chapter, in effort to reduce redundancy. Good Practices in Claims Communication The vast majority of this book has focused on benefits imparted by hair care products in terms of improving appearance, tactile properties and manageability. There is little doubt regarding the overall effectiveness of these products, with their wide-reaching acceptance being evidence enough. This said, there can be debate over an ability to differentiate between similar products, the magnitude of a benefit being delivered, and the impact of certain variables on the size of this benefit. Therefore, it is in these areas where ambiguity arises as manufacturers attempt to position products to best resonate with consumer needs and desires. It has been shown how technical benefits can be translated into consumer- related language, although there is a sizable amount of fuzzy space entrenched in this process. In general, the industry itself has established its own acceptance level for claims and claims language based on a number of seemingly well-accepted beliefs and existing methodologies (albeit with some external influence from watchdog groups). Yet, there is always the desire to raise the bar, in an attempt to tell novel compelling stories that differentiate a brand or product.