Researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) have taken a break from their normal subject focus of engineering and found a cosmetic application that can benefit from ion beam technology and after hair color. The research, published in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, suggests individuals can alter their color and use a flatiron or hair straightener to press a new hair pattern. The team from UNM and Los Alamos National Labs (LANL) explored a way to etch diffraction gratings on individual hairs to reflect light in a specific way. UNM Mechanical Engineering professors Bruce C. Lamartine and Zayd C. Leseman collaborated on the use of focused ion beam technologies and the way they can be used to pattern different materials.