Kinky Hair Research Articles

The Genomic Variation in Textured Hair: Implications in Developing a Holistic Hair Care Routine

Human hair is characterised by variability, determined by genetic and macromolecular factors. Whilst the European hair type has been a focus of extensive research, Afro-textured hair care faces challenges created by insufficient knowledge of its properties. Applications of hair care products that are incompatible with Afro-textured hair frequently have detrimental effects on the scalp. This highlights the need for partnerships to bridge the gap between research and hair care practices and address challenges related to Afro-textured hair. In this review, we performed data mining of the existing literature and in silico network analysis of the biomarkers relevant to Afro-textured hair. The approaches to hair maintenance are highlighted in the context of hair anatomy and growth cycles, organisation of keratins, surface lipids, and chemical bonds. We discuss a range of biomarkers affecting hair fibre’s shape and mechanical strength, with the gene interactive network pointing to the hierarchical organisation of important traits, notably hair shaft diameter, keratinization, and hair follicle patterning, which likely contribute to the increased sensitivity of hair to extrinsic factors. We propose that a better understanding of the genetic traits, molecular structure, and biomechanics of Afro-textured hair is required to initiate more effective hair care solutions that would benefit the wider population.

B-089 Pseudo-clonal Increased IgG4 with Polyclonal Distribution Demonstrated by MALDI-TOF-MS in a Pediatric Patient with Tricho-Hepato-Enteric Syndrome (THES)

Abstract Background THES is a rare autosomal recessive syndromic enteropathy caused by pathogenic variants in two genes, the Tetratricopeptide Repeat Domain 37 (TTC37) and Ski2 Like RNA Helicase (SKIV2L), that encode components of the human SKI complex involved in RNA degradation. This disease is characterized by several clinical features with variable penetrance including intractable congenital diarrhea, wooly hair abnormalities, intrauterine growth restriction, facial dysmorphism, immune dysfunction, liver abnormalities, and skin hyperpigmentation. Hypogammaglobulinemia with low IgG and normal to low IgM levels have been described in these cases which may require intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) replacement therapy. Some cases have a reduced population of switched memory B cells, T cells with reduced IFN-γ secretion, and hyporesponsive NK cells. Our patient is a 4-year-old female reported to have a homozygous TTC37 mutation with clinical manifestations of TPN dependence, liver fibrosis with portal hypertension, splenomegaly, developmental delay, thrombocytopenia and anemia requiring transfusion, and a history of hypogammaglobinemia requiring IVIG replacement. Patient would go on to develop elevated immunoglobin levels leading to additional testing described below. Methods Serum total protein analysis performed using the using Siemens Atellica CH Total Protein II test (Weichselbaum method using biuret reagent). Serum immunoglobin (IgA, IgG and IgG), IgG subclass, and kappa/lambda free light chain level analysis performed by turbidimetric photometry assay using a Binding Site Optilite analyzer. Serum protein electrophoresis and immunotyping performed using CAPILLARYS 2 capillary zone electrophoresis and immunosubtraction with antisera. Serum protein immunofixation performed using Sebia Hydrasys 2 with Hydragel 9 IF Maxi kit. Confirmation and final determination of serum immunoproteins performed at our reference laboratory using MASS-FIX (MALDI-TOF MS) matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry after patient serum applied to 5 separate immunoaffinity resins specific to immunoglobulin G, A, M, K, and L for purification. Results Initial testing showed a broadly migrating beta-gamma region IgG kappa monotypic restriction measuring 1.7 g/dL, with predominantly kappa subtraction and trivial lambda subtraction by immunosubtraction; serum free kappa/lambda light chain ratio was increased at 22.94. Serum immunoglobins and free light chains measured (mg/dL): IgA 738 (15 - 160), IgM 48 (50 - 240), IgG 2,805 (405 - 1,160), free kappa 20.42 (0.33 - 1.94), and free lambda 0.89 (0.57 - 2.63). IgG subclasses measured (mg/dL): IgG1 533 (320 - 950), IgG2 174 (50 - 340), IgG3 16.9 (10.0 - 120.0), IgG4 1,221.1 (2.0 - 110.0). Additional serum protein values included (g/dL): total protein 8.10 (6.00 - 8.30), albumin 2.97 (3.43 - 4.84), alpha-1 0.32 (0.21 - 0.44), alpha-2 0.52 (0.54 - 0.97), beta globulin 3.42 (0.65 - 1.03), and gamma globulin 0.87 (0.70 - 2.30). The polyclonal nature of the IgG4 spike was later demonstrated by the MASS-FIX mass spectrograph. Conclusions MASS-FIX is a useful addition to the toolset used in the diagnosis of possible monoclonal gammopathies and protein disorders, especially where broad monotypic restrictions are observed or in patients with abnormal presentations for monoclonal gammopathies. Using current standard techniques, the above case could have been incorrectly classified as a monoclonal process resulting in unnecessary cost and incorrect treatment.

Es mi pelo donde otra academia es posible

It's My Hair could be seen as the result of several things: on the one hand, a life experience of a group of academics men and women, black and white, old and young, who form a whole, and this despite not being so, who reflect on racism, decoloniality and the importance of the body, and who are structured around a research group we call ALMARGEN. But it is also the tension between the processes of domination and the awareness, in a social rather than psychological sense, of the importance of a key element of African and Afro-descendant society: hair. Finally, it is a huge summary of what happens with afro hair, how it is structured and becomes part of an identity, of a social, political and economic construction and, above all, the support of racism, contempt and marginalization.

Pili Torti: A Clue to Life-threatening Illness – A Rare Case Report

Menkes kinky hair disease (MKHD) is a rare inherent error of copper metabolism presenting during early infancy with multi-system involvement. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality in early childhood. Characteristic hair changes mirror internal metabolic alterations. Here, we report a case of 13-month-old male child who presented with peculiar changes of skin and hair along with convulsion and high-grade fever. Dermatoscopy and hair mount examination showing pili torti with pigmentary dilution pointed toward the diagnosis of MKHD, which was further enforced with blood investigations showing low copper and ceruloplasmin levels. Cutaneous findings play a crucial role in early diagnosis, thereby reducing morbidity with timely treatment.

H04 A historical journey of the structure, texture, and identity of afro-textured hair

H04 A historical journey of the structure, texture, and identity of afro-textured hair

ADAM17 variant causes hair loss via ubiquitin ligase TRIM47-mediated degradation.

Hypotrichosis is a genetic disorder characterized by a diffuse and progressive loss of scalp and/or body hair. Nonetheless, the causative genes for several affected individuals remain elusive, and the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully elucidated. Here, we discovered a dominant variant in a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase domain 17 (ADAM17) gene caused hypotrichosis with woolly hair. Adam17 (p.D647N) knockin mice mimicked the hair abnormality in patients. ADAM17 (p.D647N) mutation led to hair follicle stem cell (HFSC) exhaustion and caused abnormal hair follicles, ultimately resulting in alopecia. Mechanistic studies revealed that ADAM17 binds directly to E3 ubiquitin ligase tripartite motif-containing protein 47 (TRIM47). ADAM17 variant enhanced the association between ADAM17 and TRIM47, leading to an increase in ubiquitination and subsequent degradation of ADAM17 protein. Furthermore, reduced ADAM17 protein expression affected the Notch signaling pathway, impairing the activation, proliferation, and differentiation of HFSCs during hair follicle regeneration. Overexpression of Notch intracellular domain rescued the reduced proliferation ability caused by Adam17 variant in primary fibroblast cells.

Singing Blackness

In this article I propose the exploration of racial discourse in recent Black Caribbean rap and hip-hop productions. Rap and hip-hop are often used as a sociopolitical tool that—through writing and language—achieve to create activist movements. Specifically, I study the work of the Cuban hip-hop group Obsesión [Obsession] and of Cuban rapper Robe L Ninho and the work of Dominican rappers Circuito Negro and JNoa. I particularly focus on some of their songs that make of the genre an opportunity to approach the racial topic in their communities and a way to celebrate Blackness. This way, these hip-hop and rap songs break the most commercial, common, and expected pattern of lyrics that focus on topics that oversexualize the female (Black) body, that often objectify women, and that reproduce a patriarchal and heteronormative discourse. Instead, these songs, through the topics that they explore, aim to create community and craft a space for social activism. They do so, for example, by singing about hair (Obsesión and Robe L Ninho) and by singing about their Afro-Caribbean communities and their existence as Black people in their neighborhoods (Circuito Negro, JNoa). Among a variety of tracks, I mainly focus on songs that are connected in topic and that represent a continuumin the production of approximately the last decade. So, for example I analyze the songs “Los pelos [Hair]” by Obsesión (2014) and “N.E.G.R.O. [N.E.G.R.O.]” by Robe L Ninho (2022) that focus on Afro hair, celebrate the beauty of it, and denounce the prejudices against it almost a decade apart from each other. Then, I focus on the song “Revolufunk” by Circuito Negro (2011) and the song “Qué fue[What Happened?]” (2022) by JNoa. In this case also there is a generational gap between the artists that symbolize both the evolution of the genre and the consistency of the topics that they cover and that are connected to Blackness. In addition to the racial discourse and the connection of topics across the last decade, these songs also create an inter-Caribbean discourse that transcends the concept of nation and nationality and instead identifies with and shapes a message for Black Spanish-speaking Caribbean people. These songs reveal a poetic that adds urban sounds to a spoken word tradition and that mixes writing, oral tradition, and language in lieu to create a sociopolitical activist movement for Afro-Caribbean people. Also, by focusing on race in countries where the Black communities are often made invisible, they shed light on minorities that usually are relegated to the lowest layers of society. Thus, through their music, these artists raise awareness on their Blackness and on their communities, but they also create a transversal Afro-Caribbean narrative that connects and creates a sense of community among Blacks in the Caribbean in their native Spanish language. This study, so, represents an opportunity to shift a US-centered discourse on Blackness and race and opens new ways of living and understanding the African diaspora in other geographies.

Fiber characteristics of the dromedary camel in the Arabian Peninsula

Dromedary camel fibers have long been utilized to make clothes, tents, ropes, mats, and carpets, however, only a minority of these fibers are currently used to produce textiles. Dromedary fiber classification based on quality traits is essential to investigate its textile potential. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) develop a classification protocol for dromedary camel fibers based on crimp (i.e., shape), (2) investigate the characteristics of each fiber class using length, diameter, and medulla (i.e., the innermost hair layer) and (3) determine which fiber class is most suitable for the textile industry. Fiber samples were obtained from the mid-torso of 32 Arabian Peninsula camels of different types. Five crimp categories were identified (straight, C-shaped, wavy, ringed, and kinky). Across all crimp categories, the average length ranged from 20.20 – 43.93 mm whereas the mean fiber diameter ranged from 29.74 – 72.11 μm. Percent medullation extended from 68% to 100% with noticeable variation between crimp categories. Overall, fiber traits significantly differed between the crimp categories. Kinky hair was particularly distinct from the other crimp categories. The kinky crimp category is the most suitable dromedary fiber for the textile industry because its fibers are long, fine, and has the lowest percentage of medullated fibers. Hence, we recommend that selective breeding programs and genetic studies focus on the production of dromedaries with kinky hair fibers.

Emergence of kinky hair in Menkes disease

Emergence of kinky hair in Menkes disease

MENKES DISEASE: A LITERATURE REVIEW AND CLINICAL CASE

Menkes Kinky Hair Disease (MKHD) is characterized by an abnormality in copper metabolism caused by a mutation in the ATP7A gene, which is located on Xq13.3 and has 23 exons. In addition, this gene encodes 1500 amino acids and is expressed in large quantities in various organs. It’s worth mentioning that about 357 diff erent mutations have been identifi ed in the ATP7A gene. It is a relatively rare disease with an incidence of 1 case per 100,000 to 250,000 live births. MKHD is an X-linked recessive trait that almost exclusively aff ects boys.The diagnosis of this rare disease is based on the genetic- molecular study of a metabolic disease panel, including the ATP7A gene and the biochemical phenotype (a decrease in serum copper and ceruloplasmin levels).In developing therapeutic strategies for individuals with Menkes disease, three fundamental problems are being addressed: 1) unlocking the absorption of copper in the intestine; 2) making copper available to enzymes in cells that require it as a cofactor; and 3) identifying infants with Menkes disease and initiating treatment at a very early stage of life, before irreversible neurodegeneration occurs. This article presents a clinical case of Menkes disease in a 7-month-old boy. The diagnosis was confi rmed by molecular genetic testing (NGS) of the Neurometabolic Disorders Panel, which included the ATP7A gene and biochemical phenotype. The described case illustrates the complexity of diagnosing Menkes disease in the neonatal period due to the non-specifi city of disease symptoms (lethargy, weak sucking, weight loss, etc.) and the importance of biochemical and molecular genetic methods of fetal investigation in subsequent pregnancies or in a newborn sibling for early diagnosis and treatment. This case will be published with the consent of the mother in accordance with bioethical principles.

WOOLLY HAIR SYNDROME -AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT-A CASE REPORT

Woolly hair syndrome is most evident in childhood. No treatment for woolly hair is currently available. Physical & chemical cosmetic measures should be avoided per modern medical science guidelines. Hereditary woolly hair is autosomal dominant & familial woolly hair is autosomal recessive. It is a group of disorders involving structural defects in the hair shaft. This rare congenital abnormality of the structure of scalp hair is marked by extreme kinkiness of hair. In Ashtonindita adhyaya, Acharya Charak described Aatiloma & Aloma conditions of hair. A case study was conducted on an 11-year-old female patient diagnosed with short anagen syndrome woolly hair syndrome. In this case, Ayurvedic management, i.e. Panchakarma (tikta Kshirbasti) with shaman chikitsa, was essential in treating this kashtasadhya disease.

Epidermal growth factor receptor inhibition leads to cellular phenotype correction of DSP-mutated keratinocytes.

Desmoplakin (DSP) is a desmosomal component expressed in skin and heart, essential for desmosome stability and intermediate filament connection. Pathogenic variants in the DSP gene encoding DSP, lead to heterogeneous skin, adnexa and heart-related phenotypes, including skin fragility, woolly hair (WH), palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) and arrhythmogenic/dilated cardiomyopathy (ACM/DCM). The ambiguity of computer-based prediction analysis of pathogenicity and effect of DSP variants, indicates a necessity for functional analysis. Here, we report a heterozygous DSP variant that was not previously described, NM_004415.4:c.3337C>T (NM_004415.4(NP_004406.2):p.(Arg1113*)) in a patient with PPK, WH and ACM. RNA and protein analysis revealed ~50% reduction of DSP mRNA and protein expression. Patient's keratinocytes showed fragile cell-cell connections and perinuclear retracted intermediate filaments. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a transmembrane protein expressed in the basal epidermal layer involved in proliferation and differentiation, processes that are disrupted in the development of PPK, and in the regulation of the desmosome. In skin of the abovementioned patient, evident EGFR upregulation was observed. EGFR inhibition in patient's keratinocytes strongly increased DSP expression at the plasma membrane, improved intermediate filament connection with the membrane edges and reduced the cell-cell fragility. This cell phenotypic recovery was due to a translocation of DSP to the plasma membrane together with an increased number of desmosomes. These results indicate a therapeutic potential of EGFR inhibitors for disorders caused by DSP haploinsufficiency.

Clinical and genetic analysis of trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome caused by a CCDC47 variant

Trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome is an extremely uncommon autosomal recessive disorder resulting from variants in the CCDC47 gene, which encodes a Ca2+-binding endoplasmic reticulum (ER) transmembrane protein. To date, only four patients with CCDC47 deficiency have been reported, all of them with homozygous truncating CCDC47 variants. For this study, a Chinese family was recruited, which included a patient diagnosed with trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome. Whole exome sequencing (WES) identified the proband's novel homozygous CCDC47 variation (NM_020198: c.634C > T(p.Arg212*). The variant was confirmed to be segregating in the proband and her unaffected relatives through Sanger sequencing. The patient described exhibited a clinical phenotype similar to that of patients with the CCDC47 variant. Compared to reported cases with CCDC47 pathogenic variants, our patients showed a novel complication of hearing impairment. In addition, brain abnormalities, small feet, bilateral hip dislocation, hip dysplasia, overlapping toes, pectus excavatum, scoliosis and narrow chest were not observed in our patient. We also examined five different variations and their corresponding phenotypes from five patients, both in current and previous research. Although some clinical manifestations of trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome were highly variable, the most common phenotypes observed in these patients include microcephaly, profound intellectual disability, severe global development delay, pronounced growth restriction, hypotonia, woolly hair, facial dysmorphism, respiratory and visual abnormalities, gastrointestinal abnormalities, liver dysfunction, pruritus, skeletal and limb abnormalities, congenital heart defects and immunodeficiency. The present report is the first of a Chinese infant with homozygous variant in the CCDC47 gene. We expanded the genetic and phenotypic spectrum associated with trichohepatoneurodevelopmental syndrome.

Let’s Talk About Hair and Art

The objective of this paper is to critically reflect upon a cultural text in the form of a piece of mixed media abstract realism artwork titled Hair Power, made in 2020. This piece was inspired and motivated by my involvement with a World Afro Day event held on 15 September 2020. The paper draws on my personal, political, cultural, and historical rationale for making the artwork, and includes relevant background information and wider influences. I discuss the artistic process — composition, colour scheme, themes, materials— and how and why I made the painting the way I did. The paper also aims to show the intertextuality of visual art and community activism and the importance of art as a form of resistance against Westernised beauty standards and of the power of images in their ability to transport the audience in which they are intended. This paper will also seek to understand the connectivity between artists and the community, and the importance of representation within the visual arts. It will draw on my cultural heritage and African and Caribbean diasporic cultural connections. It will further seek to connect art with literary projects, working together to challenge those ideologies that do not work for Black people who choose to wear their afro hair in its natural state, so that pride is more important than hiding or changing afro hair to fit into society’s ‘norms’. Hair Power is a piece of personal and political abstract realism art that was made as a reminder that afro hair in its natural state is to be celebrated. Hair Power was also one of two pieces of artwork integrated as a symbolic gesture into my Birkbeck College “Race Law and Literature” assignment in April 2021. The assignment involved writing a creative nonfiction narrative of a historical event using the theme of everyday racism in the British education system. Hair Power marks my decision to make more political art.

WOOLY HAIR PALMOPLANTAR KERATODERMA : A CASE REPORT

Wooly hair is a rare hair shaft abnormality characterized by extremely curly hair. It can occur in isolation or associated with palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) and cardiac defects. We present the case of a 56-year-old female patient who initially presented with non-itchy, painful skin lesions over palms and soles since 5years and had abnormal scalp hair texture since childhood. She responded positively to treatment with topical application of 6%salicylic acid twice a day for 3 months on which the thickness and size of the plaques gradually reduced.

Exploring Adaptive Phenotypes for the Human Calcium-Sensing Receptor Polymorphism R990G.

Rainforest hunter-gatherers from Southeast Asia are characterized by specific morphological features including a particularly dark skin color (D), short stature (S), woolly hair (W), and the presence of steatopygia (S)-fat accumulation localized in the hips (DSWS phenotype). Based on previous evidence in the Andamanese population, we first characterized signatures of adaptive natural selection around the calcium-sensing receptor gene in Southeast Asian rainforest groups presenting the DSWS phenotype and identified the R990G substitution (rs1042636) as a putative adaptive variant for experimental follow-up. Although the calcium-sensing receptor has a critical role in calcium homeostasis by directly regulating the parathyroid hormone secretion, it is expressed in different tissues and has been described to be involved in many biological functions. Previous works have also characterized the R990G substitution as an activating polymorphism of the calcium-sensing receptor associated with hypocalcemia. Therefore, we generated a knock-in mouse for this substitution and investigated organismal phenotypes that could have become adaptive in rainforest hunter-gatherers from Southeast Asia. Interestingly, we found that mouse homozygous for the derived allele show not only lower serum calcium concentration but also greater body weight and fat accumulation, probably because of enhanced preadipocyte differentiation and lipolysis impairment resulting from the calcium-sensing receptor activation mediated by R990G. We speculate that such differential features in humans could have facilitated the survival of hunter-gatherer groups during periods of nutritional stress in the challenging conditions of the Southeast Asian tropical rainforests.

Post-Hair Transplantation Complication: Kinky or Severely Curly Hair.

To investigate the etiology and preventive measures of posttransplant kinky or curly hair growth after female hairline correction surgery. Hair transplant surgery can be accompanied by various adverse effects, one of which is severely kinky or curly hair after surgery. Posttransplant kinky or curly hair is not well-understood for its cause or prevention. The study was targeted at a total of 980 patients who were confirmed whether they developed kinky or curly hair after female hairline correction surgery. Incidence, surgical method, degree of curliness, predisposed location, characteristics, hair caliber (thin, medium, and thick), and left-right differences were examined. Among the total 980 patients, posttransplant curly hair (PTCH) was manifested in 38(3.9%) patients. None of the patients who underwent surgery at the present clinic developed posttransplant kinky hair; all 38 patients showed PTCH growth. In 36 cases, transplanted hair started to grow in curly patterns around 4 months after surgery. However, the remaining 2 cases showed no curly growth pattern when the transplanted hair was short at postoperative 4 months, but started to grow curly starting at 6 to 8 months after surgery as the hair growth direction was obstructed or compressed by the existing hair. Familiarity with the cause, prevention, and management of posttransplant kinky hair and PTCH will be of great help to hair surgeons.

Weekly hair washing: The recommended solution for women with afro-textured hair to alleviate dandruff and scalp discomfort.

Dandruff and scalp discomfort are common concerns for women and men in Africa. Moreover, women with afro-textured hair are prone to scalp discomfort owing to irregular hair washing, frequent use of oil-based products on their scalp, and harsh chemical treatments. Current literature does not, however, provide data on the pathophysiological mechanisms of these conditions in this population. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms behind scalp discomfort and dandruff in women of African descent before and after hair washing. We conducted the in Durban, South Africa, over a 3-week period with 60 women of African descent aged 20-40 years. The respondents were equally divided into a "dandruff" and a "no dandruff" group, based on clinical grading of adherent dandruff by a dermatologist. Malassezia spp. and bacterial loads were quantified by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Evaluations of scalp condition and sample collection were performed at five time points during the 3 weeks. Data on discomfort symptoms were collected via a self-assessment questionnaire. We observed that the dandruff severity peaked at the end of the first week after hair washing and plateaued from thereon in both groups. Dandruff was associated with higher Malassezia and bacterial load counts and there was a direct correlation between the Malassezia spp. load and dandruff score. Via self-assessment questionnaire responses submitted by participants, we observed that itching was the most pronounced scalp discomfort, compared with the sensation of tingling and burning at baseline, while an improvement of the scalp symptoms of dandruff and itch was observed in both groups after one hair wash. The study also showed that higher colonization with Malassezia spp. and bacteria is associated with dandruff independently of the time point, confirming a scalp microbiome contribution to the dandruff pathophysiology in the study population. The benefits of washing were, however, not sustained after 1 week and we thus recommend weekly hair washing for long-term management of dandruff and scalp itchiness in this population.

P21 Bi-allelic TUFT1 variants in two siblings with woolly hair and skin fragility

Abstract TUFT1 encodes tuftelin-1, a glycoprotein thought to play a major role in mineralization and structural organization of enamel, but it has not been implicated in any monogenic enamel disorders. Recently, Jackson et al. (2023) identified that tuftelin-1 has a role in desmosomal function. Pathology in desmosomal components causes disorders affecting the skin, hair, and heart. Newly described bi-allelic loss-of-function TUFT1 variants (OMIM600087) cause a novel skin fragility-woolly hair phenotype. We present two siblings from non-consanguineous parents of Irish and British ancestry. Both had normal skin at birth and developed widespread blisters on day two of life, on the limbs, buttocks area and inside the mouth. Although their skin fragility had improved with age, they still developed flare-ups with multiple small blisters, mainly on their limbs when viral illness. They had mild palmoplantar keratoderma and skin peeling. Their most characteristic phenotype was slow-­growing woolly hair that did not need cutting until the age of 5 years old in the older sibling. The eyebrows and eyelashes were unaffected. Recently, the older sibling has developed keratosis pilaris on her arms. The heart was unaffected with normal electrocardiogram and echocardiogram. Whole exome sequencing identified homozygous NM_020127:c.60+1G>A TUFT1 variants in both affected individuals. These two cases reflect a novel condition. The predominant clinical phenotype is woolly hair and early signs of skin fragility. Despite having a role in desmosomal integrity bi-­allelic loss-of-function TUFT1 variants do not appear to cause cardiac pathology.

Plants Use in the Care and Management of Afro-Textured Hair: A Survey of 100 Participants

Afro-textured hair has unique characteristics and requires specific care due to its curly, coily, and often fragile nature. The care practices adopted by individuals with afro-textured hair increase the incidence of certain pathologies that have become specific to this hair type over time. To treat these pathologies, an increasing number of people are turning to the use of plants due to the harmful nature of certain chemical components present in hair care products available on the market. Therefore, our work aimed to list the plants used by individuals with afro-textured hair and to verify their effectiveness in managing various hair pathologies. After an initial bibliographic section focusing on hair, including its histology, growth cycle, and hair pathologies, we conducted a survey among 100 individuals with afro-textured hair in Rabat over a period of 3 months. We identified a total of twelve plant species, eleven of which possess a range of beneficial properties in managing pathologies of afro-textured hair. The most cited plant was Ricinus communis, followed by Cocos nucifera, Syzygium aromaticum, Aloe barbadensis, Argania spinosa, Rosmarinus officinalis, Vitellaria paradoxa, Olea europaea, Cannabis sativa, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Prunus dulcis.