Single Hair Research Articles

Hair counting method based on image processing technology

The number of hair per unit area of scalp is an important indicator of hair growth. In order to realize the understanding of head fur growing condition, this paper designs a hair counting method based on image processing technology. The color characteristics of the high definition scalp hair images taken by light microscope were analyzed and the Wright test was used to eliminate the shadow and subtle hair interference. Then the original image was preprocessed and pieceby-linear transformation was enhanced, and then the threshold segmentation was performed to extract the hair root image, and a single scalp hair image was counted, and the scalp hair counting function model was constructed to realize the scalp hair counting in the whole region. Analysis shows that the experimental results accord with the physiological characteristics of hair growth, and the method can avoid most of the noise interference of hair image, and meet the actual requirements of scalp hair counting.

Ayurvedic management of Alopecia areata (Indralupta) with surgical procedure Kuttanam and internal medications

Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder characterized by transient, nonscarring hair loss, especially on the scalp ranging from well-defined patches to diffuse or total hair loss with hair follicle preservation. It affects approximately 2% of the general population. This condition is described as Indralupta (~alopecia) in Ayurveda. The current presentation is a case report of 36-year-old female patient who visited the outpatient department with patchy hair loss of scalp over the vertex and occipital region and generalized hair loss for two years with no associated symptoms. The treatment was determined giving significance to systemic effects of disease along with localized pathology in the skin caused by the vitiation of Tridoshas (~three body humors). She was treated on outpatient level with Ayurvedic internal medications, external applications and Kuttanam (~a minor operative procedure) for four months. The uniqueness of this case is that transition of hairs from gray to black occurred over the course of a single hair follicle growth cycle. The phenomenon of natural reversal of depigmentation of hair in a single hair follicle growth cycle is not found in any of the scientific databases. The patient showed remarkable improvement including regeneration of black hair at the site of hair loss. During the follow-up period of two years, no recurrence was observed. This case report shows that holistic approach of Ayurvedic treatment can produce clinically significant results in Indralupta and shows possibility of application of these principles in repigmentation of hairs.

Trichoscopy as an Essential Diagnostic Technique for Hair and Scalp Disorders in Skin of Color

Background: Hair and scalp disorders cause significant morbidity, warranting an early diagnosis and treatment. Trichoscopy has shown great promise in the diagnosis and assessment of these disorders. Aims: The aim of this study was to determine the trichoscopic findings in cases of alopecia and scalp disorders and to determine their statistical significance. Materials and Methods: This was a case–control study in which trichoscopy using a hand-held dermoscope was done in 605 patients and 200 controls. Results: The trichoscopic findings that showed statistical significance in 405 alopecia cases when compared with controls were broken hair, exclamation hair, black dots, yellow dots, vellus hair and pigtail hair in alopecia areata, hair diameter variability, single hair predominance, brown and white peripilar sign in androgenetic alopecia, corkscrew hair, comma hair, morse-code hair and interfollicular scale in tinea capitis, and white dots and peripilar erythema in primary cicatricial alopecia. The findings which had a statistical relevance among scalp disorders included light red background, dots and globules and dermoscopic Auspitz’s sign for psoriasis, dark red background and arborizing vessels for eczemas and yellowish background for verrucae, comedo-like openings, milia-like cysts and moth-eaten borders for seborrheic keratosis, and viable nits for pediculosis capitis. Conclusion: Our study documented many trichoscopic features which were statistically significant among cases of alopecia and scalp disorders when compared with controls. Limitations: Histopathological confirmation of diagnosis was not done in most of the cases. The patients were not subjected to follow-up trichoscopy after treatment.

Quantitative mapping of human hair greying and reversal in relation to life stress.

Hair greying is a hallmark of aging generally believed to be irreversible and linked to psychological stress. Here, we develop an approach to profile hair pigmentation patterns (HPPs) along individual human hair shafts, producing quantifiable physical timescales of rapid greying transitions. Using this method, we show white/grey hairs that naturally regain pigmentation across sex, ethnicities, ages, and body regions, thereby quantitatively defining the reversibility of greying in humans. Molecularly, grey hairs upregulate proteins related to energy metabolism, mitochondria, and antioxidant defenses. Combining HPP profiling and proteomics on single hairs, we also report hair greying and reversal that can occur in parallel with psychological stressors. To generalize these observations, we develop a computational simulation, which suggests a threshold-based mechanism for the temporary reversibility of greying. Overall, this new method to quantitatively map recent life history in HPPs provides an opportunity to longitudinally examine the influence of recent life exposures on human biology. This work was supported by the Wharton Fund and NIH grants GM119793, MH119336, and AG066828 (MP).

Clinical and trichoscopic features in 18 cases of Folliculotropic Mycosis Fungoides with scalp involvement

Folliculotropic Mycosis Fungoides (FMF) is a rare variant of Mycosis Fungoides involving the scalp leading to alopecia. The clinical and trichoscopic features in 18 patients were analyzed and compared with the reports in the literature. Gender, age, disease stage, site of onset were taken into consideration. Clinical and trichoscopic analyses were performed on each patient. From a clinical point of view, Folliculotropic Mycosis Fungoides lesions involving the scalp presented as generalized alopecia (27.8%) or patchy-plaque alopecia (72.2%). Trichoscopic analysis revealed six most frequent features: single hair (83.3%), dotted dilated vessels (77.8%), broken-dystrophic hairs (66.7%), vellus hairs (61.1%), spermatozoa-like pattern vessels (55.6%), and yellow dots (55.6%). Additional identified trichoscopic patterns were dilation of follicular openings, scales-crusts, purpuric dots, short hair with split-end, pigtail hairs, perifollicular hyperkeratosis, milky-white globules, black dots, white dots/lines and absence of follicular dots. These trichoscopic features were further correlated to clinical presentations and stage of the disease. The rarity of the disease is a limitation. The relatively high number of patients allowed to identify several clinical and trichoscopic patterns that could be featured as specific or highly suspicious for FMF in order to consider trichoscopy as a complementary diagnostic approach and improve the differential diagnoses between FMF and other scalp disorders.

592 Characterization of lichen planopilaris in men: A retrospective analysis

Lichen planopilaris (LPP) and subtype frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) are primary lymphocytic cicatricial alopecias distinguished by morphology and distribution. LPP affects Caucasian women from 25 to 70 years with a female to male ratio of 1.8:1. LPP is thought to have an autoimmune component and has significant association with thyroid disease. Due to low male prevalence, a paucity of literature demonstrates the characterization of LPP/FFA in men. This study evaluates the clinical characteristics of a male cohort with LPP and/or FFA at a single tertiary hair center. A retrospective review of male patients diagnosed with LPP and/or FFA at Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Loss Clinic from 2017 to 2020 was performed. We identified 24 men diagnosed with LPP, FFA, or LPP/FFA overlap. The mean age at presentation was 45.5 years (range 15-74 years). 70.8% were Caucasian, 12.5% Asian, 8.3% Black, 8.3% unknown/unreported. Eyebrows (20.8%), arms/legs (16.7%), and beard (16.7%) were the most commonly reported areas of non-scalp involvement. 62.5% reported one or more scalp symptoms or signs including pruritus, burning, tenderness/pain, flaking or redness. 50% reported 1 or more first degree relatives with hair loss and of those, 8.3% had similar hair loss type. Two patients reported a family history of 1 or more autoimmune conditions with 1 report of thyroid disease. No patients reported a personal history of thyroid disease. Most commonly reported treatments tried for hair loss prior to diagnosis included topical minoxidil (25%) and topical clobetasol (16.7%). 20.8% of patients reported regular use of SPF year-round and 12.5% regularly colored their hair. Our study demonstrates the unique characterization of LPP/FFA in men. Most men reported scalp symptoms and 16.7% had beard involvement. Most men reported no history of thyroid disease. Further studies are warranted to characterize the LPP/FFA male population.

Palaeopathology and amino acid δ13C analysis: Investigating pre-Columbian individuals with tuberculosis at Pica 8, northern Chile (1050-500 BP)

Bulk δ15N and δ13C values of proteinaceous tissues are being increasingly used in bioarchaeological studies to elucidate the physio-pathological status of ancient individuals. This method has not always been successful.The present study aims to explore the novel use of single amino acid carbon isotope analysis in palaeopathology by investigating the effect of a serious infectious disease, tuberculosis (TB), on the isotope composition of two collagenous tissues (tendon, rib). This is achieved by comparing the bulk and amino acid stable isotope compositions of collagenous tissues collected from human remains with and without TB-like bone lesions. The sample set comprises twelve adult individuals (males = 6, females = 6), who were buried at Pica 8, an inland oasis situated on the mid-elevation plains of northern Chile (Late Intermediate Period, ~1050-500 BP). Similarity and consistency in the diet of these individuals are explored using amino acid carbon isotope analysis of 1-cm hair segments longitudinally cut along a single hair fibre.The results show that there is a difference between collagen δ13C serine values measured in the rib collagen of five individuals presenting TB-like bone lesions (3 males and 2 females) and in those five without lesions (3 males and 2 females; control individuals). The rib collagen δ13C serine values of pathological individuals are lower (more negative) than those of the control individuals. Within the group of pathological individuals, lower δ13C serine values in rib collagen are correlated with higher (more positive) δ15N values. Since only individuals (N = 10) with similar dietary intakes were included in the statistical analyses, it appears that the δ13C serine values could be linked to altered carbon metabolism, rather than induced by dietary factors. Serine accounts for less than 3% of the total carbon in bone collagen, and thus an altered serine metabolism would be masked within the averaged bulk carbon isotope value. In future studies, it is advised to undertake stable carbon isotope analysis of non-essential amino acids as a means of characterising pathologically altered body tissues.

Female Pattern Hair Loss in Female and Male: A Quantitative Trichoscopic Analysis in Chinese Han Patients.

Objectives: To investigate the trichoscopic features of female pattern hair loss (FPHL) in Chinese Han patients and analyze the difference between male and female patients with FPHL.Materials and Methods: Trichoscopic images were taken in four different scalp areas, including right frontal hairline, vertex, right parietal and occipital areas. Hair density, hair shaft diameter, vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio were counted manually and analyzed.Results: Seventy-three subjects were enrolled in this study, including 38 patients with FPHL (28 females and 10 males) and 35 normal controls without hair loss. The hair density and hair shaft diameter of FPHL patients reduced in the whole scalp. Vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio were both increased in FPHL compared to normal controls. The vertex was the most affected area and the hair shaft diameter showed the most significant difference. Parietal and occipital area were also affected in FPHL. The reduction or increase was correlated with the severity of Ludwig staging. Very few gender differences were detected in male and female FPHL patients.Conclusion: FPHL patients showed decreased hair density and hair shaft diameter, accompanied by increased vellus hair ratio and single hair follicle unit ratio. Parietal and occipital area can be also affected in FPHL, though not as severe as in vertex area. FPHL in male basically has the same characteristic as those in female patients.Limitation: The main limitation of the study is the small sample size which only enrolled 10 male FPHL patients, in comparison to the female cases. The findings could not be representative of the normal population with the limited sample size.

Highly sensitive and multiplexed one-step RT-qPCR for profiling genes involved in the circadian rhythm using microparticles

Given the growing interest in molecular diagnosis, highly extensive and selective detection of genetic targets from a very limited amount of samples is in high demand. We demonstrated the highly sensitive and multiplexed one-step RT-qPCR platform for RNA analysis using microparticles as individual reactors. Those particles are equipped with a controlled release system of thermo-responsive materials, and are able to capture RNA targets inside. The particle-based assay can successfully quantify multiple target RNAs from only 200 pg of total RNA. The assay can also quantify target RNAs from a single cell with the aid of a pre-concentration process. We carried out 8-plex one-step RT-qPCR using tens of microparticles, which allowed extensive mRNA profiling. The circadian cycles were shown by the multiplex one-step RT-qPCR in human cell and human hair follicles. Reliable 24-plex one-step RT-qPCR was developed using a single operation in a PCR chip without any loss of performance (i.e., selectivity and sensitivity), even from a single hair. Many other disease-related transcripts can be monitored using this versatile platform. It can also be used non–invasively for samples obtained in clinics.

Predicting human age by detecting DNA methylation status in hair.

Age prediction is of great importance for criminal investigation and judicial expertise. DNA methylation status is considered a promising method to infer tissue age by virtue of age-dependent changes on methylation sites. In recent years, forensic scientists have established various models to predict the chronological age of blood, saliva, and semen based on DNA methylation status. However, hair-inferred age has not been studied in the field of forensic science. In this study, we measured the methylation statuses of potential age-related CpG sites by using the multiplex methylation SNaPshot method. A total of 10 CpG sites from the LAG3, SCGN, ELOVL2, KLF14, C1orf132, SLC12A5, GRIA2, and PDE4C genes were found to be tightly associated with age in hair follicles. A correlation coefficient above 0.7 was found for four CpG sites (cg24724428 and Chr6:11044628 in ELOVL2, cg25148589 in GRIA2, and cg07547549 in SLC12A5). Among four age-prediction models, the multiple linear regression model consisting of 10 CpG sites provided the best-fitting results, with a median absolute deviation of 3.68 years. It is feasible to obtain both human identification and age information from a single scalp hair follicle. No significant differences in methylation degree were found between different sexes, hair types, or hair colors. In conclusion, we established a method to evaluate chronological age by assessing DNA methylation status in hair follicles.

Single hair analysis: Validation of a screening method for over 150 analytes and application on documented single-dose cases.

Hair is the matrix of choice in forensic toxicology when retrospective analysis is needed. Nonetheless, due to misalignment, different growth stages and segmentation lengths of 0.5-1 cm, resolution of time is limited. By segmental analysis of single hairs, most of these factors can be compensated and resolution of time is enhanced. A method for manually segmenting single hairs in 2-mm sections and screening for 156 analytes by liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and validated. The method was applied to 15 single-dose cases concerning different pharmaceuticals by analyzing 10 hairs each, sampled 1 and 2 months after ingestion in most cases. The validation showed a lower limit of quantification of ≤1.25 pg/segment for ~90% of analytes and good accuracy. Many substances could be detected in the presented cases, whereas detection of benzodiazepines and low dosed opioids remains challenging. In positive cases, characteristic peak-shaped concentration profiles across the hairs were obtained. The segment with most coinciding peak maxima can be allocated to the time of ingestion. A method for the determination of individual hair growth rate was applied and revealed a gap between expected and actual position of peak maxima. Additionally, different localization of simultaneously administered substances was observed. These findings were tried to be explained by different routes of incorporation and may contribute to current knowledge. The presented method may directly be applied to similar questions in hair analysis, and the findings are considered important for interpreting further results in single hair analysis.

Inconsistent platelet-rich plasma product from devices cleared by the US FDA: A retrospective review of clinic data

To the Editor: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is trending for the treatment of alopecia.1 Data on the consistency of PRP devices approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in clinical settings are lacking. We performed a retrospective review of PRP products from 3 closed 510K-cleared devices used for alopecia at a single academic health center hair clinic (approved by University of Minnesota institutional review board #00005562): Eclipse (Eclipse MedCorp, LLC, The Colony, TX), Emcyte (Emcyte Corp, Fort Meyers, FL), and Selphyl (Factor Medical, LLC, Langhorn, PA).

Comparison of the Structural Elasticities for Tensile and Bending Deformations of a Single Human Hair

Comparison of the Structural Elasticities for Tensile and Bending Deformations of a Single Human Hair

An application of micro X-ray fluorescence computed tomography for the determination of three-dimensional elemental distribution in a single hair strand

Concentrations of Zn and Br along the hair strand, and CT images.

Scalp vascularization as a marker of topical minoxidil treatment efficacy in patients with androgenetic alopecia.

IntroductionAndrogenetic alopecia is the most common type of non-cicatricial hair loss both in male and female patients. The pathomechanism of the disease involves chronic and progressive miniaturization of hair follicles, which leads to the conversion of terminal hair to vellus hair. Minoxidil is a first-line drug in the treatment of female pattern hair loss (FPHL).AimThe study is aimed at verifying whether the degree of scalp vascularization has an impact on the efficacy of topical 5% minoxidil treatment.Material and methodsThe study involved a group of 76 patients diagnosed with FPHL, who underwent a scalp biopsy for a histological examination of their scalp vascularization. The patients were divided into two groups, with rich and poor scalp vasculature. In all patients, topical treatment with 5% minoxidil was applied for a minimum of 6 months, followed by video-trichoscopic assessment.ResultsA significant increase in the total count was observed 6 months into the treatment as compared with baseline, and a decrease in the number of single hair per follicle. It was observed that the number of single hair units had gone down in 50.67% of patients. The study also demonstrated an increase in the total hair count in 57.33% of patients as well as no drops in the total count in 68% of patients, following 6 months of treatment.ConclusionsPatients responded equally well to the applied topical minoxidil treatment, irrespectively of the number of blood vessels in the scalp.

Cervical lymphadenitis as a result of (Hijab) pin prick in north of Jordan

Introduction. Cervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck. Hijab is a head cover worn by some Muslim women in the presence of any adult male outside of their immediate family, which usually covers the head, neck and chest. It is strictly forbidden to Muslim woman to unveil any single hair of her head, so they use many pins around the head to fix their Hijab. Often, while using pins they are self-pricked. Aim. The main aim of our work is to reveal a new cause of lymphadenopathy, which is not known till now. Material and methods. Retrospective study during the past five years among seventy-five female outpatients, visited our Oral and Maxillofacial clinic in dental department. Our data was collected according to medical history of patients; all female patients with cervical lymphadenopathy were using (A hijab). Results. Data collected of 75 female patients. Lymphadenopathy causes were various. Most of these causes resulted from nonspecific lymphadenitis (67 patients), 4 tuberculosis, 2 lymphoma, 2 cat scratch disease. Aetiology of 67 nonspecific lymphadenitis was 40 patients of dental cause, 10 of sore throat, 7 of acne vulgaris, 3 of mild facial injuries, and 7 of (Hijab pin pricks). Conclusion. Hijab pin prick cervical lymphadenitis in Islamic communities is not uncommon and, unexplained cervical lymphadenitis should be considered as potential cause.

Effects of Dietary Wheat Gluten Meal on Growth, Intestinal Morphology, and Microbiome in Juvenile Large Yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea

Wheat gluten meal (WGM) was evaluated as a replacement for fish meal (FM) for juvenile Larimichthys crocea．FM was replaced by 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of WGM (WGM0, WGM25, WGM50, WGM75, and WGM100, respectively). In addition, all diets except the control group were supplemented with amino acids. Fish were fed twice daily for 56 days. There were no significant differences in survival and feed conversion ratio (FCR) among all treatments (P>0.05). WGM25, WGM50, and WGM75 groups had significantly higher specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain ratio (WGR) than those fed with WGM0 (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in mucosal thickness (MT), lamina propria width (LW), mucosal fold height (MH), and goblet cell quantity of single hair (GC) for all the diets (P>0.05). The indexes of Chao1, Shannon, Simpson, and Good coverage in fish fed with WGM0, WGM50, and WGM100 were not significantly affected (P>0.05). Firmicutes (81.03~94.03%) were the dominant bacterial community in juvenile large yellow croaker. Compared with the WGM0 group, the abundance of Firmicutes increased significantly, and Proteobacteria decreased significantly in the WGM100 group (P<0.05). These results suggested that WGM could replace 366.3 g kg-1 FM of the juvenile large yellow croaker diet.

Rubus carpetanus (Rosaceae), a new species from the Iberian Peninsula

Rubus carpetanus is a new endemic Rubus species included in the series Hystrix. It is located in Spain, in the Central Range of the Iberian Peninsula, specifically in the Carpetanian Mountains. It grows in acid soils, high humidity, near riversides, alongside oak and pine forests. In the Iberian Peninsula there is only one other species belonging to this series, Rubus brigantinus Samp., located in the NW Iberian Peninsula. Each has a different distribution and very different characteristics, such as stems (procumbent, purplish, obtusely angled with stellate hairs in R. carpetanus, while arching-prostrate, reddish, bluntly angled with single hairs in R. brigantinus), prickles and pricklets (slightly declined with broad and puffed base in R. carpetanus, while straight and thin at the base in R. brigantinus), stalked glands, leaves and leaflets (terminal leaflet longly acuminate in R. carpetanus, while shortly acuminate in R. brigantinus) and the colour of the flowers (white petals, ovate and not imbricated in R. carpetanus, while light pink, spathulate and sometimes imbricated in R. brigantinus).

Single hair fiber assessment techniques to discriminate between mineral oil and coconut oil effect on hair physical properties.

To utilize a matrix of single-fiber hair testing methodologies to mechanistically understand the impact of common oiling treatments-coconut oil and mineral oil-on hair strands. Further, the effect of hair twisting-experienced in everyday grooming practices-on hair strength was investigated under different scenarios. Study involved multiple surfactant wash cycles of hair swatches with and without overnight hair oil treatments. Instrumental testing was done on strands from hair swatches-Tensile Extension, Torsional Stretching, and Tensile Extension of twisted hair fibers. Differentiation was observed in tensile and torsional testing parameters with 20 wash cycles, while no statistical significance was observed in single wash. However, when we combine the two stresses together by extending the twisted hair strands, a clear differentiation was seen even in single cycle for coconut oil in comparison with mineral oil and surfactant wash. The differentiation in tensile parameters for twisted fibers becomes much more prominent with multiple cycles. Penetration of coconut oil in hair strands makes the fiber core more flexible and thus helps negotiate the torsional stress at the time of extension. Product benefit discrimination in single-strand testing can be amplified by combining multiple stresses in one testing methodology. Observing the consumer habits and incorporating the torsion component in standard tensile testing of hair helps differentiate the two commonly used hair oiling treatments. Coconut oil was found to significantly increase the tensile strength of twisted fibers owing to its penetration inside hair core.

Ribosomal DNA as target for the assessment of DNA degradation of human and canine DNA.

The assessment of DNA amount and DNA integrity can support forensic DNA analysis, in particular of problematic traces such as single telogen hairs where STR typing success is often hampered by low amounts and strong degradation of nuclear DNA. Common strategies consist of quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR)-based analysis of the abundance of a short versus a long nuclear amplicon, the latter prone to DNA degradation. To increase sensitivity, commercial qPCR solutions rest on amplification of multi-copy DNA sequences. Here we show that ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequences are well suited for the same purpose. Because rDNA sequences are present in high copy number in most eukaryotic species, qPCR strategies can easily be adapted to non-human species. In this paper, we establish qPCR-based assays for human or dog DNA, respectively, which allow for sensitive analysis of DNA amounts and DNA degradation. We show that the human system can be applied to DNA of single telogen hairs, where STR typing success correlates with measured amounts and integrity of the DNA. By adapting the system to dog rDNA sequences we found that single telogen dog hairs often displayed less DNA degradation than human telogen hairs, in most cases allowing for successful STR typing. Thus, qPCR-based analysis of rDNA represents a cost-effective, highly sensitive strategy to assess DNA amount and integrity that can be adapted to hairs or other traces from various animal species.