Human Hair in Personal Identification and Documenting Drug and Substance Abuse

Human hair has played a significant role in forensic anthropology for decades. The morphological characteristics of human hair have long been utilized for personal identification in forensic investigations. With the development of better analytical techniques, hairs samples are also being used to understand and solve instances of poisoning, drug and substance abuse. This communication presents a brief outline of the structure of various types of hair, its formation and growth, along with its various types. The issues of hair as an evidence, its transfer, utility and significance of its morphological variables are discussed. The importance of hair in documenting exposure to drug and substance abuse is also highlighted. The main advantages and disadvantages of using hair as evidence are also discussed.