Many consumers of StemEnhance reported, after a few months of daily consumption, reduction of hair graying. Consumers reported a slow return to one’s natural hair color. Although such reports were first received with skepticism, a brief search of the scientific literature rapidly provide evidence that bone marrow stem cells have the ability of differentiating into melanocytes responsible for ha...

DNA isolation from hair shafts can involve a number of steps, each of which adds time to the procedure and increases the risk of contamination. A simple alkaline digestion procedure that directly dissolves hairs was developed and compared with a widely used glass grinding/organic extraction method, using samples collected from 30 volunteers with varying population ancestries, hair colors, and h...

The interaction and the function of some amino acids in hair care applications are discussed. When amino acids are applied to hair in the form of simple aqueous solution, uptake of the amino acids is mainly controlled by ionic equilibrium. When amino acids were incorporated in a hair conditioner, the result was quite different, suggesting the importance of interaction between the amino acids an...

Hair shaft disorders encompass a wide range of hair defects with or without fragility, which could be acquired inherited genetically. may localized generalized and are characterized by changes in color, structure, length, density. Pili torti, also called twisted hair, is clinical entity the flattened 180° along its axis. annulati described as striped showing alternate light dark bands. Trichorr...

Hair shine or luster is perceived as an important, though analytically somewhat elusive, attribute of beauty, primarily associated with clean and healthy hair. Principles for the assessment of hair luster are developed that are consistent with the practical situation. These principles are related to the components of light, specularly and diffusely reflected from single hair fibers, as measured...

It is all in the DNA. Our genetic code, or genotype influences much about us. Not only are physical attributes (appearance, height, weight, eye color, hair color, etc.), all fair game for genetics, but also possibly more important things like our susceptibility to diseases, response to a certain drug, and so on. We refer to these ‘observable physico-chemical traits’ as phenotypes. Note that ‘to...

PURPOSE To elucidate the molecular basis of oculocutaneous albinism with variable expressivity in a family from The Netherlands in which no consanguinity was reported. METHODS Three affected family members were screened for mutations in tyrosinase (TYR) and the pink-eye-dilution gene (P) by using SSCP. The melanocortin receptor gene (MC1R) and amplimers of P showing an aberrant banding patter...

Mutations in the transcription factor Foxn1 cause the nude phenotype in mice, which is characterized by a lack of visible hair. New work by Weiner et al. (2007) in this issue of Cell now shows that Foxn1 also contributes to hair color by marking which cells are to receive pigment from melanocytes.

Previous studies have revealed that trace element concentrations in hair can reflect exposure in cases of frank poisoning and deficiency. This study reports significant correlations within a single metropolitan area between trace-element content of hair and exposure (as measured by analyses for the corresponding elements in dustfall or housedust) for Ba, Cr, Pb, Hg, Ni, Sn, and V. Age, sex, h...