BACKGROUND: There are many different non-invasive or invasive techniques for studying the hair state either in the normal or diseased conditions. OBJECTIVE: A technique is used to evaluate the current hair status through setting a normal standard value or range of the epilating force of different hair follicle types in normal individuals. METHODS: The trichotillometer is used to record in grams the force exerted to epilate a single hair in different locations of scalp. RESULTS: Of all the plucked hairs from all the volunteers, the epilating force, the diameter, and the follicular length were calculated. The shear strain needed for epilating different hair types is calculated. CONCLUSION: Using the trichotillometry technique to identify the normal range of the shear strain for different hair types is important as it may aid in diagnostic, prognostic, or even therapeutic decision making for many hair diseases.
BACKGROUND: There are many different non-invasive or invasive techniques for studying the hair state either in the normal or diseased conditions. OBJECTIVE: A technique is used to evaluate the current hair status through setting a normal standard value or range of the epilating force of different hair follicle types in normal individuals. METHODS: The trichotillometer is used to record in grams the force exerted to epilate a single hair in different locations of scalp. RESULTS: Of all the plucked hairs from all the volunteers, the epilating force, the diameter, and the follicular length were calculated. The shear strain needed for epilating different hair types is calculated. CONCLUSION: Using the trichotillometry technique to identify the normal range of the shear strain for different hair types is important as it may aid in diagnostic, prognostic, or even therapeutic decision making for many hair diseases.
Authors: John J Lemasters; Venkat K Ramshesh; Gregory L Lovelace; John Lim; Graham D Wright; Duane Harland; Thomas L Dawson Journal: J Invest Dermatol Date: 2017-03-23 Impact factor: 8.551