Sample Collecting Methods for Bacterial Community Structure Analysis of Scalp Hair: Non-Invasive Swabbing Versus Intrusive Hair Shaft Cutting

September 2024 in “ Scientific Reports ”

Kota Watanabe, Azusa Yamada, Hao Masuda, Eri Kashiwazaki, Shunichi Nakayama, Toshimori Kadokura, Kenji Sakai, Yukihiro Tashiro

bacterial community structure scalp hair non-invasive swabbing hair shaft cutting alpha diversity principal coordinate analysis

TLDR Non-invasive swabbing is as effective as cutting hair for collecting scalp hair bacteria.

This study compared bacterial community structures on scalp hair and scalps using non-invasive swabbing and hair shaft cutting in 12 individuals. It found that hair-related samples (hair shafts and swabs) had higher alpha diversity than scalp swabs, but no significant differences between hair shafts and hair swabs themselves. The relative abundances of major phyla and operational taxonomic units were similar between hair shaft and hair swab samples. Principal coordinate analysis showed significant differences between hair-related samples and scalp swabs, but not between the two hair sampling methods. The findings suggest that non-invasive swab sampling of scalp hair is comparable to the cutting/removal method for collecting scalp hair bacteria.

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