The Hair Loss Encyclopedia

Curly Wood and Tiger Tails: The Tiger Tail Phenomenon in Trichothiodystrophy

September 2003 in “ Archives of dermatology ”

Leonard C. Sperling, John J. DiGiovanna

trichothiodystrophy tiger tail phenomenon hair shafts cortical hair fibers melanin granules

TLDR Tiger tail bands in hair are caused by wavy hair fibers with melanin, unlike straight fibers in normal hair.

The tiger tail phenomenon in trichothiodystrophy, characterized by alternating light and dark bands in hair shafts under polarized light, was proposed to be caused by the regular undulation of cortical hair fibers within the shafts. These undulations, visible due to embedded melanin granules, corresponded exactly to the observed banding. Normal hair shafts did not exhibit this phenomenon because their fibers were straight and parallel, lacking the undulation that altered the optical properties and caused the banding.

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