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

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.