Do Follicles Matter? Testing the Effect of Follicles on Hair Cortisol Levels
January 2020
in “
Conservation Physiology
”
TLDR Hair follicles increase hair cortisol levels, so consistent hair collection methods are important.
The study investigated the impact of hair follicles on hair cortisol concentration (HCC) by comparing samples with and without follicles from 30 free-ranging Scandinavian brown bears. It found significantly higher HCC in samples with follicles, suggesting that local cortisol secretion in follicles could affect overall HCC. This finding indicated that methodological differences, such as using shaved versus plucked hair, could confound comparisons across studies. The study emphasized the importance of standardizing hair collection and preparation methods to ensure valid comparisons and optimize research efforts in ecophysiological studies.