Studysummary This study characterized hair from a patient with a ribosomopathy and identified distinct differences, including reduced hair thickness and lipid content, compared to family members. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The study characterized the hair of a patient with a novel ribosomopathy due to a mutation in the RPS23 gene, which affected the 40S ribosome subunit. The patient exhibited symptoms such as hypotonia, autism, extra teeth, elastic skin, and thin/brittle hair. Using optical microscopy, tensile tests, and X-ray diffraction, researchers found the patient's hair was 22% thinner compared to family members, although the Young's modulus was unchanged. X-ray diffraction indicated a 20% reduction in lipids in the cell membrane complex, explaining the hair's altered properties. These findings could aid in diagnosing similar mutations in the future.
37 citations
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October 2015 in “PeerJ” This study found that shampoo and conditioner do not alter hair's molecular structure, while perming treatments significantly affect keratin and intermediate filament structures due to bond alterations.
107 citations
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October 2014 in “PeerJ” This study found that while molecular hair structures were nearly identical across individuals, genetic factors seem to influence specific lipid compositions, as seen in identical-patterned hair from parent-child pairs and identical twins, but not fraternal twins.
6 citations
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January 2012 in “Breast cancer” This study suggests that breast cancer-associated phospholipids may alter the X-ray diffraction pattern of hair, potentially enabling the development of a sensitive and specific screening test for breast cancer.
12 citations
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January 2009 in “Breast Cancer Basic and Clinical Research” This study found that the combination of mammography and hair X-ray diffraction increased sensitivity for detecting breast cancer compared to using each method alone.
40 citations
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February 2002 in “International Journal of Dermatology” In this study, hair damaged by permanent dye showed signs of recovery over time, with near complete restoration to its original state after eight weeks.
157 citations
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April 1994 in “Clinical endocrinology” Androgens can cause hair growth in some areas and hair loss on the scalp.
