TLDR Hair pluckability can help assess protein nutrition status.
The study assessed the nutritional status of 69 Nigerians, aged 1 month to 75 years, using the Krumdieck trichotillometer to measure hair epilation force (EF). It found that EF was significantly lower in malnourished subjects (25.7 ± 10.6 g) compared to normal subjects (36.5 ± 9.5 g). EF correlated significantly with weight-for-height, mid-arm circumference, mid-arm muscle circumference, and serum albumin, but not with triceps skinfold. The findings suggested that hair pluckability was more affected by protein depletion than energy depletion, indicating that the trichotillometer could be a useful tool for assessing protein nutritional status in the field.
17 citations
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October 1981 in “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” Malnourished people have weaker hair that is easier to pluck.
46 citations
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April 1971 in “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” Lack of protein causes hair root damage, but it can be reversed by eating protein again.
26 citations
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November 1968 in “The Lancet” Malnourished Andean Indian children had abnormal hair roots compared to healthy children.
Malnourished people have weaker hair that is easier to pluck.
7 citations
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May 2007 in “Nutrition Journal” Hair pluckability is not a reliable method for assessing nutrition.
November 2017 in “Dermatologic Therapy” A new topical solution safely reduces hair shedding by 38% on average by tightening a muscle in the scalp.
17 citations
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October 1981 in “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” Malnourished people have weaker hair that is easier to pluck.
26 citations
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March 1986 in “Clinical and Experimental Dermatology” Scalp hair grows at 0.37 mm/day, forearm hair at 0.18 mm/day, and thigh hair at 0.30 mm/day, with no significant differences found in people with certain hair conditions.
