TLDR Hair analysis can detect drug use but is costly and interpretation is complex.
Hair is composed of keratin and consists of three layers: medulla, cortex, and cuticle. The cortex contains melanin, which determines hair color, with eumelanin and pheomelanin being the primary pigments. Toxic substances can alter melanin production, changing hair color. Hair serves as an excretory tissue for testing toxicants, providing valuable information on chemical exposure. Hair analysis is significant in forensic toxicology for detecting substances like opioids, antidepressants, antipsychotics, and amphetamines. Despite the availability of reliable detection methods, challenges include the specific growth cycles of hair, result interpretation, and the high cost of techniques.
12 citations
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January 2010 in “The anthropologist/Anthropologist” Human hair is valuable for identifying people and detecting drug use.
759 citations
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February 2009 in “Current Biology” Hair follicles are complex, dynamic mini-organs that help us understand cell growth, death, migration, and differentiation, as well as tissue regeneration and tumor biology.
210 citations
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May 2006 in “The FASEB journal” Oxidative stress causes hair to gray by damaging and killing pigment cells.
1113 citations
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August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Hair follicle biology advancements may lead to better hair growth disorder treatments.
1 citations
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May 2023 in “Frontiers in medicine” Hair dyes and perms can damage hair and scalp, but using interventions can reduce harm.
3 citations
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June 2008 in “Springer eBooks” Hair care products clean, protect, style, color, and change hair structure.
22 citations
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February 2008 in “Journal of Dermatological Science” EPR spectroscopy showed that spontaneous hair growth results in thicker skin and less pigmented hair than depilation-induced growth.
72 citations
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July 2003 in “Journal of cosmetic dermatology” Frequent hair coloring and styling can damage hair and cause breakage or loss.
