Development And Validation Of Hair Specimen Collection Methods Among Extremely Short-Length Afro-Textured Hair
February 2019
in “
American Journal of Human Biology
”
Studysummary This study suggests that collecting hair samples from all scalp regions may be a viable alternative for measuring cortisol in individuals with Afro-textured or extremely short hair, aligning results with traditional methods.
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The study aimed to develop and validate a new method for collecting hair samples for cortisol analysis among individuals with extremely short-length Afro-textured hair. Traditional methods, which involve cutting hair close to the scalp, are inefficient for this hair type. The researchers proposed sampling hair from all sections of the scalp to increase the volume of hair collected. They compared cortisol levels from a homogeneous mixture of hair from all scalp regions to those from the posterior-vertex region and found no statistical difference. This suggests that the new method is a feasible alternative, highlighting the need for diverse hair collection methodologies in cortisol research.
