Morphological Changes in Human Scalp Hair Roots during Deprivation of Protein
July 1967
in “
Science
”
TLDR Not eating enough protein can cause hair roots to shrink and lose color, and hair to become thinner.
The study involved eight male subjects aged 24 to 29 who underwent protein deprivation for 15 days, resulting in severe atrophy and decreased pigmentation of the hair bulb, with hair diameters significantly reduced from 0.250 to 0.550 mm to 0.025 to 0.075 mm. The absence of the external root sheath in atrophied bulbs and frequent absence of the internal root sheath were also noted. The findings suggest that examination of hair roots can serve as a diagnostic tool for protein-calorie malnutrition.
