Technique for Processing and Routing Staining of Hair Samples for Histological Study
January 2023
in “
Indian Journal of Animal Research
”
TLDR A new method effectively stains hair samples for study without losing hair sections.
This document presents a technique for processing and routine staining of free hair samples without skin, using paraffin-embedded blocks. The hair samples are cut at 6 µ thickness using a rotary microtome, eliminating the need for a water bath, which could cause hair loss from the section. The cuticle does not absorb color due to its enucleated or keratinized cells, while the cortex takes on a pink color from eosin, likely due to its composition of flattened cornified cells and air spaces. The medulla shows a mix of pink and blue when stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin solutions.