Study Shows Thicker Hair Isn’t Necessarily Stronger

A study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California San Diego investigated the structural properties of hair from various mammal species, including humans. They discovered that the internal structure and bonding of keratin fibers in hair differ across species, affecting how hair breaks. Using scanning electron microscopy, they observed that thinner hair, like human hair, tends to break in long cracks, challenging the assumption that thicker hair is inherently stronger. This research suggested that understanding these structural differences could inform the development of keratin-based biomaterials for medical and cosmetic applications.