Trichotillometry: The Quantitation of Hair Pluckability as a Method of Nutritional Assessment

The study explored the use of a trichotillometer to measure hair pluckability as an indicator of nutritional status, particularly in cases of protein-calorie malnutrition like kwashiorkor. It involved 17 malnourished and 16 well-nourished adult patients, finding that malnourished individuals required significantly less force to epilate hair (17.0 g ± 11.8) compared to well-nourished individuals (38.2 g ± 11.4). The lowest force was observed in patients with kwashiorkor (14.8 g). Hair plucking force correlated positively with several nutritional indicators, such as serum albumin and hair shaft diameter, but not with vitamin status. Additionally, acute stress from surgery did not significantly affect hair plucking force.