Trichotillometry: The Quantitation of Hair Pluckability as a Method of Nutritional Assessment
January 1981
TLDR Malnourished people have weaker hair that is easier to pluck.
The study from 1981 investigated hair pluckability as an indicator of protein-calorie malnutrition using a trichotillometer on 17 malnourished and 16 well-nourished adult patients. It found that malnourished patients, particularly those with kwashiorkor, required significantly less force to epilate hair (17.0 g ± 11.8) compared to well-nourished patients (38.2 g ± 11.4, p < 0.001). Hair plucking force correlated positively with serum albumin, hair shaft diameter, triceps skinfold, arm muscle circumference, weight, hematocrit, and β-carotene, but not with vitamin status. Acute stress from surgery did not significantly affect hair plucking force in a subgroup of 18 patients.
