INTRODUCTION: Human hair morphology is used for ethnic classification, hair genetics, nutritional status, micronutrient and trace element studies, forensic aspects and evolutionary biology. The cause of morphological variation of human scalp hair is little known and limited works have been done in Human model.
AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The present study tries to find out the influence of pigmentation and sex hormone in cuticle cell proliferation rate. Additionally, tries to search intra and inter-individual hair cuticle scale pattern variation on the basis of sex and pigmentation.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: Material for the present study consists of hair samples from 60 individuals to Bengali Hindu caste population (male and female are the equal sizes of 30 each). All participants belong to the age above 40 years and possess both pigmented and nonpigmented hairs in the occipital region. The cuticle scale pattern observed with the help of Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Hair Cuticle Scale pattern variations are determined based on Hair Diameter (HD), Cuticle Scale count (CSC), Inter Cuticle Scale Distance (ICSD) and Cuticle Index (CI).
RESULTS: Present result has shown all variables have a greater level of dispersion around the mean and the interrelation between variables varied based on sex and hair pigmentation. Greater HD in nonpigmented hair have found in females compared to the pigmented (Black) hairs (p<0.05). There has a significant difference between male and female hair strands in HD, CSC, ICSD and CI. The result has shown the differences between two sites within hair strand has no significant differences, has no significant variation on male (pigmented and nonpigmented) and female (pigmented) inter-hair strands within individuals, has significant variation in inter-individual hair strands in HD, CSC, ICSD and CI.
CONCLUSION: The present results support oxidative stress hypothesis in hair follicle and suggesting the Forensic importance of hair variables.
