Hair Analysis
SUPA Forensics
What Exactly Is Hair?
• Typical mammalian hair consists of the shaft, protruding
above the skin, and the root, which is sunk in a follicle,
or pit, beneath the skin surface.
• Except for a few growing cells at the base of the root, the
hair is dead tissue and is composed of keratin and
related proteins.
• The hair follicle is a tubelike pocket of the epidermis,
that encloses a small section of the dermis at its base.
• Human hair is formed by rapid divisions of cells at the
base of the follicle. As the cells are pushed upward from
the follicle's base, they harden and undergo
pigmentation.
The Structure of Hair:
Cross Section of Hair
The hair shaft is comprised of 3
different cell layers:
Cuticle:
•Translucent outer layer, which
protects the hair.
•Flat cells layered in an overlapping
formation that looks like shingles on
a roof.
Cortex:
•Middle layer made up of long thin
cells firmly attached to each other
and arranged lengthwise.
•Location where nature creates
natural hair coloring, a substance
called melanin.
•Provides hair with strength,
elasticity and determines the
texture and quality of hair.
Medulla:
•Central core of the hair.
•Composed of soft keratin.
Hair / Skin Cross section
Hair parts
Cross Section of Hair
Hair follicle
Hair shaft
Hair Bulb
Cuticle differences
Medulla Patterns
Hair strength
Loss of sulfur causes hair to harden and lose weight.
Hair growth cycle
Hair growth cycle
Diagram showing a resting hair follicle returning from resting
telogen to growing anagen. If the old fiber has not already
fallen out it is pushed out by the new hair fiber growing
underneath.
Hair tutorial
• http://www.thegentletouch.com/hairbiol/hcycl1.htm
The phases of the hair growth cycle
It is easy to remember the lengths of the different
phases of
the growth cycle. Very roughly speaking:
anagen 1000 days (or more)
catagen 10 days
telogen 100 days
The hair growth cycle, showing the changes from the
growing of a new hair (anagen) to its shedding (telogen):
notice how in anagen the hair bulb lies deep inside the
scalp and then rises towards the surface before the hair
is shed, then moves down again as the new hair grows
On a healthy head:
• 80 to 90 percent of the hair follicles are in
the anagen phase
• 2 percent are in the catagen phase
• 10 to 18 percent are in the telogen phase.
Cuticle: the scale structure covering the exterior
of the hair
Cortex: the main body of the hair shaft
Medulla: a cellular column running through the
center of the hair
Anagen phase: the initial growth phase during
which the hair follicle is actively producing hair
Catagen phase: a transition stage between the
anagen and telogen phases of hair growth
Telogen phase: the final growth phase in which
hair naturally falls out of the skin
Nuclear DNA: DNA present within the nucleus of
a cell. This form of DNA is inherited from both
parents
Mitochondrial DNA: DNA present in small
structures (mitochondria) located outside the
nucleus of a cell. Mitochondria are responsible for
supplying energy to the cell. This form of DNA is
maternally (from the mother) inherited.
Three major parts of Hair: Cuticle
• Cuticle:
– Gives hair resistance to chemical breakdown
and retains its structural features.
• Results in important forensic use
– Overlapping scales always point towards tip end
of hair
– Scale pattern allows for differentiation of species
– Study scale by SEM or embedding into soft
medium
Three major parts of Hair: Cuticle
Mosaic
Pectinate
Imbricate
Petal
Diamond
Petal
Chevron
Three major parts of Hair: Cuticle
Three major parts of Hair: Cortex
• Cortex is the main part of the hair
• Has pigment granules
– Compare color, shape, distribution
• Examine by mounting in a liquid with
similar REFRACTIVE INDEX
– Allows for less light to be reflected and
light penetration is optimized
Melanin
•Each of the natural chemicals inside the human body has
a specific job to do.
•One of these is an amino acid called tyrosine.
•The body converts this amino acid into melanin so the hair
will have color.
•First, the body's blood vessels carry tyrosine to the
bottom of each hair follicle.
•Then, in this "melanin factory" tyrosine is used as the
raw material for the production of the natural melanin
that is the color in hair.
In short, natural hair color depends upon the presence,
amount and distribution of melanin, a natural pigment
found in the cortex.
Medulla
Cellular column running through middle of hair
•
• Modullarly index is how much of diameter of hair
medulla takes up
• Human <1/3
• Other animals >1/2
• Medulla can vary even in same individual
• **Shape**: human and most animals have
cylindrical shape
http://www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/july2000/deedric1.htm#Hair%20Evidence
Hair Removal
Naturally shed hairs,
such as a head hair
dislodged through
combing, display
undamaged, clubshaped roots.
A hair forcibly
removed from the
scalp will exhibit
stretching and
damage to the root
area.
Forcibly removed
hairs may have
tissue attached.
Human vs. Human
• All unknowns are compared to:
• KNOWN standards: color, length, shape
and diameter.
• Concentration of Medullary/ cortex
pigments
• Growth after Dyed or bleached?
– Dyed (color) throughout
– Bleached: pigments removed provides a
yellowish tint
• The hair on our scalps and in our
eyebrows and eyelashes are different from
other bodily hairs.
• The hair on our heads grows a healthy .5
inch per month, and long scalp hairs have
an average life of 3 to 5 years. Most of us
have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs
on our heads!
Head Hairs
• Head hairs are usually the longest hairs on the
human body. They are characterized as having a
uniform diameter and, often, a cut tip.
• Head hairs can appear uncut, with tapered tips
but are more often cut with scissors, razors, or
clippers.
• Head hairs are subject to more alteration than
hairs from other body areas such as hair dyes,
rinses, permanents, frosts, and other chemical
applications.
Hair use in crimes
• Environmental alterations can result from
exposure to excessive sunlight, wind, dryness,
and other conditions.
• It is recommended that head hair samples be
obtained as soon as possible from suspects and
victims of crime. Head hair samples obtained
years after a crime are generally not suitable for
meaningful comparison purposes.
Hair use in crimes
• The known sample should contain a random
sampling of hair from different areas of the scalp
( because of different morphology).
• The number of hairs required for a meaningful
comparison may vary depending on the
uniformity of characteristics present in the hairs
from an individual. (usually 50 head hairs –
combed and plucked)
• Head hair vairations are 1:4500 individuals
Pubic Hairs
• Pubic hairs are generally coarse and wiry in appearance. They
exhibit considerable diameter variation or buckling and often have a
continuous to discontinuous medulla. While tapered tips are
common, these hairs may also be abraded or cut
• Pubic hairs are not subject to as much change as head hairs over
time, and because of this, a sample taken a year or more after a
crime may still be suitable for meaningful comparison purposes.
• About 25 full length pubic hairs are required for a sampling
• Variations exist in 1:800 individuals
Facial Hairs
• Facial hairs are more commonly called beard hairs or
mustache hairs. These hairs are coarse in appearance
and can have a triangular cross section. Heavy
shouldering or troughs in the hair are observed under
magnification. Other characteristics include a wide
medulla and a razor-cut tip.
• The presence of facial hairs on the clothing of a suspect
or victim may help establish contact between these
individuals. While these hairs may be compared
microscopically, the significance of the association may
not be as great as head hair and pubic hair associations.
Limb Hairs
• Hairs from the legs and arms constitute limb hairs.
These hairs are shorter in length, arc-like in shape, and
often abraded or tapered at the tips. The pigment in limb
hair is generally granular in appearance, and the medulla
is trace to discontinuous.
• While limb hairs are not routinely compared in a forensic
laboratory, they can differ in appearance between
individuals. These differences, however, are not
considered sufficient to allow limb hairs to be of value for
meaningful comparison purposes.
Fringe Hairs and Axillary Hairs
• Hairs originating from areas of the body outside
those specifically designated as head or pubic
are generally not suitable for significant
comparison purposes. These hairs might
originate from the neck, sideburns, abdomen,
upper leg, and back
• Axillary (underarm) hairs, chest hairs, eye hairs,
and nose hairs are not routinely compared. As
with limb hairs and fringe hairs, their presence
may help to corroborate information obtained
during an investigation.
Hair color
• There are two kinds of melanin found in the
hair: eumelanin (the most common and
responsible for hair shades from brown to black)
and phaeomelanin (responsible for yellowishblond, ginger and red colors). Absence of
pigment produces white/gray hair. Before any
permanent color can be deposited into the hair
shaft, the cuticle, or outer layer, must be
opened. The insoluble formula then reacts with
the cortex to deposit or remove the color.
Chemicals in hair coloring
• The two main chemical ingredients involved in any coloring process
that lasts longer than 12 shampoos are:
• Hydrogen peroxide (also known as the developer or oxidizing
agent) -- This ingredient, in varying forms and strengths, helps
initiate the color-forming process and creates longer-lasting color.
The larger the volume of the developer, the greater the amount of
sulfur is removed from the hair. Loss of sulfur causes hair to harden
and lose weight. This is why, for the majority of hair coloring, the
developer is maintained at 30% volume or less.
• Ammonia -- This alkaline allows for lightening by acting as a
catalyst when the permanent hair color comes together with the
peroxide. Like all alkalines, ammonia tends to separate the cuticle
and allow the hair color to penetrate the cortex of the hair.
• In addition, various types of alcohols, which can also dry the hair,
are present in most hair color
How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?
• Semi-permanent color -- This product adds color
without changing natural color dramatically. The hair
color contains tiny color molecules that enter the
hair's cuticle, or outer layer, and go into your hair's
cortex. They don't interact with your natural
pigments. And since the molecules are small, they
eventually exit the hair shaft after several shampoos,
leaving the hair as it was before treatment. This level
generally lasts for 6 to 12 shampoos, covers up to 50
percent gray, enhances your natural color and leaves
no roots. This hair coloring won't lighten your hair
color because it contains no ammonia or peroxide.
How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?
• demi-permanent color -- This product level lasts longer,
through 24 to 26 shampoos. In this process, pre-color
molecules penetrate the cuticle and enter the cortex
where they then partner to create medium-sized color
molecules. Their larger size means they take longer to
wash out. These products do not contain ammonia so
the natural pigment can't be lightened. However, it
contains a small amount of peroxide, which allows for a
subtle, but noticeable, color enhancement. It also blends
and covers gray. (Both semi- and demi-permanent colors
can become permanent on permed or already-colored
hair!)
How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?
• permanent color -- This is what you need for a more
significant color change. In this level, both ammonia and
peroxide are used. Tiny molecules enter all the way into
the cortex, where they react and expand to a size that
cannot be washed out. Your hair actually has to grow out
over time. This product acts to lighten the hair's natural
pigment to form a new base and then to add a new
permanent color. The end result is a combination of your
natural hair pigment and the new shade you chose. That
means the color may appear different on you than on
someone else using the same color. (That's why the
"strand test" is so important.) Regular touch-ups of 4 to 6
weeks are generally needed to eliminate roots -- hair
with your natural color growing at half an inch per month
from your scalp.
What actually happens to your hair?
• If you're blonde and are going darker -- to brown -permanent hair color uses the interaction between the
ammonia and the peroxide to create a new color base in
your hair shafts.
• If you go in the opposite direction -- from black or brown
to blonde -- the hair goes through an additional step.
First, bleach is used to strip the color from the hair. Then
the ammonia-peroxide reaction creates the new color
and deposits it in the hair shaft.
• If you use a semi-permanent color, the hair is coated
with color, rather than deposited into the hair shaft.
Differences in hair length depend on the length of anagen, which is
genetically determined. These two people started off with hair of the
same length and went without a haircut for 18 months: the man's hair
grows only to his collar before it falls out naturally, but the woman's
anagen period is clearly much longer
Normal Telogen Phase hair
compound
e- micrograph
An anagen hair that has been plucked out:
notice the soft, sticky tail
A method of measuring the rate of hair growth:
both cut hairs and newly emerging hairs can be
seen
Muskrat Hair
This is a deer hair. Unlike that of any other
animal, the root of deer hair has a wineglass shape: a narrow root that gradually
widens. In addition, the medulla, or inner
layer of cells, consists of spherical cells that
take up the whole width of the hair in a
repeating pattern of different shapes, such
as a hexagonal shape, depending on what
member of the deer family the subject
belongs to.
Deer Hair
This is a deer hair. Unlike that of any other animal, the root of deer hair has a wineglass shape: a narrow root that gradually widens. In addition, the medulla, or inner layer
of cells, consists of spherical cells that take up the whole width of the hair in a repeating
pattern of different shapes, such as a hexagonal shape, depending on what member of
the deer family the subject belongs to.
Muskrat Hair
This is a deer hair. Unlike that of any other
animal, the root of deer hair has a wineglass shape: a narrow root that gradually
widens. In addition, the medulla, or inner
layer of cells, consists of spherical cells that
take up the whole width of the hair in a
repeating pattern of different shapes, such
as a hexagonal shape, depending on what
member of the deer family the subject
belongs to.
Deer Hair
This is a cat hair. Cat hair has
fibrous roots and its pigment
particles do not run down to the
root. In addition, its medulla, or
inner layer of cells, is thicker than
that of dog hair.
Cat Hair
s is a cat hair. Cat hair has fibrous roots and its pigment particles do not run down to
root. In addition, its medulla, or inner layer of cells, is thicker than that of
dog hair.
• This is a dog hair. Dog hair has spadelike roots and its pigmentation runs down
throughout the shaft to the root. Its
medulla, or inner layer of cells, is thinner,
too, than that of cat hair.
Dog Hair
This is a dog hair. Dog hair has spade-like roots and its pigmentation runs
down throughout the shaft to the root. Its medulla, or inner layer of cells, is
thinner, too, than that of cat hair
Muskrat Hair
Human Head Hair - Cut
Human Hair Cut
Darn those Split Ends
Human Pubic Hair
Hair Structure
Cuticle – Human Hair
Cuticle – Oragutan hair
Human
Orangutan
Slight Lifting
Normal cuticle
Cuticle damage by overperming
Brush down
Brush up
Electronmicrograph showing new hairs
emerging from the hair follicles of the scalp
Zinc deficiency
Normal
Hair density patterns
A hair, carrying some normal fragments of
debris, seen under the electron microscope
This is a human head hair of
Caucasian origin. Caucasian hairs
come in the widest variety of colors,
can be of fine to medium coarseness
and are generally straight or wavy. In
addition, the shafts vary from round to
oval in cross section. Finally, color
pigments are fine- to medium-sized and
are evenly distributed throughout the
shaft.
Caucasian / European Hair
Hair
This is a human head hair of Caucasian origin. Caucasian hairs come in the
widest variety of colors, can be of fine to medium coarseness and are generally
straight or wavy. In addition, the shafts vary from round to oval in cross
section. Finally, color pigments are fine- to medium-sized and are evenly
distributed throughout the shaft.
Caucasoid hair can be anything from blond to
black in color, and may be curly, wavy or straight
This is a human head hair of Asian origin.
Such hair is generally coarse, straight and
circular in cross section. Its diameter is wider
than the hair of other racial groups, and the
outer layer of the hair, the cuticle, is usually
significantly thicker. The medulla, or inner
layer of cells, is continuous and wide. In
addition, the hair shaft contains pigment
particles that are generally larger than those
of Caucasian hairs, and often appear to be
grouped in patchy areas. Finally, the hair
may have a reddish appearance, a product
of its pigment.
Mongoloid / Asian Hair
This is a human head hair of Asian origin. Such hair is generally coarse, straight and circular in cross
section. Its diameter is wider than the hair of other racial groups, and the outer layer of the hair, the cuticle,
is usually significantly thicker. The medulla, or inner layer of cells, is continuous and wide. In addition, the
hair shaft contains pigment particles that are generally larger than those of Caucasian hairs, and often
appear to be grouped in patchy areas. Finally, the hair may have a reddish appearance, a product of its
pigment.
Asian hair is straight and thick, and
resists damage well
This is a human head hair of Afro-Caribbean
origin. Such hairs are generally curly or kinky, and
have a flattened cross section. Larger than those of
other racial groups, its pigment particles are
grouped in clumps of different sizes and shapes
and may be so dense that they render the hair
opaque. Furthermore, the hair shaft may vary — or
seem to vary — in diameter because of its flattened
nature and the way it settles on the microscope
slide
African American Hair
This is a human head hair of Afro-Caribbean origin. Such hairs are generally curly or
kinky, and have a flattened cross section. Larger than those of other racial groups, its
pigment particles are grouped in clumps of different sizes and shapes and may be so
dense that they render the hair opaque. Furthermore, the hair shaft may vary — or seem
to vary — in diameter because of its flattened nature and the way it settles on the
microscope slide.
African hair is vulnerable to damage,
because of its shape and twisted structure
Human Hairs
Racial Determination
Negroid
Afro-Carribean
Mongoloid
Asian
Caucasian
POST-Mortem root band
Burnt Human Hair
Forced Removal - Naturally Shed
Comparison Microscope evaluation
of hair.
Naturally shed hairs have an
undisturbed club shaped root
Hair forecably removed with
stretching / damage to the root
area
Tissue attached to root.
Recall tissue is the part that has DNA
Examination of the Medulla
Age of hair donor
• The age of an individual cannot be determined
definitively by a microscopic examination; however, the
microscopic appearance of certain human hairs, such as
those of infants and elderly individuals, may provide a
general indication of age.
• The hairs of infants, for example, are generally finer and
less distinctive in microscopic appearance.
• As individuals age, hair can undergo pigment loss and
changes in the configuration of the hair shaft to become
much finer and more variable in diameter.
Sex of hair donor
• Although the sex of an individual is difficult to
determine from microscopic examination, longer,
treated hairs are more frequently encountered in
female individuals.
• Sex can be determined from a forcibly removed
hair (with tissue), but this is not routinely done.
• Nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)
tests will provide more specific information
regarding the possible origin of the hair.
Questions concerning hair examinations and their significance include
•
Is the significance of a hair association dependent on a set number of compared
characteristics?
•
Does the length of the compared hairs affect the significance of an association?
•
Does treatment influence the significance?
•
Are hairs of specific racial groups more significant than others?
•
Do hair sprays, gels, or other hair applications influence the significance of a hair
match?
•
Is a hair match significant when the comparison was made with a limited number of
known hairs?
Examination of the Medulla
Patterns in Animal Species
Examination of Scale Pattern
Hair Roots
Pulled
Forcibly Removed
Shed
Tip of the Shaft
Burned
Cut
Razored
split
Collection of Hair Specimen
All slides pictures and
commentaries copied from a
variety of sources
One Small Snip Of Hair...
One giant headache for Ohio barber
who sold Neil Armstrong's locks
JUNE 1--Former Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong is threatening
to sue an Ohio barber who once cut his hair and then sold the
locks to a collector. Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon,
is steamed at Marx Sizemore, who peddled the shorn hair for
$3000 last May. Now, according to the below May 17 letter from
Armstrong's attorney, the ex-astronaut wants Sizemore to
retrieve the hair or contribute his proceeds from the sale to
charity (Armstrong also wants to be reimbursed for his legal
expenses). Ross Wales, Armstrong's lawyer, contends that the
35-year-old Sizemore's tonsorial hijinks violated a state law
protecting the "persona rights" of famous Ohioans. Sizemore,
who used to cut Armstrong's hair monthly at his Lebanon shop,
told TSG that he did not initiate the hair sale, but rather was
approached by Todd Mueller, a Colorado memorabilia dealer.
The death of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Murder? The answer is in the hair.
Portrait of Longwood House, St. Helena
Portrait of Louis Marchand
http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/assassins/napoleon_bonaparte/index.html
Beethoven’s Hair Locke
• http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven/hair/
hair.html
The Fourth Amendment
Does the collection of a hair
sample from a prisoner violate
their fourth amendment rights?
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but
upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized.
Coddington v. Evanko
At the end of last month, in the case of Coddington v. Evanko, the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that police officers may constitutionally shave large
amounts of hair from a suspect's head, neck, and shoulders, without a warrant, probable
cause, or any basis for suspecting that the hair would provide evidence of crime. The
Fourth Amendment guarantees the people the right to be free from unreasonable
searches and seizures. But according to the court, the Fourth Amendment does not
apply to hair removal.
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20041117.html Find Law
Hair lacks constitutional protection CNN Law
That’s Not My Hair!!!!
Hair Analysis Acceptable Means of Identification
Volume 4, Issue 11 -- Published: Thursday, Oct 12, 2000 -- Last Updated:
Monday, Mar 11, 2002
• Stanford Johnson was found dead in the
home he shared with his son, Terrence
Johnson. An autopsy later revealed that
the victim was killed by manual
strangulation. Because there was no
evidence that the victim's home was
entered forcibly, Terrence Johnson
immediately became a suspect in the
investigation of his father's murder
• At trial, witnesses testified that the cuts and bruises the medical
examiner observed on Terrence Johnson had not been there the day
before the murder.
• Still other witnesses contradicted Terrence Johnson's statements
that he was not home the entire evening before he called the
Jefferson County emergency service to report his discovery of his
father's body.
• Perhaps most convincing, however, was the physical evidence: A
blood spot found on the victim's clothing matched Terrence
Johnson's relatively rare blood type, and hairs found in the victim's
hands had the same characteristics as hair samples taken from
Terrence Johnson's head.
• The murder suspect moved to suppress the testimony of the
serologist who made the connection between the hair in Stanford
Johnson's hands and the hair on Terrence Johnson's head. The trial
court overruled that motion.
Frye Yes, Daubert No
Sentenced to a lifetime prison term for his father's strangulation,
Terrence Johnson appealed, arguing that, among other things, the
court should have suppressed the testimony of the hair analysis
expert.
Johnson primarily relied on Williamson v. Reynolds, 904 F. Supp.
1529 (1995), a case in which a federal district judge in Oklahoma
concluded that hair analysis by microscopic comparison, which
may have satisfied the test established in Fyre v. United States,
54 App. D.C. 46 (D.C. Cir. 1923), did not satisfy the test of
reliability established in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals,
509 U.S. 579 (1993).
Frye Yes, Daubert No
The Supreme Court of Kentucky took judicial notice (that is,
accepted as true) the state's assertion that hair analysis is
scientifically reliable “based upon the overwhelming acceptance of
this evidence by other jurisdictions, as well as our own history of
routine admission of this evidence at trial.”
The Court further held that the Appellant could still convince the
Court that the trial court erred when it admitted the serologist's
testimony, however, by proving that hair analysis is no longer
deemed reliable.
Frye Yes, Daubert No
• The opinion in Williamson was virtually the only
evidence submitted by Appellant in support of
his contention that hair analysis is unreliable.
• Finding that the case was reversed by its own
appellate court and was “thus stripped of any
precedential value,” the Supreme Court of
Kentucky sustained Terrence Johnson's
conviction
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