tag:theconversation.com,2011:/fr/topics/hair-2041/articlesHair – The Conversation2024-03-18T17:08:07Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2247742024-03-18T17:08:07Z2024-03-18T17:08:07ZWhat your hair can tell you about your health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579862/original/file-20240305-20-96aic6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C4684%2C3130&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Genetics, hormones and age can all affect our hair growth.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/damaged-hair-frustrated-asian-young-woman-2403657911">Kmpzzz/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hair speaks volumes. The way we cut, style and colour often acts as a representation of who we are.</p>
<p>But hair is more than just aesthetic. It also has many important functions – preventing heat loss from the skin for instance, or (in the case of our eyebrows) stopping sweat dripping into the eyes. </p>
<p>Hair can be a reflection of what’s going on inside our body, too. Many diseases can alter the quality and appearance of our hair. Paying attention to the way it looks can give us clues to the state of our health. </p>
<h2>The hair cycle</h2>
<p>Some of the tiniest organs in our bodies are the follicles which produce and nourish hairs. Hair can only grow where follicles exist. </p>
<p>Hair growth is a complex process. Each tiny follicle goes through different <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1064740618300270?via%3Dihub">cyclical stages</a>. The first is the stage of active hair growth (the “anogen” phase), before growth is arrested (the “catagen” phase). This then progresses to the stage when the hair is lost or shed from the follicle (the “telogen” phase). </p>
<p>Many factors – from our genetics to our hormones to our age – can affect these follicles and their growth.</p>
<h2>Excess hair growth</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534854/#:%7E:text=Introduction-,Hypertrichosis%20is%20defined%20as%20excessive%20hair%20growth%20anywhere%20on%20the,%5D%5B2%5D%5B3%5D">Hypertrichosis</a> is a condition where hair grows in excess all over the body. In most cases, this is a reaction to starting a new medication, such as phenytoin, which is used to treat epilepsy. But it may also be caused by diseases, such as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738081X23000329?via%3Dihub">anorexia</a> and HIV. </p>
<p>Some conditions also cause hair to grow in places where it shouldn’t. In newborn babies, tufts of hair near the base of the spine may indicate <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10657727/pdf/cureus-0015-00000047396.pdf">spina bifida occulta</a>. This occurs when the lower vertebrae of the spine haven’t formed properly, leaving the delicate spinal cord covered only by skin. </p>
<p>The hows and whys of these conditions and their ability to trigger hypertrichosis remain poorly understood.</p>
<p>Hirsutism is another condition where hair grows excessively, but in a typically male pattern – on the face, lips, chest and arms. This is driven by androgen hormones, namely testosterone, which in high levels promotes hair growth in these regions. This may be observed in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27510481/">polycystic ovary syndrome</a>.</p>
<h2>Hair loss</h2>
<p>Hair may also start to fall out in abnormal amounts, making it thinner or absent in certain body regions. The medical term for hair loss is <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/alopecia-areata/">alopecia</a> and may either be localised or widespread. <a href="https://www.pcds.org.uk/clinical-guidance/alopecia-an-overview">Causes of alopecia</a> are manifold and include fungal infections, iron-deficiency anaemia, low thyroid hormone levels and use of medications (including chemotherapy). </p>
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<img alt="A man with hair loss." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579864/original/file-20240305-28-7sscn3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Male pattern baldness begins in the mid-20s.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caucasian-man-hair-loss-problem-2335225091">ANDRANIK HAKOBYAN/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Age, gender and genetics are also to blame. <a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/male-pattern-hair-loss-male-androgenetic-alopecia/">Male pattern baldness</a>, occurs at the hairline and the crown of the head. It’s influenced by the hormone testosterone, which shortens the growth phase of hairs and makes them finer. Most men with male pattern baldness will begin to observe hair loss by the age of 20-25. </p>
<p><a href="https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/female-pattern-hair-loss-female-androgenetic-alopecia/">Female pattern baldness</a>, on the other hand, usually affects the front hairline first and causes thinning rather than complete loss. The role of testosterone is more debatable in women, but a hormonal cause is implicated since thinning is more common around and after the menopause. </p>
<p>Hair loss may also arise as a result of hair pulling. Styling hair tightly can cause <a href="https://knowyourskin.britishskinfoundation.org.uk/condition/traction-alopecia/#:%7E:text=Traction%20Alopecia%20is%20a%20type,pulled%20repeatedly%20by%20tight%20hairstyles.">traction</a> on the follicle and loss of hair integrity. Some people may also pull or pluck their hairs out of habit. This is called <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/trichotillomania/">trichotillomania</a>.</p>
<h2>Treating hair problems</h2>
<p>Helping hair to regrow could be as simple as treating the underlying condition causing it. Another treatment to consider is the medication <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31496654/">minoxidil</a> – the active ingredient of Rogaine. It was initially developed as a treatment for high blood pressure, but was observed to also promote hair growth. This may be through a direct effect on hair follicles, or by improving blood flow to the scalp. These uncertainties may explain why some patients see good improvement, and others not. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962221009014?via%3Dihub">Hair transplants</a> are also a possibility, relocating crops of hairs to bald patches. There are two ways of performing them – you can either relocate multiple small “punched-out” grafts, or a larger strip of skin. The grafts are taken from hairy skin on the patient’s own body – this is an example of an autograft.</p>
<p>Sometimes the presence of hair in visible areas is not desirable, and there are certain treatments available to stop excessive growth. Aside from traditional hair removal methods, the contraceptive pill and other medications that <a href="https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2019/0801/p168.html">regulate hormonal influence</a> on hair (such as finasteride), can be considered in cases where a hormonal condition is the cause (such as PCOS). </p>
<h2>Test your own hair</h2>
<p>In order to get a better sense of your hair’s health you can perform a simple test at home yourself, known as a <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/cme/principles/examination-of-hair-and-scalp">hair pull</a>. </p>
<p>Select a group of between 30-50 hairs (a small clump) and run your fingers from the base of the hairs at the scalp, up to the ends. You don’t need to pull hard – gentle traction is all that’s needed to dislodge a shedding hair. Look to see how many you’ve pulled out. </p>
<p>It’s normally only one or two hairs that will come out with one pull – but this can vary between people. Greater than ten hairs and your scalp is likely to be shedding more hairs than normal. This could be suggestive of alopecia – though having a dermatologist perform a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31479564">more detailed inspection</a> may help you know if your hair loss indicates a more serious problem.</p>
<p>Changes in your hair may not simply be a case of age or how you’ve been styling it. There are many patterns of hair growth and loss to be aware of. Take heed of any differences noticed by you, or your hairdresser.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224774/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dan Baumgardt does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many diseases can alter the quality and appearance of your hair.Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2237362024-03-14T22:29:22Z2024-03-14T22:29:22ZWhat is minoxidil, the anti-balding hair growth treatment? Here’s what the science says<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579728/original/file-20240304-24-fy5cnb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4256%2C2822&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hiker-man-backpack-walking-looking-mountain-2024434988">Lia Kos/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Hair loss (also known as alopecia) often affects the scalp but can occur anywhere on the body. It’s very common and usually nothing to worry about; about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15525840">half of Australian men</a> show signs of visible baldness at age 50 and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022202X15525840">over a quarter of Australian women</a> report hair thinning by the same age. It’s often genetic.</p>
<p>But if you’ve noticed hair loss and are worried by it, see a GP or dermatologist for a diagnosis before trying any treatments. Products claiming to reverse hair loss are everywhere, but few have been scientifically tested for how well they work.</p>
<p>One group of products that have actually been scientifically tested, however, are known as topical minoxidil products. These include products such as Regaine®.</p>
<p>So, do they work? Here’s what the research evidence says, what you can realistically expect and what you need to know if you’re considering this treatment.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A happy and handsome man with receding hairline relaxes in a park while listening to headphones." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579711/original/file-20240304-24-7l5aya.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Hair loss is very common, and often has a genetic cause.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mature-man-red-basecap-sunglasses-white-2414090295">TunedIn by Westend61/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-balding-a-brief-history-of-hairless-men-199531">The art of balding: a brief history of hairless men</a>
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</em>
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<h2>What is minoxidil – and does it work?</h2>
<p>Topical minoxidil usually comes as a kind of foam or serum you apply to your scalp.</p>
<p>It’s been approved by the <a href="https://www.tga.gov.au/">Therapeutic Goods Administration</a>, Australia’s regulatory authority for therapeutic goods, for the treatment of hereditary hair loss in males and females. Minoxidil is also available in tablet form, but this isn’t currently approved for hair loss (more on that later).</p>
<p>So, is topical minoxidil effective? In short – yes, but the results vary widely from person to person, and it needs to be used consistently over several months to see results.</p>
<p>Scientists don’t know exactly how minoxidil works. It may affect the different phases of the hair life cycle, thereby encouraging growth. It also <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09546634.2021.1945527?casa_token=KhIM_u0u8nwAAAAA:5njp_XE5cHhip454ycvU1p9p_t0VVzpjRu0ozDZ9YqNb04fmhmngWzYeiowZcG5UugLQkTVIzCcj7A">opens up blood vessels</a> near hair follicles. </p>
<p>This increases blood flow, which in turn delivers more oxygen and nutrients to the hair. </p>
<p>While minoxidil is unlikely to restore a full head of thick, lush, hair, it can slow down hair loss and can <a href="https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD007628.pub4/full?highlightAbstract=minoxidil">stimulate regrowth</a>. </p>
<p>It is the over-the-counter option with the most evidence. Two strengths are available: 5% and 2%.</p>
<p>An analysis of randomised controlled trials found minoxidil applied to the scalp twice a day increased the number of hairs per square centimetre by <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28396101/">eight to 15 hairs</a>, with the higher strength treatment having a slightly greater effect. </p>
<h2>Can I use it for non-genetic balding?</h2>
<p>There are many causes of hair loss. The main cause in both males and females is a hereditary condition called androgenic alopecia.</p>
<p>Although topical minoxidil is only approved for use in Australia for androgenic alopecia, there is some evidence it can also help in other conditions that cause hair loss. </p>
<p>For example, it may hasten hair regrowth in patients who have lost hair due to <a href="https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(96)90500-9/abstract">chemotherapy</a>. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, minoxidil is not effective when the hair follicle is gone, like after a burn injury.</p>
<p>Although small studies have found promising results using minoxidil to promote hair growth on the face (for <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1346-8138.13312">beard</a> or <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24471459/">eyebrow</a> enhancement), topical minoxidil products are not currently approved for this use. More research is required.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man who is balding is admiring a sunset." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579723/original/file-20240304-30-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">The main cause of hair loss is a hereditary condition called androgenic alopecia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/silhouette-bald-vacationer-sunglasses-backpack-on-2333317813">tativophotos/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>What else do I need to know?</h2>
<p>Minoxidil won’t work well for everyone. Early in treatment you might notice a temporary increase in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22409453/">hair shedding</a>, as it alters the hair cycle to make way for new growth. Minoxidil needs to be trialled for three to six months to determine if it’s effective.</p>
<p>And as it doesn’t cure hair loss, you must <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jdv.14624?casa_token=P-zW7kDNRs8AAAAA%3AaUgUzxU7lbwBpg1BYPajOfXFhpb_mU5g_ounZ6GtjsLLkHO_AdVQ2Kf-8zZkW80ykBj3N_sOsyn392uc">continue</a> to use it each day to maintain the effect. If you stop, you will start losing the new hair growth <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/assets/medicines/1f8127a5-2a98-4013-a7c3-a53300feb0e5-reduced.pdf">within three to four months</a>.</p>
<p>Minoxidil products may not be suitable for everyone. If you have any medical conditions or take any medications, you should speak with your doctor or pharmacist before using minoxidil products. </p>
<p>It has not been tested for safety in <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/assets/medicines/1f8127a5-2a98-4013-a7c3-a53300feb0e5-reduced.pdf">people under 18, over 65, or those who are pregnant</a>.</p>
<p>You can read the <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/medicine-finder/regaine-for-men-regular-strength-application">consumer medicines information sheet</a> for more information about using over-the-counter minoxidil products. </p>
<p>Many people do not like to use minoxidil solution or foams long-term because they need to be applied everyday day, which can be inconvenient. Or they may notice side effects, such as scalp irritation and changes to hair texture. </p>
<p>Some people <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jdv.14624?casa_token=P-zW7kDNRs8AAAAA%3AaUgUzxU7lbwBpg1BYPajOfXFhpb_mU5g_ounZ6GtjsLLkHO_AdVQ2Kf-8zZkW80ykBj3N_sOsyn392uc">tolerate the foam products better</a> than the solution, as the solution contains more of a compound called propylene glycol (which can irritate the skin).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman noticed hair in her hairbrush." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/579725/original/file-20240304-20-fan36r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Hair loss affects women, too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-comb-brush-long-loss-hair-684900076">zentradyi3ell/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>What about the oral tablet form of minoxidil?</h2>
<p>Minoxidil is also available on prescription as an oral tablet. While traditionally used for high blood pressure, it has also been used as a treatment for hair loss.</p>
<p>In 2020, a <a href="https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(20)32109-5/abstract">systematic review</a> identified 17 studies involving 634 patients using oral minoxidil for various hair loss conditions. </p>
<p>The authors found oral minoxidil was effective and generally well tolerated in healthy people who were having trouble using the topical products.</p>
<p>The review noted oral minoxidil may increase hair growth over the whole body and may cause heart-related side effects in some patients. More research is required.</p>
<p>In Australia, oral minoxidil is available under the trade name <a href="https://www.nps.org.au/assets/medicines/df29e16f-6464-4652-ba1f-a53300fed275.pdf">Loniten</a>®. However, it is currently only approved for use in high blood pressure. </p>
<p>When people seek a prescription treatment for a non-approved purpose, this is called “off-label” prescribing. Off-label prescribing of oral minoxidil, potentially for use in alopecia, may have contributed to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10170338/">shortages</a> of Loniten® tablets in recent years. This can reduce availability of this medicine for people who need it for high blood pressure.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-hair-bald-how-much-difference-your-hair-really-makes-to-keep-you-cool-or-warm-201380">Big hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223736/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacinta Johnson is Senior Pharmacist for Research within SA Pharmacy and Board Director for the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia. In the last five years, she has received research funding or consultancy funds (for development and delivery of educational materials) from SA Health, the Medical Research Future Fund, the Hospital Research Foundation – Parkinson's, the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, the Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia, Mundipharma Pty Ltd, Aspen Pharmacare Australia Pty Ltd, Viatris Pty Ltd. and Reckitt Benckiser (Australia) Pty Ltd. No funding has been received relating to minoxidil.
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kirsten Staff does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Here’s what you can realistically expect and what you need to know if you’re considering this treatment.Jacinta L. Johnson, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, University of South AustraliaKirsten Staff, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2193292024-01-12T00:16:53Z2024-01-12T00:16:53ZFrom straight to curly, thick to thin: here’s how hormones and chemotherapy can change your hair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567011/original/file-20231221-27-ytfbxc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C8%2C6000%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/back-view-young-beautiful-woman-white-1489934231">Orawan Pattarawimonchai/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Head hair comes in many colours, shapes and sizes, and hairstyles are often an expression of personal style or cultural identity. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36631178/">Many different genes</a> determine our hair texture, thickness and colour. But some people’s hair changes around the time of puberty, pregnancy or after chemotherapy.</p>
<p>So, what can cause hair to become curlier, thicker, thinner or grey?</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-hair-bald-how-much-difference-your-hair-really-makes-to-keep-you-cool-or-warm-201380">Big hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm</a>
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</p>
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<h2>Curly or straight? How hair follicle shape plays a role</h2>
<p>Hair is made of <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23204-keratin">keratin</a>, a strong and insoluble protein. Each hair strand grows from its own <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470321/">hair follicle</a> that extends deep into the skin. </p>
<p>Curly hair forms due to asymmetry of both the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6894537/">hair follicle and the keratin</a> in the hair.</p>
<p>Follicles that produce <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318524">curly hair</a> are asymmetrical and curved and lie at an angle to the surface of the skin. This kinks the hair as it first grows.</p>
<p>The asymmetry of the hair follicle also causes the keratin to bunch up on one side of the hair strand. This pulls parts of the hair strand closer together into a curl, which maintains the curl as the hair continues to grow. </p>
<p>Follicles that are symmetrical, round and perpendicular to the skin surface produce straight hair. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram shows the hair follicle shape of straight, curly and coiled hair." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567020/original/file-20231221-29-fp0wci.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Each hair strand grows from its own hair follicle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/diagram-hair-follicle-shape-vector-illustration-2248429145">Mosterpiece/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-dandruff-how-do-i-get-rid-of-it-why-does-it-keep-coming-back-201082">What is dandruff? How do I get rid of it? Why does it keep coming back?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Life changes, hair changes</h2>
<p>Our hair undergoes repeated cycles throughout life, with different stages of growth and loss.</p>
<p>Each hair follicle contains stem cells, which multiply and <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcell.2022.899095/full">grow into a hair strand</a>.</p>
<p>Head hairs spend most of their time in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5905671/">the growth phase</a>, which can last for several years. This is why head hair can grow so long. </p>
<p>Let’s look at the life of a single hair strand. After the growth phase is a transitional phase of about two weeks, where the hair strand stops growing. This is followed by a resting phase where the hair remains in the follicle for a few months before it <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/stages-of-hair-growth">naturally falls out</a>.</p>
<p>The hair follicle <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/exd.13347">remains in the skin</a> and the stems cells grow a new hair to repeat the cycle.</p>
<p>Each hair on the scalp is replaced <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4606321/#b3">every three to five years</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with curly hair works on her computer." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567014/original/file-20231221-27-mq3dok.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Each hair on the scalp is replaced every three to five years.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-businesswoman-office-beautiful-woman-listening-1702284601">Just Life/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hormone changes during and after pregnancy alter the usual hair cycle</h2>
<p>Many women notice their hair is <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/pregnancy-hair">thicker during pregnancy</a>.</p>
<p>During pregnancy, high levels of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4908443/">oestrogen, progesterone and prolactin</a> prolong the resting phase of the hair cycle. This means the hair <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432488/">stays in the hair follicle for longer</a>, with less hair loss. </p>
<p>A drop in hormones a few months after delivery causes increased hair loss. This is due to all the hairs that remained in the resting phase during pregnancy falling out in a fairly synchronised way. </p>
<h2>Hair can change around puberty, pregnancy or after chemotherapy</h2>
<p>This is related to the genetics of hair shape, which is an example of <a href="https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/incomplete-dominance">incomplete dominance</a>. </p>
<p>Incomplete dominance is when there is a middle version of a trait. For hair, we have curly hair and straight hair genes. But when someone has one curly hair gene and one straight hair gene, they can have wavy hair. </p>
<p>Hormonal changes that occur around <a href="https://clinicalepigeneticsjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13148-019-0780-4">puberty</a> and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/20/12698">pregnancy</a> can affect the function of genes. This can cause the curly hair gene of someone with wavy hair to become more active. This can change their hair from wavy to curly.</p>
<p>Researchers have identified that activating specific genes can change hair in pigs <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1184015/full">from straight to curly</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5759815/">Chemotherapy</a> has very visible effects on hair. Chemotherapy kills rapidly dividing cells, <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2628766">including hair follicles</a>, which causes hair loss. Chemotherapy can also have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1988866/">genetic effects</a> that influence hair follicle shape. This can cause hair to <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/chemo-curls">regrow with a different shape</a> for the first few cycles of hair regrowth.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with wavy hair looks in a mirror" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567015/original/file-20231221-17-ecswfa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Your hair can change at different stages of your life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-redhaired-girl-bathroom-looks-mirror-2139652407">Igor Ivakhno/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hormonal changes as we age also affect our hair</h2>
<p>Throughout life, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7432488/">thyroid hormones</a> are essential for production of keratin. Low levels of thyroid hormones can cause dry and brittle hair.</p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36578854/">Oestrogen and androgens</a> also regulate hair growth and loss, particularly as we age. </p>
<p>Balding in males is due to <a href="https://theconversation.com/starting-to-thin-out-hair-loss-doesnt-have-to-lead-to-baldness-34984">higher levels of androgens</a>. In particular, high dihydrotestosterone (sometimes shortened to DHT), which is produced in the body from testosterone, has a role in <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7269836/">male pattern baldness</a>. </p>
<p>Some women experience <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-does-womens-hair-thin-out-39126">female pattern hair loss</a>. This is caused by a combination of genetic factors plus lower levels of <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/12/3/893">oestrogen and higher androgens</a> after menopause. The hair follicles become smaller and smaller until they no longer produce hairs. </p>
<p>Reduced function of the cells that produce <a href="https://www.health.com/mind-body/what-going-gray-early-can-tell-you-about-your-health">melanin</a> (the pigment that gives our hair colour) is what causes greying.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-why-dont-burns-bleed-130792">Curious Kids: why don't burns bleed?</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219329/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Larkin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Changes around puberty and pregnancy can affect the function of genes influencing hair shape. And chemotherapy can cause hair to regrow in a different shape for the first few cycles of hair regrowth.Theresa Larkin, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2154132023-10-12T15:42:16Z2023-10-12T15:42:16ZDetangling the roots and health risks of hair relaxers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553298/original/file-20231011-17-pt1c1a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C16%2C1573%2C1029&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Sinclair Daniel plays Nella in 'The Other Black Girl', a horror-satire about the dangers of Black women's hair care products — something this week's podcast guest knows a lot about</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Wilfred Harwood/Hulu)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/e1cedb4b-f913-4e16-99f9-79aaed19a961?dark=true"></iframe>
<p>In this reflective and personal episode of <a href="https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/detangling-the-roots-and-health-risks-of-hair-relaxers"><em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em></a>, Prof. Cheryl Thompson of Toronto Metropolitan University and author of <a href="https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/B/Beauty-in-a-Box"><em>Beauty in a Box</em></a> untangles the wending history of hair relaxers for Black women — and the health risks now linked to them.</p>
<p>For decades, Black women have been using hair relaxers to help them “fit into” global mainstream workplaces and the European standards of beauty that <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/the-crown-act-september-2020-cover-story">continue to dominate them</a>. More recently, research has <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djac165">linked these relaxers to cancer</a> and reproductive health issues — and a spate of <a href="https://www.thecut.com/article/hair-straightener-relaxers-cancer.html">lawsuits across the United States</a>, and at least <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/black-hair-class-action-lawsuit-loreal-1.6721662">one in Canada</a>, have been brought by Black women against the makers of these relaxants.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="The ad shows a Black woman in a red suit jacket, holding a phone: 'Was it her resume or Raveen.'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=864&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553319/original/file-20231011-27-nefrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1086&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A vintage magazine ad for the ‘Raveen hair relaxer system,’ circa 1990.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Prof. Thompson and I get into it: including her own relationship to using relaxers as a Black woman, the lawsuits and the wending history and relationship between these relaxants and Black women. We also — for obvious reasons — dip into <em>The Other Black Girl</em>, the novel that is also now a horror-satire streaming series about mind-controlling hair products. </p>
<h2>Read more in The Conversation</h2>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/black-canadian-women-artists-detangle-the-roots-of-black-beauty-109560">Black Canadian women artists detangle the roots of Black beauty</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/kinky-curly-hair-a-tool-of-resistance-across-the-african-diaspora-65692">Kinky, curly hair: a tool of resistance across the African diaspora</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/jada-pinkett-smith-and-black-womens-hair-history-of-disrespect-leads-to-the-crown-act-180631">Jada Pinkett Smith and Black women's hair: History of disrespect leads to the CROWN Act</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-in-a-word-how-to-confront-150-years-of-racial-stereotypes-dont-call-me-resilient-153790">What's in a word? How to confront 150 years of racial stereotypes: Don't Call Me Resilient</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Resources</h2>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=770&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=770&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=770&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=968&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=968&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553325/original/file-20231011-25-arojsy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=968&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A vintage magazine ad for Ultra Sheen, a hair product made by the Black-owned Johnson Products to cater to Black consumers, circa 1963.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djac165">Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer</a> (<em>Journal of the National Cancer Institute</em>)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/27/loreal-lawsuit-hair-straightener-relaxer/">“She was diagnosed with cancer at 28. Her lawsuit blames hair relaxers”</a> (<em>Washington Post</em>)</p>
<p><a href="https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/B/Beauty-in-a-Box"><em>Beauty in a Box: Detangling the Roots of Canada’s Black Beauty Culture</em></a> by Cheryl Thompson</p>
<p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/black-brazilians-are-ditching-hair-straighteners-and-white-standards-of-beauty/2018/06/18/25499a0e-6d8c-11e8-b4d8-eaf78d4c544c_story.html">“Black Brazilians are ditching hair straighteners and white standards of beauty”</a> (<em>Washington Post</em>)</p>
<h2>Listen and follow</h2>
<p>You can listen to or follow <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em> on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/dont-call-me-resilient/id1549798876">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/37tK4zmjWvq2Sh6jLIpzp7">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_mJBLBznANz6ID9rBCUk7gv_ZRC4Og9-">YouTube</a> or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts. </p>
<p><a href="mailto:DCMR@theconversation.com">We’d love to hear from you</a>, including any ideas for future episodes. Join The Conversation on <a href="https://twitter.com/ConversationCA">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dontcallmeresilientpodcast/">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@theconversation">TikTok</a> and use #DontCallMeResilient.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7gmYkNE0wYw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The trailer for ‘The Other Black Girl’ (Hulu/Disney)</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/215413/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
In this episode, Cheryl Thompson, author of ‘Beauty in a Box,’ untangles the roots of hair relaxers for Black women and discusses their potential health dangers and resulting hundreds of lawsuits.Vinita Srivastava, Host + Producer, Don't Call Me ResilientDannielle Piper, Associate Producer, Don't Call Me Resilient, The ConversationLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2107672023-08-11T12:38:20Z2023-08-11T12:38:20ZWhy does your hair curl in the summer? A chemist explains the science behind hair structure<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541973/original/file-20230809-27177-taruq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C8%2C5625%2C3741&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Summer humidity can change the way your hair is behaving -- but what's the science behind that?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/smiling-woman-on-beach-royalty-free-image/629639483?phrase=curly+hair+summer&adppopup=true">Tim Robberts/Stone via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you have curly hair, you know that every day is a new adventure. What will my hair do today? Why does it curl better on some days than others? And even those without naturally curly hair might notice their hair curling – or, let’s be honest, frizzing – a bit on humid summer days.</p>
<p>As a person with curly hair, I’m always looking for the best way to care for and understand my hair. <a href="https://chemistry.umbc.edu/faculty/tara-carpenter/">As a chemist</a>, I’m interested in the science behind how my hair behaves at the molecular level. There are <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/hair-types#definition">different hair types</a>, from straight to curly, and they behave differently depending on their structure. But what hairs are made up of at the molecular level is the same. </p>
<h2>Hair structure</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546248/">Hair begins growing</a> under the skin’s surface, but it’s what happens after it pokes through the skin that determines whether you have a good hair day or a bad one. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram showing the three hair layers: medulla (innermost), then cortex, then cuticle (outermost)" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541792/original/file-20230808-30088-xypnhp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The three layers of hair.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuticle_%28hair%29#/media/File:Hair_shaft_diagram.png">Christinelmiller/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.619/supp-1">Each hair can have three layers</a> – the medulla, the cortex and the cuticle. You can think of each hair like a tiny tree trunk.</p>
<p>The innermost, or core layer, is the medulla. This layer holds moisture, much like <a href="https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/pith">the pith</a> in the center of a tree trunk. This layer is also very fragile, but only thick or coarse hairs contain this part – so those with thin or blond hair typically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2020.05.538">don’t have the medulla layer</a> in their hairs.</p>
<p>Next is the cortex, which makes up most of a hair and is analogous to the wood of a tree. The cortex is made up of spring-shaped protein molecules that lie in parallel rows in a cylindrical bundle. The exact shape of that bundle is <a href="https://www.thetech.org/ask-a-geneticist/articles/2018/hair-texture-can-change/">determined by the hair follicle</a>, which is a <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/23435-hair-follicle">pore</a> on the skin from where the hair grows. </p>
<p>How the hair grows out of the follicle influences <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/exd.13347">the distribution of its proteins</a>. So a straight follicle produces straight hair and a curved follicle produces curly hair. The less evenly distributed the squiggly proteins are, the curlier the hair. Your genetic code also plays a role in the shape of the cortex and, therefore, the shape and thickness of your hair.</p>
<p>Lastly, the outermost layer of a hair is called the cuticle. The cuticle is like the bark of a tree – and it even looks like bark under a microscope.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A microscope image of a hair cuticle, which looks like a long, fraying cylinder." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=457&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/541793/original/file-20230808-27-3fafzt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=574&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A hair’s cuticle under a microscope.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.lookandlearn.com/history-images/YW008759B/Human-hair-Asian-origin">Lauren Holden</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
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<p>It’s the cuticle’s job to protect the cortex, but the cuticle is <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/did-you-know-health/under-microscope-hair">very easily damaged</a>. Imagine lifting or removing the bark from a tree. Doing so would leave the wood inside susceptible to moisture loss, exposure to the environment and damage. </p>
<p>The same is true for each hair. When the cuticle is damaged from brushing, chemicals, wind or heat, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27227701">proteins of the cortex</a> have a much more difficult time lying smoothly together. This means they can lose moisture, gain moisture, fray like a rope – this causes split ends – and even break. All these factors can influence how your hair looks at any given moment.</p>
<h2>Hair in the summer</h2>
<p>So what does all of this have to do with humidity? Well, hair proteins contain many permanent chemical bonds. Only chemical treatments like perms or straightening can change these bonds. But there’s another natural phenomenon that keeps the protein molecules in the cortex in line – something called <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrogen-bonding">hydrogen bonding</a>. </p>
<p>The long, stringy protein molecules in the cortex contain <a href="https://chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Grand_Rapids_Community_College/CHM_120_-_Survey_of_General_Chemistry(Neils)/3%3A_Chemical_Formulas_and_Bonding/3.05%3A_Electronegativity_and_Bond_Polarity">tiny positive and negative charges</a> throughout their structure. Because opposite charges attract each other, entire rows of proteins can be attracted to each other like tiny, weak magnets.</p>
<p>Heating or wetting your hair breaks the magnetlike attraction between these rows of proteins. So, heat and water can rearrange the proteins in your hair by <a href="https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/General_Biology_1e_(OpenStax)/1%3A_The_Chemistry_of_Life/2%3A_The_Chemical_Foundation_of_Life/2.2%3A_Water">breaking the hydrogen bonds</a> that keep their structure together.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">How hydrogen bonds form.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Water is one of the best molecules at hydrogen bonding. So when a molecule of water has the opportunity to hydrogen bond with something, it will. </p>
<p>In your hair, water can form hydrogen bonds <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/macromolecules/proteins-and-amino-acids/a/orders-of-protein-structure">between the rows of proteins</a> in your hair’s cortex. It is the extent to which this happens that determines your hair’s fate. </p>
<p>When just a little water enters the hair, like it might in lower humidity conditions or when the cuticle is healthy and able to keep too much water out of the cortex, your hair may curl. When humidity is high, or the cuticle is damaged, more water enters the hair. Too much water can swell and crack the cuticle, making <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/why-humidity-makes-your-hair-curl-21127724/">hair look frizzy</a>. </p>
<p>Many people consider high humidity to be the problem behind frizzy hair, but styling your hair under high humidity and then entering a less humid environment can also be an issue. Water molecules leaving the hair’s cortex can also lead to a change in hair behavior.</p>
<h2>Treating summer hair</h2>
<p>A damaged cuticle layer leaves the cortex <a href="https://www.functionofbeauty.com/blog/lightreads/hair-cuticle/">more susceptible</a> to water molecules creeping in or out and wreaking havoc on your hair. Anytime water molecules travel in or out, your hair’s structure suffers and your hairstyle may be ruined. When the cuticle is healthy, it can protect the cortex, making your hair less susceptible to changes in the weather or environment. The bottom line is that a healthy hair cuticle helps keep proper moisture in the cortex. </p>
<p>Heat from styling tools is the most common culprit behind damaged cuticles, but chemical treatments, brushing, sun and wind can also <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/hair-loss/insider/stop-damage">cause damage</a>. Avoiding these activities can help, but some things, such as exposure to the sun, can’t be avoided. </p>
<p>You can also take care of your scalp – a clean, healthy scalp leads to healthy hair cuticles. Using moisturizing products on your hair can help maintain cuticle health as well. Oils and moisturizing treatments can even <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-to-repair-damaged-hair">restore damaged cuticles</a>. The good news is that by understanding your hair and treating it well, you can help prevent the undesired effects of humidity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210767/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tara S. Carpenter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A chemist explains how the structure of your hair follicles, your genetic code and environmental factors like humidity influence how hair behaves on a day-to-day basis.Tara S. Carpenter, Principle Lecturer, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2010822023-07-27T02:08:56Z2023-07-27T02:08:56ZWhat is dandruff? How do I get rid of it? Why does it keep coming back?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536006/original/file-20230706-25-n7njvh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C0%2C995%2C667&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dander-that-causes-itching-scalp-373934782">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dandruff can be dry, like snowflakes, or greasy, with yellow clumps. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551707/">Up to half</a> of all adults have had this scalp condition at one point, so you’ll no doubt know about these skin flakes and the itchiness. </p>
<p>Dandruff can be <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1439-0507.2008.01624.x">embarrassing</a>. It can affect many aspects of people’s lives, such as how they socialise, how they style their hair, and what clothes they wear.</p>
<p>Dandruff is not a modern problem. In fact, it has been around for millennia and was <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2181905/">described</a> by Greek physicians. We don’t know for sure whether our ancestors were as bothered by it as much as we are today. But they were interested in what causes it.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/big-hair-bald-how-much-difference-your-hair-really-makes-to-keep-you-cool-or-warm-201380">Big hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm</a>
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<hr>
<h2>What causes dandruff?</h2>
<p>Dandruff is mainly caused by the yeast <em><a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/pdf/S1931-3128(19)30106-4.pdf">Malassezia</a></em>. The yeast lives on most people’s skin, either on the surface or in the opening of the hair follicle, the structure that surrounds a hair’s root and strand.</p>
<p>The yeast feeds on sebum, the natural moisturiser secreted by your sebaceous glands to stop your skin drying out. These glands are attached to every hair follicle and the hair provides a dark, sheltered micro-environment ideal for the yeast to flourish.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram of skin cross-section showing hair follicle and other skin structures" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=520&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/536003/original/file-20230706-22-6t0yr8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=653&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The yeast that causes dandruff lives on the skin surface and in the opening of the hair follicle.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/medical-education-chart-biology-hair-diagram-645657787">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>As the yeast grows, it releases molecules that irritate the skin and disrupts how the skin normally renews itself. This causes the cells to cluster together, appearing as white flakes. When there is excess sebum, this can mix with the cells and cause the dandruff to appear <a href="https://www.headandshoulders.co.in/en-in/healthy-hair-and-scalp/dandruff/yellow-dandruff">yellow</a>.</p>
<p>The link between dandruff and yeast was made nearly 150 years ago. The person who first identified and described this yeast <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/pdf/S1931-3128(19)30106-4.pdf">in 1874</a> was Louis-Charles Malassez (the yeast’s namesake).</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/invisible-skin-mites-called-demodex-almost-certainly-live-on-your-face-but-what-about-your-mascara-195451">Invisible skin mites called Demodex almost certainly live on your face – but what about your mascara?</a>
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<h2>Why do I have dandruff?</h2>
<p>As <em>Malassezia</em> is found on most people, why do some people get dandruff and others don’t? This depends on a range of factors.</p>
<p>These include the quality of your skin barrier. This may mean yeast can penetrate deeper if the skin is damaged in some way, for example, if it’s sunburnt. Other factors include your immunity, and external factors, such as which hair-care products you use.</p>
<p>How <em>Malassezia</em> grows also depends on the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4864613/">balance</a> of other microorganisms that live on your skin, such as bacteria.</p>
<h2>How do I get rid of dandruff?</h2>
<p>Dandruff is mostly treated with <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0939641123000292?via%3Dihub">anti-fungal</a> shampoos and scalp treatments to dampen down growth of <em>Malassezia</em>. The shampoos most commonly contain the anti-fungal agent <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34575891/">zinc pyrithione</a> (ZnPT for short). Other common anti-fungals in shampoos include selenium sulfide, ketoconazole and coal tar. </p>
<p>You can also treat dandruff with scalp masks and scrubs that help restore the scalp barrier, by reducing inflammation and irritation. But as these may not have any anti-fungal action, your dandruff is likely to return.</p>
<p>Home remedies <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-treat-dandruff#7.-Omega-3s">include</a> tea tree oil, coconut or other oils, and honey. There is some evidence to support their use, mostly from <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35642120/">studies</a> that show extracts from botanical ingredients can reduce growth of the yeast in the lab. But there is great variation in the quality and composition of these ingredients.</p>
<p>There is also the risk of making the problem worse by providing more oils that the yeast will enjoy, causing more imbalance to the scalp micro-organisms and leading to more irritation.</p>
<p>So it’s best to stick with commercial products.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/does-the-price-of-your-shampoo-affect-how-clean-your-hair-is-heres-the-science-71597">Does the price of your shampoo affect how clean your hair is? Here's the science</a>
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<h2>Why does my dandruff come back?</h2>
<p>Your dandruff is likely to return unless the active ingredients in your shampoo can reach the right spot, at the right concentration, for the right amount of time needed to kill the yeast. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36842718/">research</a> focussing on zinc pyrithione-based products showed these shampoos reached the skin surface. But they less-reliably ended up in the harder-to-reach hair follicles.</p>
<p>We found the zinc pythione seemed <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35631659/">to target</a> the top of the follicles rather than deep into the follicles. </p>
<p>So this may explain why dandruff keeps on coming back. Your shampoo’s active ingredient may not reach the yeast that causes your dandruff.</p>
<p>We don’t yet know how we can encourage existing formulations to penetrate deeper into the follicles.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-toe-jam-from-harmless-gunk-to-a-feast-for-bugs-177454">What is toe jam? From harmless gunk to a feast for bugs</a>
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<h2>What about future treatments?</h2>
<p>We’ll likely see new formulations of dandruff shampoos and scalp treatments that better deliver the active ingredient to where it’s needed – deeper into the hair follicles.</p>
<p>We can also expect new active ingredients, such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28766952/">carbonic anhydrase</a> enzymes. These might target how the yeast grows in a different way to current active ingredients.</p>
<p>We are also beginning to see the development of creams and lotions that aim to boost the health balance of flora of the skin, much like we see with similar products for the gut. These include pre-biotics (supplements or food for skin flora) or pro-biotics (products that contain skin flora). However we have <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/8/3/90/htm">much to learn</a> about these types of formulations.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/your-bed-probably-isnt-as-clean-as-you-think-a-microbiologist-explains-163513">Your bed probably isn’t as clean as you think – a microbiologist explains</a>
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<h2>In a nutshell</h2>
<p>Dandruff is annoying, treatment helps, but you may need to repeat it. Hopefully, we can develop improved shampoos that better deliver the active ingredient to where it’s needed.</p>
<p>But we need to strike a balance. We don’t want to eliminate all micro-organisms from our skin.</p>
<p>These are important for our immunity, including preventing more disease-causing microbes (pathogens) from moving in. They also help the skin produce antimicrobial peptides (short proteins) that protect us from pathogens.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/essays-on-health-microbes-arent-the-enemy-theyre-a-big-part-of-who-we-are-79116">Essays on health: microbes aren't the enemy, they're a big part of who we are</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201082/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sean Mangion is also a medical student at The University of Sydney. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lorraine Mackenzie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>We’ve known about dandruff for thousands of years. Here’s how to get rid of yours.Lorraine Mackenzie, Associate Professor, Clinical and Health Sciences, University of South AustraliaSean Mangion, PhD Candidate, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2013802023-06-15T02:07:48Z2023-06-15T02:07:48ZBig hair? Bald? How much difference your hair really makes to keep you cool or warm<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525825/original/file-20230512-21-gwsojg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1000%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-photo-beautiful-she-her-wear-1776598856">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We have <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-does-womens-hair-thin-out-39126">millions</a> of hair follicles on our body, including around 100,000 on our scalp. </p>
<p>This might sound like a lot of hair, yet humans are described as “hairless”. We have evolved to be the only mammals with a relatively hairless body, but still with scalp hair.</p>
<p>So how does your hair affect your body temperature when it’s hot or cold? </p>
<p>Compared with other animals, our hair does not have as much influence on keeping us warm or cool as you might think. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-why-do-some-people-feel-the-cold-more-than-others-37805">Health Check: why do some people feel the cold more than others?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Essential to our survival</h2>
<p>Our brain function and body’s metabolism depend on an optimal temperature of around 37°C. Thermoregulation maintains this body temperature, even when we are exposed to a hotter or colder external temperature.</p>
<p>For non-human mammals, body hair or fur plays a role in protecting against environmental cold or heat. </p>
<p>For instance, a heavy fur coat helps keep a polar bear <a href="https://polarbearsinternational.org/polar-bears-changing-arctic/polar-bear-facts/adaptions-characteristics/">warm</a> in the cold. But fur also keeps an animal cool in the heat because it can <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/25064866">absorb or reflect</a> radiant heat. </p>
<p>Scientists think this is why humans have kept hair on our heads. Our heads are exposed to the most heat from the sun, and scalp hair keeps our heads cool. </p>
<p>Research published just last week <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">suggests</a> curly hair provides the best heat protection. That’s because curly hair’s thicker layer of insulation reduces the amount of sun that reaches the scalp.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four people arm in arm walking along dirt road" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=390&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/528515/original/file-20230526-29-hlgs3o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=490&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Curly hair may provide the best protection.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/friends-walking-travel-young-people-nature-2212936811">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-humid-is-it-3-things-to-keep-you-cool-in-a-hot-and-sticky-summer-and-3-things-that-wont-176365">How humid is it? 3 things to keep you cool in a hot and sticky summer (and 3 things that won't)</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>But hair is not the only factor</h2>
<p>When humans moved from living in the jungle to the savannah, they needed to walk and run long distances in the sun. This meant they needed a way to handle the increased body temperature that comes with physical activity in the heat. </p>
<p>Sweating is the best way to lose heat and cool down, but the presence of hair reduces sweating and heat loss from the skin.</p>
<p>So humans evolved to <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1113915108">lose body hair</a> to be better adapted to exercising in the heat. Fewer hair follicles in our skin made room for more sweat glands. This made our skin optimal for sweat evaporation – and the <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-keep-cool-on-hot-summer-days-heres-how-34489">heat loss</a> that goes with it – to keep us cool.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-balding-a-brief-history-of-hairless-men-199531">The art of balding: a brief history of hairless men</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what’s best in the heat?</h2>
<p>You might think removing body hair or having a bald head is best for sweating and keeping cool when exercising in the heat. However, it’s not that simple.</p>
<p>Removing head hair would increase the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2301760120">amount of sun</a> that reaches your scalp. This means you would need to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20683812/">sweat more</a> during exercise in the sun to reduce an increase in body temperature, but not by much.</p>
<p>In fact, it’s the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">least hairy</a>
areas of our body that have the highest sweat rates during exercise. These are our forehead, neck, feet and hands.</p>
<p>So the best way to keep cool in the heat is to keep these areas uncovered (but still use sunscreen). Removing body hair will not have a large impact on your overall sweat rate.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Bald man combing head" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/525826/original/file-20230512-22-p8iehb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Going bald or thinking of shaving your head? It won’t much affect your overall sweat rate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/nostalgic-man-comb-his-bald-head-180040100">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How about when it’s cold?</h2>
<p>Our body hair and head hair theoretically have a role in keeping us warm, but the effects are minimal.</p>
<p>When we are cold, the muscles of the hair follicles on the body contract to cause the hairs to stand straight. This is an attempt to trap heat close to the body and we see this as goosebumps. However, because our body hair is so thin, this does not have a big effect in keeping us warm.</p>
<p>Our head hair can prevent some heat loss from the head, but again this is limited. </p>
<p>When it’s cold, heat can still be lost through the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667044/#:%7E:text=The%20body%20hair%20is%20advantageous,heat%20removal%20during%20heat%20stress.">skin of the head</a> regardless of your hairstyle. </p>
<p>The scalp also has only a very thin layer of fat compared to the rest of our skin, so our head has less insulation to protect against the cold. </p>
<p>A warm hat or beanie is the only way to prevent too much heat lost from the head.</p>
<h2>In a nutshell</h2>
<p>Our head and body hair, or lack of it, does have a small role in how you maintain your body temperature. </p>
<p>But overall, your hairstyle does not influence whether you feel warm or cool.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ive-always-wondered-why-did-mammals-go-the-fur-route-rather-than-developing-feathers-103905">I've Always Wondered: why did mammals go the fur route, rather than developing feathers?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Theresa Larkin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Keeping warm in winter and cool in summer is down to more than the length of your hair.Theresa Larkin, Associate professor of Medical Sciences, University of WollongongLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2039732023-04-24T13:32:40Z2023-04-24T13:32:40ZYour mullet is more than a haircut, it’s a political statement – a hair historian explains<p>From <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/paul-mescal-mullet-hair-baftas-b2286104.html">Paul Mescal</a> at the Baftas to Emma Corrin’s Governors Awards <a href="https://www.popsugar.co.uk/beauty/emma-corrin-mixie-haircut-49021902">“mixie” haircut</a>, the <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/how-to-nail-the-modern-fashion-shag">1970s-inspired shaggy mullet</a> is everywhere. But the now-popular “business up front and party in the back” style has a political history stretching far beyond the red carpet and the influence of pop icons <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/beauty/gallery/celebrity-mullet-haircut">such as David Bowie</a>. </p>
<p>In fact, descriptions of mullet-like hairstyles feature prominently in the very first Anglo-Indigenous encounters of the 17th century.</p>
<p>In 1622, Plymouth colonist <a href="https://archive.org/details/relationoriourna00unse/page/32/mode/2up?view=theater">Edward Winslow described</a> the Abenaki Native American leader named <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Samoset/">Samoset</a> as having: “the haire of his head blacke, long behind, onely short before, none on his face at all.”</p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-eldest-daughter-syndrome-and-how-can-we-fix-it-202016utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">What is ‘eldest daughter syndrome’ and how can we fix it?</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/owning-houseplants-can-boost-your-mental-health-heres-how-to-pick-the-right-one-202197utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Owning houseplants can boost your mental health – here’s how to pick the right one</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/planning-for-a-baby-why-both-men-and-women-should-consider-quitting-alcohol-before-and-during-pregnancy-198118utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Planning for a baby? Why both men and women should consider quitting alcohol before and during pregnancy</a></em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="David Bowie with an eye patch and a mullet." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521314/original/file-20230417-20-ktrbmh.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=745&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">David Bowie sporting a mullet in 1974.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:David_Bowie_-_TopPop_1974_03.png">AVRO</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Winslow connected this early mullet to contemporary understandings of medicine and race. He wrote that <a href="https://archive.org/details/relationoriourna00unse/page/34/mode/2up?view=theater">“the Savage”</a> wore clothing “like the Irish-trouses” and that Indigenous Abenaki were: “of complexion like our English Gipseys, no hair or very little on their faces, on their heads long haire to their shoulders, onely cut before.”</p>
<p>At a time when hair was key to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/hwj/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/hwj/dbz004/5369196">community cultures</a>, the mullet was written about with imperial and racist overtones. The style was associated with people considered rebellious by nature, part of the rhetoric used to legitimise the later use of violence against them.</p>
<h2>The art of the mullet</h2>
<p>For Renaissance artist <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/durr/hd_durr.htm">Albrecht Dürer</a> (1471–1528), the combination of short and long hair was a rather puzzling, exotic sight. </p>
<p>His 1521 drawing of Irish soldiers and peasants shows the artist’s interest in <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Dressing_Up/2SQkYAAACAAJ?hl=de">hair customs</a> beyond England. Just like changes in clothing, the foreign popularity of mullet-like hairstyles chronicled a world of new global connections. </p>
<p>Dürer himself spent immense time <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Moment_of_Self_Portraiture_in_German/CVWEqfKxcwsC?hl=de&gbpv=0">hairstyling</a>. Contemporaries mocked him, speculating that he had a servant just for hairstyling. But he was adored, regardless, for his <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Albrecht_D%C3%BCrer_-_1500_self-portrait_%28High_resolution_and_detail%29.jpg">Christ-like appearance</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five Irish soldiers depicted in their armour." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521310/original/file-20230417-26-d5xnkg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Drawing of Irish soldiers and peasants by Albrecht Dürer (1521).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://storiiies.cogapp.com/viewer/672gj/500-years-of-Albrecht-Drers-Irish-Soldiers-and-Peasants-">Berlin State Museums</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Irish soldiers’ peculiar haircut (which might have come to his attention during a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Circa_1492/wMK-Ba0-RG4C?hl=de&gbpv=0">stay in Antwerp’s street of English merchant residents</a>) inspired the Renaissance artist to reflect on cultural diversity. </p>
<p>In an <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Dressing_Up/2SQkYAAACAAJ?hl=de">age of global consumerism</a>, knowledge about new hairstyles with peculiar combinations of short and long hair, like the mullet, could prompt reflections on fashion, taste and identity.</p>
<p>The rise of portraiture in the 16th century also sparked <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-0424.12538">creative engagement with hair</a>, as people increasingly thought about the ways they were seen by others. But short-and-long hairstyles remained counter-cultural at first. </p>
<p>Dürer’s contemporaries would have associated the mullet with humiliating punishments. <a href="https://www2.landesarchiv-bw.de/ofs21/bild_zoom/zoom.php?bestand=17117&id=1601741&screenbreite=1536&screenhoehe=824">German authorities, for example</a>, condemned rebels to partial shavings, like having half of the beard cut every 14 days and the other half grown out.</p>
<p>Only in the 17th century did <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Contra_los_trages_y_adornos_profanos/DA8qAypy-l8C?hl=de&gbpv=1&pg=PA284&printsec=frontcover">“provocative” long hair fashions</a> become popular for men across early modern Europe. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Philip IV, King of Spain by Diego Velázquez, painted with a mullet-like hairstyle, wearing a white ruff and black robes." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=763&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=958&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=958&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521308/original/file-20230417-18-d1pdd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=958&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Philip IV, King of Spain by Diego Velázquez, painted with a mullet-like hairstyle (1623).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://meadowsmuseumdallas.org/exhibitions/mir-velazquez-king-philip/">Meadows Museum</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some, however, lamented the style as a sign of moral decline. Monarchs like <a href="http://bdh-rd.bne.es/viewer.vm?id=0000199583&page=1">Philip IV of Spain</a> even forbade men to wear sumptuous fringes and hairlocks in 1639. Yet the adolescent monarch himself showcased his power, masculinity and youth through the stylish combination of lengthy, wavy curls and a full fringe.</p>
<p>Prohibitions failed in banning the spreading excitement around mullet-like hair and the <a href="https://libraries.mit.edu/exhibits/diderots-encyclopedia-exhibit-preview/wigmaking/">18th-century obsession with wigs</a> gave rise to sumptuous hairpieces worn with short cut hair. Some wigs mirrored mullet-like shapes with short hair at the front and long hair at the back.</p>
<p>The style came back with a bang in the <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_Hair_A_Cultural_History/DxyyEAAAQBAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover&bsq=mullet">1970s and 1980s</a>, as the haircut became associated with the decades’ cultural revolutions and rock and punk scenes. </p>
<p>It was the 1994 Beastie Boys song, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY1aLVAegqE">Mullet Head</a>, that <a href="https://www.bustle.com/articles/67089-the-beastie-boys-coined-the-mullet-hairstyle-and-now-im-a-changed-man">coined the word “mullet”</a>, released the same decade as the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSMUrPmJ2Xc">Die Ärzte</a> song, <em>Vokuhila</em> (Mullet) in 1999.</p>
<p>Largely rejected since then, the mullet is now in a renaissance. For mullet experts, such as Alan Henderson, author of <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Mullet_Madness/yDiCDwAAQBAJ?hl=de&gbpv=1&pg=PT18&printsec=frontcover">Mullet Madness!</a>, the style is so much more than a haircut: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s a way of life, a state of mind, an attitude … remarkable for its ability to offend, intrigue, entertain … startle, and even excite. Some find the mullet noble, handsome, even graceful. Others find it crude, low brow, or rebellious.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The hairstyle’s significance has changed across history, but the story of the mullet is one of the power of hair to disrupt and provoke in societies across the world.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203973/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stefan Hanß receives funding from The Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p>In the 17th century, the mullet was written about with imperial and racist overtones.Stefan Hanß, Senior Lecturer in Early Modern History, University of ManchesterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1995312023-02-24T17:19:47Z2023-02-24T17:19:47ZThe art of balding: a brief history of hairless men<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509817/original/file-20230213-16-23xyos.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=42%2C19%2C737%2C724&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Man With a Tankard, by Frans van Mieris the Younger (1739).</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/1674">The Fitzwilliam Museum</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Balding is really common, affecting more than <a href="https://www.alopecia.org.uk/androgenetic-alopecia-pattern-hair-loss">50% of men</a>. It’s also physically inconsequential (bald men live just as long as haired men). So why, in his memoir <a href="https://theconversation.com/prince-harry-early-leaks-came-from-a-spanish-translation-causing-confusion-about-what-was-really-said-198556">Spare</a>, does Prince Harry refer to his brother’s baldness as <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/prince-harry-william-alarming-baldness-diana-resemblance-spare-memoir-1771856">“alarming”</a>?</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A balding man working at a loom." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=879&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509504/original/file-20230210-22-74qj84.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1105&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An Ancient Egyptian depiction of a balding man.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://access.bl.uk/item/viewer/ark:/81055/vdc_00000000DCF8#?cv=1152&c=0&m=0&s=0&xywh=-1869%2C-705%2C5031%2C3639">John Gardner Wilkinson / British Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As a social psychologist with a special interest in balding (and author of an upcoming book entitled Branding Baldness), I know this didn’t used to be the case – as the presence of balding men in art history demonstrates.</p>
<p>Historically, baldness was treated with neutrality, as a regular part of daily life. In 2019, <a href="https://journals.ekb.eg/article_77625.html">Egyptology professor Samar Kamal</a> found evidence of 122 bald men painted in private Ancient Egyptian tombs, circa 2613 to 525 BC.</p>
<p>Most of these men were visibly aged (their remaining hair was white). They were depicted in varied spheres of Egyptian society, from farming and fishing to sculpting and scribing. </p>
<p>The art suggests that the Ancient Egyptians didn’t treat bald men any differently from their haired peers.</p>
<p>Kamal also observed that the Ancient Egyptians had <a href="https://hairanddeathinancientegypt.com/2013/07/17/hathor-and-baldness-in-ancient-egypt-symbolism/">specific terms for male baldness</a>, included a “baldness line” during mummification, and had different balding hairstyles (e.g. short all over or long at the back).</p>
<h2>Balding men in European paintings</h2>
<p>European art also showcases baldness’s historical ordinariness. Vincent van Gogh’s painting On the Threshold of Eternity (1890) features the balding Dutch pensioner <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrianus_Jacobus_Zuyderland">Adrianus Zuyderland</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A painting of an old man in a blue suit sat in a wooden chat. His head is in his hands which reveals his bald head to the viewer." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=790&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509506/original/file-20230210-28-cn8tff.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=993&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vincent van Gogh’s On The Threshold Of Eternity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://krollermuller.nl/en/vincent-van-gogh-sorrowing-old-man-at-eternity-s-gate">Kröller-Müller Museum</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the painting evokes a sense of existential despair, Zuyderland’s baldness is an incidental – even attractive – feature of the artwork. Van Gogh <a href="https://vangoghletters.org/vg/letters/let286/letter.html">described the painting</a> in his letters, writing: “What a fine sight an old working man makes, in his patched bombazine suit with his bald head.”</p>
<p>Zuyderland is not an exception – there are many other bald men featured neutrally in historical art. For example, Dutch Golden Age painter <a href="https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/man-with-a-tankard-5245">Frans van Mieris the Younger’s Man With A Tankard</a> (1793) depicts a bald man contentedly enjoying a pub lunch.</p>
<p>Balding men have also historically been idealised in art. For example, Italian Renaissance painter Paolo Veronese’s 16th-century <a href="https://www.meisterdrucke.ie/kunstwerke/500px/Paolo_Veronese_-_The_Eternal_Father_-_(MeisterDrucke-1196344).jpg">The Eternal Father</a> features a balding God performing an ethereal miracle. </p>
<p>Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp (circa 1632) shows multiple balding doctors studying dissection. Impressionist Pierre-August Renoir’s <a href="http://www.artandarchitecture.org.uk/images/gallery/807b72cf.html">Portrait of Ambroise Vollard</a> (1908) depicts the eponymous balding art collector.</p>
<p>And there is plenty of other historical evidence to challenge the claim that baldness is “alarming”.</p>
<p>Balding religious figures exist across <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Hair/PuZFAAAAYAAJ?hl=en">almost every faith</a>. There’s Buddha, the Christian saints Jerome and Augustine, and then there are bald deities including the Japanese gods <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Fukurokuju">Fukurokuju</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hotei">Hotei</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Six balding doctors gather round to watch a demonstration of a dissection." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/509510/original/file-20230210-713-le3eqi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt (1632).</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/our-collection/artworks/146-the-anatomy-lesson-of-dr-nicolaes-tulp/">The Hague</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Religious and political directives have also promoted baldness. This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2011.08.004">ranges from</a> Christian monks’ <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonsure">tonsure</a>, where hair was grown around a centrally shaved part of the scalp, to the Manchu <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queue_(hairstyle)">“queue” haircuts</a>, where hair at the back of the head was grown into a long plait while the rest of the head was shaved.</p>
<h2>How baldness became ‘alarming’: advertising and mass media</h2>
<p>The mass marketing of anti-baldness products in the 20th century changed how baldness was seen. It transformed the perception of baldness from a benign aesthetic to a disadvantageous disease in need of “cure”. </p>
<p>Such “cures” ranged from expensive and ineffective “snake oil” products to the regulatory approved formulations that have some (though limited) hair regrowth properties, such as <a href="https://theconversation.com/starting-to-thin-out-hair-loss-doesnt-have-to-lead-to-baldness-34984">minoxidil</a>. </p>
<p>The advertising of these products fostered the idea that baldness is alarming. In 2013, sociolinguistics professor <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10350330.2013.777596">Kevin Harvey</a> observed that online anti-baldness adverts characterise haired men as attractive, successful and happy. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1WhfB4884wo?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A Rogaine television advert from 2001.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In contrast, the same adverts promoted the claim that baldness was a disease that severely distressed and disadvantaged men. Adverts for anti-baldness shampoo <a href="https://www.adsoftheworld.com/campaigns/suicide-hair-cliff">Renaxil</a>, for example, depicted hair follicles on the verge of suicide. Renaxil bottles are shown extending a hand to save them. </p>
<p>In contemporary mass media, baldness is rarely seen beyond the few actors (such as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqynKYDab2w&t=6s">Jason Statham</a>, <a href="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/entertainment/news/article/2001458020/vin-diesel-named-hottest-bald-man-alive">Vin Diesel</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fp9XCwxKPtQ">Bruce Willis</a>) who have made lack of hair their unique selling point. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/s15506878jobem5002_7">Research conducted in 2006</a> found that just 3% of 1,356 characters in US popular children’s TV shows were balding. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"518371093694799872"}"></div></p>
<p>In a study I led of 5,000 images of men in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.07.010">popular magazines</a> published between 2011 and 2012, we found that just 8% were balding.</p>
<p>There are also negative stereotypes in many contemporary depictions of baldness. The website <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BaldOfEvil">TV Tropes</a> indicates that bald TV and film characters tend to be <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Bald_Like_Me/aL-KAAAACAAJ?hl=en">villains or aged</a>. <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Bald_Like_Me/aL-KAAAACAAJ?hl=en">Another study</a> found that more than 60% of 1980s TV actors portrayed bald characters who were “ugly”, incompetent or lazy. </p>
<p>Alarm around baldness is even promoted in academic research. Myself and Dr Hannah Frith <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/13591053211024724">recently found</a> that about 80% of baldness psychology studies had links to businesses. The studies tended to depict baldness as a disease (77%), and promoted anti-baldness products (60%) without meaningful discussion of their limitations (68%).</p>
<p>Baldness representation matters. Modern depictions in TV, advertising and research sanction the claims that hair loss is a disadvantage and a disease. But a look at the art history of the balding man shows this hasn’t always been the case. Bald men can be healthy, successful and content – just as much as their haired counterparts.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/199531/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glen Jankowski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Historically, baldness was treated with neutrality, as a regular part of daily life. Ancient Egyptians had different balding hairstylesGlen Jankowski, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, Leeds Beckett UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1900962022-09-27T15:19:29Z2022-09-27T15:19:29ZUncombable hair syndrome: new study finds the genes responsible<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/486319/original/file-20220923-8064-n2lcb0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C4%2C2990%2C2563&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For illustrative purposes only. Not a person with actual uncombable hair syndrome.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/funny-young-girl-terrible-haircut-93447838">vasylshepella/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s a hair condition that has frustrated parents for decades, now scientists believe they have found the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36044230/">genes responsible</a> for “uncombable hair syndrome”. Yes, it really is a thing. </p>
<p>Uncombable hair syndrome is more than just difficult hair. As its name suggests, it’s hair that sticks out at all angles, making it almost impossible to tame let alone comb. It usually starts in children between the ages of three months and 12 years and is characterised by straw blond or silvery blond frizzy hair. It’s usually wavy, dry and brittle and, thanks to its appearance, it’s sometimes called spun glass hair, <em>pili trianguli et canaliculi</em> or <em>cheveux incoiffables</em>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5941173/The-little-scarecrow-untameable-mane-Youngster-uncombable-hair-syndrome.html">Boris Johnson</a> or <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/uncombable-hair-syndrome-real-rare-condition">Albert Einstein</a> might spring to mind, but while those high-profile men are famous for their unruly locks, with very few cases of uncombable hair syndrome in the world, it’s highly unlikely they have or had the condition. Besides, the condition tends to improve or even disappear by adulthood. </p>
<p>There hasn’t been much research on this rare condition, which first appeared in published articles <a href="https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(09)00029-2/fulltext">in the 1970s</a>. Since then, fewer than 70 publications have appeared, most being case reports. </p>
<p>One of the more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27866708/#affiliation-1">recent studies</a> involving 11 children with uncombable hair, was performed by geneticists at the University of Bonn, Germany. They found that the condition seemed to be explained by mutations in three genes that code for well-known proteins in the hair follicle. </p>
<p>However, since that study was widely reported by the press, more families with kids with this condition came forward and now the same scientists have repeated the genetics with over 100 children. They have confirmed that in 76 of these children, the cause is linked to mutations in the PADI3 gene as well as the involvement of two other genes, all three of which code for important proteins involved in hair-fibre formation. </p>
<p>Human variation in appearance, including in hair, is a result of the many small variations in our genes in the global population. When a mutation happens in a gene, sometimes it leads to a change in the function of the protein. If that protein is in the hair follicle, it’s more than likely that the hair will look different. So this can be brown, blond, curly, thick, straight, red or even bald.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1571136902194929664"}"></div></p>
<p>There are a few well-known inherited variations in hair fibre shape and curl, but rarely are these linked to any serious illness. Interestingly, often the proteins that are affected are in the inner root sheath: three layers of the hair follicle that help put the shape into the hair fibre. </p>
<h2>Recessive genes</h2>
<p>We also know that uncombable hair is a “recessive” genetic characteristic. In other words, both parents must be carriers of the mutated gene, although they may not have it themselves. Then, if their child inherits one copy of the affected gene from each parent, they will have the syndrome. </p>
<p>So why study such genetic hair disorders? This type of genetic study generates enough information such that parents can now request a genetic test that may help allay any concerns about <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6704196/">other rare conditions</a> that can affect the hair. </p>
<p>From the scientific perspective, it also helps the hair biology research community understand more about normal hair growth and the importance of different proteins for controlling hair shape and appearance. For example, we can now explain why changes to PADI3 might alter hair shape by finding out more about how it works in the follicle.</p>
<p>Hair is one of the most culturally distinctive and personal attributes. Its style, shape, colour and indeed absence is something everyone thinks about every day. A huge hair-care industry has developed over the last century to help us all manage our hair. So when a rare condition leads to such a fascinating yet impossible to manage change in hair, it is easy to appreciate why scientists want to understand how it happens and to help the families with affected children understand it better too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190096/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gill Westgate does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Uncombable hair syndrome is a condition where the hair is dry and frizzy and cannot be combed flat.Gill Westgate, Business Development Manager, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of BradfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1806312022-04-05T15:37:45Z2022-04-05T15:37:45ZJada Pinkett Smith and Black women’s hair: History of disrespect leads to the CROWN Act<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456139/original/file-20220404-10072-qie35j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5105%2C3805&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Black women have been fighting for decades for the right to wear their natural hair. Here Jada Pinkett Smith arrives at the premiere of 'The Matrix Resurrections' on Dec. 18, 2021, in San Francisco. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP/Noah Berger)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/jada-pinkett-smith-and-black-women-s-hair--history-of-disrespect-leads-to-the-crown-act" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>The fallout from “the slap” at this year’s Oscars continues. Last week, Will Smith <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-smith-resigns-from-the-academy-slapped-chris-rock-at-oscars/">resigned from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</a>, after the academy issued a statement <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/will-smith-chris-rock-slap-oscars-academy-formal-review/">condemning</a> Smith’s actions.</p>
<p>There have been innumerable media stories about “the slap,” including <a href="https://theconversation.com/will-smiths-oscar-slap-reveals-fault-lines-as-he-defends-jada-pinkett-smith-against-chris-rock-podcast-180280">an episode of <em>Don’t Call Me Resilient</em></a>. “The joke,” however, has received less attention. <a href="https://www.capitalfm.com/news/chris-rock-will-smith-jada-pinkett-slap-oscars-gi-jane-joke/">“Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2 can’t wait to see you</a>,” is what Rock said to Jada Pinkett Smith and the Oscar night audience before Smith got up and slapped him.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119173/"><em>G.I. Jane</em></a> is a 1997 fictional drama starring Demi Moore about the first woman to undergo training in the United States Navy Seals. Moore’s “feminine” character, Jane O'Neil, is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/review97/fgijane.htm">chosen</a> by a female politician attempting to make a point in her battle against the <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/gender/2021/04/22/the-hidden-masculinization-and-militarization-of-the-canadian-citizenship-guide/">inherent sexism in the military</a>. To “keep hanging,” O'Neil “divests herself of any trace of femininity” and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_mJDOB7ZM">shaves her head</a>. </p>
<p>Although a shaven head for a woman should not signify anything but a <a href="https://www.etalk.ca/celebrity/celebrities-who-shaved-their-heads-and-looked-absolutely-amazing.html">style choice</a>, Pinkett Smith’s shaven head is also due to alopecia. In 2021, she <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a93q1We4E0">shared a video on Instagram</a> explaining <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hair-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20372926">the disorder</a>.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYB7dMppvjk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Regardless of the reasons for Pinkett Smith’s hairstyle, Rock’s joke was yet <a href="https://screencrush.com/g-i-jane-oscars-joke/">another jab at a Black woman’s hair</a>. We Black women have learned to love our hair, despite a wider culture that has, historically, not accepted its diversity. </p>
<p>In fact, Black women have been fighting the court system for 40 years to get protection from hair discrimination.</p>
<h2>Alopecia disproportionately affects Black women</h2>
<p>In my 2019 book, <a href="https://www.wlupress.wlu.ca/Books/B/Beauty-in-a-Box2"><em>Beauty in a Box</em></a> I examined the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.5163">dermatological research on hair loss</a>. Two U.S. studies, from 2009 and 2017, found that <a href="https://dermnetnz.org/topics/central-centrifugal-cicatricial-alopecia">central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia</a> (CCCA) is often underdiagnosed; some estimates report that 17 per cent of Black women have this condition.</p>
<p>Some of the reasons why Black women are more adversely affected by CCCA are due to tight braiding hairstyles, long-term use of hair weaves, lace-front wigs and chemical relaxers. </p>
<p>While Rock might not have known of Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, in his 2009 documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213585/"><em>Good Hair</em></a> he spoke to Black women about their hair, especially about <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCEX34-1o6M">chemical relaxers</a>.</p>
<p><em>Good Hair</em> was a successful film for Rock, but that does not mean he grew from the project. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/will-smiths-oscar-slap-reveals-fault-lines-as-he-defends-jada-pinkett-smith-against-chris-rock-podcast-180280">Will Smith's Oscar slap reveals fault lines as he defends Jada Pinkett Smith against Chris Rock: Podcast</a>
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<h2>Black hair discrimination and the CROWN Act</h2>
<p><em>Glamour</em>’s <a href="https://www.glamour.com/story/the-crown-act-september-2020-cover-story">September 2020 cover story</a> was dedicated to six Black women who endured discrimination at work because of their hair. The feature explained how curly, “kinky” or big hair carries meaning for Black women. </p>
<p>For example, a <a href="https://www.ellecanada.com/beauty/hair/how-to-style-a-messy-topknot-so-it-looks-chic-not-just-out-of-bed">messy topknot is considered chic</a> on a white woman, while a Black woman with natural hair such as large Afro or locs would be considered unkempt and has <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2513893/Florida-girl-threatened-expulsion-afro-hair.html">led to workplace reprimand</a>.</p>
<p>On March 18, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/03/18/1087661765/house-votes-crown-act-discrimination-hair-style">CROWN Act</a>, banning hair discrimination at private places of work, federal programs and public accommodations. CROWN stands for <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2116">Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5edc69fd622c36173f56651f/t/5edeaa2fe5ddef345e087361/1591650865168/Dove_research_brochure2020_FINAL3.pdf">A 2019 Dove study</a> found that Black women were 80 per cent more likely to feel pressure to change their hairstyles to fit in at the office. Black women were also 83 per cent more likely to report being judged on her looks than other women.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VPvBmkIA-g?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Subjects of Desire’ by Jennifer Holeness delves into issues of race, power and beauty.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The CROWN Act is not yet an official law. Despite <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/house/598757-house-passes-crown-act-banning-race-based-hair-discrimination/">President Joe Biden expressing strong support for the bill</a>, there may not be enough votes to pass it. </p>
<h2>Rogers vs. American Airlines</h2>
<p>In 1981, American Airlines fired ticket agent Renee Rogers for wearing cornrows. She <a href="https://scholar.google.ca/scholar_case?case=6092364812619612919&q=Rogers+v.+American+Airlines&hl=en&as_sdt=2006&as_vis=1">filed a discrimination suit</a> challenging the airline’s policy prohibiting employees from wearing an all-braided hairstyle, claiming that such a policy violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and discriminated against her as a woman, and also as a Black person. </p>
<p>Legal scholar <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/1372731">Paulette Cladwell</a> explained how and why the U.S. Federal District Court of New York rejected Rogers’s claim that the style evoked her African heritage. </p>
<p>The court said her hairstyle was a result of having seen the <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078721/">1979 film <em>10</em></a>, starring <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au0Pp_9oQbo">Bo Derek who makes an appearance wearing long braids</a> with beads at the ends. It became known as the “<a href="https://law.fiu.edu/2019/10/11/the-unnatural-treatment-of-natural-hair-courts-failure-to-recognize-hairstyle-discrimination-as-race-discrimination-the-need-for-state-legislature-action/">Bo Derek defence</a>.” <em>Rogers vs. American Airlines</em> was a landmark case because it set a precedent that sanctioned the firing of Black women on the basis of their hair.</p>
<p>In 2016, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a lawsuit filed by the <a href="https://www.vox.com/2018/4/18/17242788/chastity-jones-dreadlock-job-discrimination">Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) against Catastrophe Management Solutions (CMS) for firing Chastity Jones, a Black woman</a>, because she wore her hair in locs. The lawsuit shared much in common with <em>Rogers vs. American Airlines</em>. Lawyers for Jones also argued that her termination was in violation of the Civil Rights Act. </p>
<p>The court of appeals ruled that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/u-s-court-rules-dreadlock-ban-during-hiring-process-legal-n652211">CMS’s “race-neutral grooming policy” was not discriminatory</a> because while hairstyles are “culturally associated with race” they are “not immutable physical characteristics.” The court ruled that a hairstyle might be closely associated with one’s culture but because it is changeable, it is not protectable under the law and an employer is within its rights to use it as a reason to deny employment.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown smiles." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456215/original/file-20220404-12538-fk7qau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson smiles in Washington on March 31, 2022.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Hair has also come up in discussions on <a href="https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/a39520244/judge-ketanji-brown-jacksons-locs/">Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings</a> because the legal profession has often discouraged natural hairdos. In 2007, an editor from <em>Glamour</em> in a “do’s and don'ts” fashion event at a New York law firm <a href="https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/almID/1188161099761/?slreturn=20220304144452">called locs “truly dreadful.” </a></p>
<h2>Why Black hair jokes aren’t funny</h2>
<p>When Black women are in legal and cultural battles for the right to wear their hair as they choose, jokes about our hair just aren’t funny. The <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/02/06/685506578/is-beauty-in-the-eyes-of-the-colonizer">straight hair standard of beauty has been called toxic</a> not only to Black women but women in general for the ways it valorizes white, western beauty ideals.</p>
<p>One may argue that public figures should be open to criticism. For example, United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson often shows up with his hair in disarray <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/how-boris-johnsons-hair-defined-britain/">which gets poked fun at by media</a>. The difference is that there is no threat to his livelihood. </p>
<p>Until Black women can wear their hair how they want without risk of ridicule, reprimand or termination, a joke targeting Black hair is no laughing matter.</p>
<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/7fc4af1d-0547-4ca1-9455-74fa87cd7a74?dark=true"></iframe><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180631/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cheryl Thompson receives funding from SSHRC Insight Development Grant.</span></em></p>Until Black women can wear their hair how they want without risk of ridicule, reprimand or termination, a joke targeting Black hair is no laughing matter.Cheryl Thompson, Assistant Professor, Performance, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1802132022-03-29T12:35:36Z2022-03-29T12:35:36ZWhat is alopecia? It’s no laughing matter for millions of Black American women<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454828/original/file-20220328-23-burw6b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C32%2C4313%2C2754&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Jada Pinkett Smith has spoken about her struggles with hair loss.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/jada-pinkett-smith-attends-the-94th-annual-academy-awards-news-photo/1388067835?adppopup=true">Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/28/movies/oscars-will-smith-slap-reactions.html">Oscar slap that overshadowed the Academy Awards ceremony</a> was sparked by a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s lack of hair – with husband Will Smith objecting violently to comedian Chris Rock mocking the actress’s shaved head.</em></p>
<p><em>Away from the recriminations over what could be perceived as <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/fresh-prince-co-star-defends-will-smiths-chris-rock-slap/">a mean-spirited jibe</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/mar/28/celebrities-react-will-smith-hitting-chris-rock-the-oscars">a disproportionate response</a>, many people will sympathize with Pinkett Smith. As millions of women in the U.S. will attest, hair loss <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2020.5732">is no laughing matter</a>.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation asked <a href="https://dermatology.med.wayne.edu/profile/ds8312">dermatologist Danita Peoples</a> of Wayne State University’s School of Medicine about alopecia and why certain forms of it can <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/hair-loss-in-black-women-tips-from-an-expert">disproportionately affect Black women</a>.</em></p>
<h2>1. What is alopecia?</h2>
<p>Alopecia is a medical word that refers to hair loss generally. And there are descriptors added which can refer to where the hair loss is occurring, or to the cause of it. Traction alopecia, for example, is hair loss from trauma or chronic inflammatory changes to the hair follicles. </p>
<h2>2. What causes alopecia?</h2>
<p>Traction alopecia happens when there is trauma to the scalp, where the hair is being pulled or rubbed on a regular basis, causing inflammation around the hair follicles. This can lead to hair loss or thinning. </p>
<p>Alopecia areata describes hair loss to a particular area. It has different levels of severity, so there might be just a coin-sized area of hair loss on the scalp, or it could affect large areas. It can occur any place on the body.</p>
<p>Or it might result in complete hair loss on the scalp, alopecia totalis. Some people lose eyebrows or see a thinning of their eyelashes. </p>
<p>People can even have alopecia universalis, which is a loss of hair on the entire body. </p>
<p>Alopecia areata is considered an “immune-mediated” type of hair loss. The immune system is attacking the hair follicles. It has to do <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01198">with T cells</a>, the important white blood cells in the immune system.</p>
<p>And then other autoimmune disorders can have alopecia associated with them. This is the form of alopecia that <a href="https://www.prevention.com/health/health-conditions/a38634649/jada-pinkett-smith-hair-loss-journey-alopecia/">Jada Pinkett Smith has said she has</a>.</p>
<p>Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can lead to hair loss. One type is systemic lupus erythematosus. Another type, discoid lupus erythematosus, primarily affects the skin and can cause hair loss with scarring on the scalp.</p>
<p>Thyroid abnormalities can be related to hair loss as well. In fact, when patients come to me with hair loss, the first test that I may order is a thyroid study.</p>
<h2>3. Who does it affect?</h2>
<p>Anyone can get alopecia. Alopecia areata can show up at any age, from children to adults, and both men and women. But it’s more likely <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2019.06.1300">to affect African Americans</a> than white or Asian Americans. About 1 million people in the U.S. <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.2147%2FCCID.S245649">have alopecia areata</a>. </p>
<p>Traction alopecia can affect people in certain professions, like ballerinas, who wear their hair up in buns all the time. The pressure and friction from sports headgear, like helmets or baseball caps, can also cause hair loss. And in some parts of northern Europe, where it is common for people to pull their hair back tight on a regular basis, there are higher rates of traction alopecia. Traction alopecia <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/ccid.s137296">affects one-third</a> of women of African descent, making it the most common type of alopecia affecting Black women.</p>
<h2>4. Why is traction alopecia so common among Black women?</h2>
<p>That is due to certain hair styling practices that Black women use on their hair – wearing tight weaves or extensions, straightening with heat, that sort of thing. Hair is a big deal among African American women in a way that it isn’t for others. When I was growing up, my older relatives told us girls that our hair was our “crowning glory.” And they made a big deal about us keeping our hair looking stylish and well groomed, and that usually meant straightening it.</p>
<p>But I believe there’s less pressure than there used to be for Black women to keep our hair straightened, in the workplace or elsewhere.</p>
<h2>5. How is alopecia treated?</h2>
<p>It depends on the cause. There are injected or topical corticosteroids for alopecia areata. If it’s due to a nutritional deficiency, like iron or protein, obviously you simply need to correct the deficiencies with supplements or by changing the diet. When it is caused by traction or discoid lupus, if you don’t treat the inflammation on the scalp soon enough, the hair loss can become permanent.</p>
<p>[<em>Over 150,000 readers rely on The Conversation’s newsletters to understand the world.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-150ksignup">Sign up today</a>.]</p>
<p>When it comes to traction, though, it’s much more about eliminating the practices that cause the problem in the first place. What’s happening now is more people are aware of the downsides of chemical or heat applications to straighten the hair and are using those damaging processes less. </p>
<p>One thing that may help is the CROWN Act, legislation introduced last year, which the U.S. House passed on March 18, 2022. That would make it <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/2116/text">illegal to discriminate</a> against people wearing natural styles, such as afros and braids, so I am hopeful that it will contribute to a lot less traction alopecia in the future.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180213/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Danita Peoples does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The joke that sparked a violent reaction from actor Will Smith at the Oscars centered on his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith’s hair loss. A dermatologist explains the causes and treatment for alopecia.Danita Peoples, Clinical Associate Professor of Dermatology, Wayne State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1635632021-07-13T12:29:34Z2021-07-13T12:29:34Z25-year-long study of Black women links frequent use of lye-based hair relaxers to a higher risk of breast cancer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410016/original/file-20210706-19-1kr29ru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C8634%2C5756&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research suggests Black women may want to be cautious about heavy use of lye-based chemical hair relaxers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/this-product-sounds-great-royalty-free-image/1270972336?adppopup=true">ljubaphoto/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Frequent and long-term use of lye-based hair straightening products, or relaxers, may increase the risk of breast cancer among Black women, compared with more moderate use.</p>
<p>Boston University’s <a href="https://www.bu.edu/bwhs/">Black Women’s Health Study</a> followed 59,000 self-identified African American women for over 25 years, sending questionnaires every two years on new diagnoses and factors that might influence their health. </p>
<p>Using these data in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgab041">our own study</a>, <a href="https://www.bumc.bu.edu/busm/profile/kimberly-bertrand/">my team of epidemiologists and I</a> found that Black women who used <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/sodium-hydroxide/default.html">hair products containing lye</a> at least seven times a year for 15 or more years had an approximately <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgab041">30% increased risk</a> of <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/breast-cancer/understanding-a-breast-cancer-diagnosis/breast-cancer-hormone-receptor-status.html">estrogen receptor positive</a> breast cancer compared with more infrequent users. </p>
<p>The minimal association between hair relaxers (with or without lye) and breast cancer risk for moderate users is generally reassuring. But the elevated risk for the heaviest users of lye-based hair products – which included about 20% of study participants – is concerning.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>There is an urgent need to address racial disparities in breast cancer. </p>
<p>Black women diagnosed with breast cancer are <a href="https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21583">40% more likely to die</a> from the disease than white women. While systemic factors such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.166.20.2244">delays in diagnosis</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2019.5672">poorer health care</a> likely contribute to this disparity, they don’t seem to fully explain the survival gap between Black and white women.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three diverse women practicing yoga outdoors, with a Black woman in the focus" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/410020/original/file-20210706-13-7cz4s4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Black and white women have the same lifetime risk for breast cancer, but Black women are often diagnosed with more aggressive forms earlier in life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/women-outdoors-doing-yoga-lotus-pose-with-prayer-royalty-free-image/1311318336?adppopup=true">kali9/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Black women are more likely than white women to develop <a href="https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21583">highly aggressive breast cancers</a> that have higher mortality rates, but researchers don’t really know why. However, scientists do know that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/jes.2014.32">chemical hair relaxers</a>, more often used by Black women, contain <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.030">potentially harmful</a> <a href="https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/formaldehyde-hair-smoothing-products-what-you-should-know">chemicals</a>, including possible carcinogens and chemicals known as <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm">endocrine disrupters</a>, which can interfere with hormone function and could raise breast cancer risk. In the Black Women’s Health Study, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgab041">95% of women</a> reported past or current use of these products.</p>
<p>This study fills a knowledge gap on the potential health effects of a consumer product popular among Black women. Given these findings, women may want to be cautious about the types of personal-care products they choose.</p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>Because the Black Women’s Health Study did not have information on specific brands of hair relaxers, my team and I could not determine which specific ingredients might be most relevant for breast cancer risk. In addition, because we asked about hair relaxer use before 1997, the results of this study may not apply to products on the market today. </p>
<p>Though our findings suggest a link between the use of certain types of hair relaxers and breast cancer, epidemiologic studies such as this one cannot definitively prove that hair relaxers cause breast cancer. Additional research is needed, especially on currently available products.</p>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5221">Evidence from animal</a> and other <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.030">experimental studies</a> support a possible link between chemicals included in hair relaxers and cancer development. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgx060">Studies</a> on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32738">hair relaxer use</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/carcin/bgy002">breast cancer risk</a> in people, however, have had inconsistent results, possibly because of differences in the types of products used or asked about.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Thanks to 59,000 study participants in the Black Women’s Health Study, our research team continues to investigate risk factors for breast cancer and other diseases in Black women. By understanding what causes disease and learning about ways to lower risk, society can move one step closer toward eliminating health disparities.</p>
<p>[<em>Like what you’ve read? Want more?</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/the-daily-3?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=likethis">Sign up for The Conversation’s daily newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/163563/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (U01 CA164974, R01 CA58420).</span></em></p>Researchers had suspected that chemical hair relaxers might be behind racial disparities in breast cancer diagnoses. A new study narrows in on lye as a possible cause for that link.Kimberly Bertrand, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1358112020-04-14T20:01:24Z2020-04-14T20:01:24ZCoronavirus shutdowns: what makes hairdressing ‘essential’? Even the hairdressers want to close<p>As part of sweeping social-distancing measures, on March 24 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced nail salons, tanning, waxing and most other beauty services would be closed – but hair salons could remain open with a 30-minute per client time restriction. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1242397806179971073"}"></div></p>
<p>There was much criticism this limit was both unfeasible and highly gendered, and it was <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-26/coronavirus-hairdresser-limit-to-be-scrapped/12091700">reversed</a>. Salons can operate if they maintain one person per four square metres. </p>
<p>While many hairdressing businesses have voluntarily closed their doors, others remain open. The issue has become <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/hairdressers-petition-to-scott-morrison-were-not-lab-rats/news-story/fe874cf24ca3cda98a7d98938e9e74b9">a flashpoint</a> in Australia for debate about what is an “essential” service. </p>
<h2>Touch and talk</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-skin-deep-beauty-salons-are-places-of-sharing-and-caring-127006">My previous research</a> on the emotional aspects of salon work has shown hairdressers and beauty workers act like makeshift counsellors for many clients. </p>
<p>The salon is not just about makeovers: it is a space of touch and talk. For some, the salon might be one of the only places they encounter regular verbal and physical contact. Increasingly, salon workers are being recognised as an important channel between members of the community and services such as <a href="https://www.edvos.org.au/hair-3rs/">family violence</a> shelters. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-skin-deep-beauty-salons-are-places-of-sharing-and-caring-127006">More than skin deep, beauty salons are places of sharing and caring</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In ordinary circumstances, hair and beauty services might be considered essential due to the social and community welfare aspects of the job. However, in the context of a pandemic the close proximity required for hairdressing is a problem. </p>
<p>Fearing for the well-being of those in the industry, the Australian Hairdressing Council has <a href="https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/hairdressers-petition-to-scott-morrison-were-not-lab-rats/news-story/fe874cf24ca3cda98a7d98938e9e74b9">petitioned the government</a> for hairdressers and barbers to be shut down. The initial mixed messages about rules for salons appear to have created <a href="https://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/beauty/hair/im-a-hairdresser-and-i-wish-i-could-stay-at-home-too/news-story/ac180915f43adb4b4e9a344d2077678e">confusion</a> for salons and customers alike. This includes uncertainty about what subsidies are available for salons that have already closed voluntarily. </p>
<p>It is not yet clear why the government continues to deem hair services “essential”. Given the original 30-minute ruling, it is unlikely the decision is based on concern for the maintenance of the social work aspects of hairdressing. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://joboutlook.gov.au/Occupation?code=3911">67,000 people</a> employed as hairdressers may be a more significant factor in the decision at a time when so many others have lost their jobs. Of course, the shutdown has already affected the <a href="https://joboutlook.gov.au/Occupation?search=Career&code=4511">36,100 beauty therapists</a> employed across Australia, but there may be an impression much beauty work (such as maintaining nails and body hair) can be done at home. </p>
<p>There may also be a gendered element to this: these beauty services are more frequented by women and therefore may be more culturally coded as “inessential” or frivolous. </p>
<p>It seems likely we would follow the lead of other countries that have already closed hair salons if further physical distancing measures are required. </p>
<h2>Digital salons</h2>
<p>In times of severe economic downturn, hair and beauty services remain popular. </p>
<p>Even during the Great Depression people continued to <a href="https://www.worldcat.org/title/encyclopedia-of-hair-a-cultural-history/oclc/61169697">pay for salon visits</a>, forgoing other essentials. </p>
<p>However, the length of time between salon visits appears to expand in times of downturn. Dubbed the “<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/id/46796981">haircut index</a>”, consumer confidence is thought to be signalled by more frequent trips. On the flip side, some argue consumers tend to buy more small luxury beauty items such as lipstick during recession (the so-called “<a href="https://business.time.com/2011/09/14/what-lipstick-tells-us-about-the-economy/">lipstick index</a>”). </p>
<p>Even in difficult economic periods, people still care about keeping up appearances. </p>
<p>In the context of COVID-19, however, social distancing complicates the situation for the beauty industry. </p>
<p>With many shopfronts closed already, businesses have shifted to online services, finding creative ways to maintain connections with existing clients. </p>
<p>Many salons have begun selling “lockdown” product packs online, producing short “home maintenance” videos, and some are even offering one-on-one live digital consultations. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/tv/B-GOLu0Ao3B","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>Then there are some who are simply taking matters into their own hands. </p>
<p>Google Trends <a href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=how%20to%20cut%20your%20own%20hair">reveal</a> an exponential increase in searches for “how to cut your own hair” since March 8. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/30/locks-down-shaving-hair-buzzcuts-coronavirus-craze">Buzzcuts</a> are also gaining popularity as a no-fuss way to maintain short hair at home. People appear to be using the lack of salon guidance as an opportunity to get inventive with their appearance, or to try things at home they might be too scared to ask for from a professional. </p>
<p>Limited social contact and the availability of online filters mean people might feel they can get more creative with their style. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/hairtutorials?lang=en">#hairtutorials</a> continues to trend on TikTok. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/quarantinehair">#QuarantineHair</a> is being used on Twitter to document some of the highs and lows people are having experimenting with their looks in lockdown. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1245155454818357248"}"></div></p>
<h2>Zoom beauty</h2>
<p>While it may seem ludicrous to some that people still care about makeup and hair products during a public health crisis, there are multiple reasons why this may be the case. Though sociality is reduced, many entrenched beauty norms will persist. People may feel the need to keep up some sense of appearance while still seeing colleagues, clients and friends on screen.</p>
<p>There is also an important ritual element to maintaining one’s appearance. In Western culture, one’s outer presentation is seen <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/sociology/article/look-good-feel-better-beauty-therapy-as-emotional-labour/7D9B8796C8C93F757C6E350E1D071B25">as intimately connected</a> to one’s sense of identity and well-being. Maintaining a daily routine, including skin care, putting on makeup and styling one’s hair, might give some people a sense they are looking after themselves – especially when other things around them are much harder to control. </p>
<p>At the very least, sharing mishaps and humorous experiences with self-styling in this digital beauty world offers people a new way to gain a sense of social connection.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/135811/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dr Hannah McCann received funding from the Eastern Domestic Violence Service (EDVOS) in 2018 to review their Hair-3R's training. Dr McCann is also the recipient of a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) from the Australian Research Council, commencing July 2020, for a project titled "Beyond Skin-Deep: Social and Emotional Work in the Beauty Industry" that will examine the issues outlined in this article in further detail.</span></em></p>Nail salons, tanning, waxing and most beauty services have been forced to close – but hairdressers have been deemed ‘essential’ and are still operating.Hannah McCann, Lecturer in Cultural Studies, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1321592020-02-28T14:10:45Z2020-02-28T14:10:45ZBlack women prefer hair products marketed with them in mind<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316962/original/file-20200224-24701-hyyu7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=15%2C0%2C5097%2C3403&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Black female consumers outpace other consumer groups in a number of spending categories, notably personal care and hair products, but feel unappreciated by top brands.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/mixed-race-hairstylist-using-digital-tablet-in-salon-picture-id601798841">Peathegee Inc/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.</em></p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-women-nielsen-report_n_59c3fec2e4b06f93538d3a05">Marketing reports</a> indicate that black consumers long to feel authentically represented in advertising campaigns, especially black women. Black female consumers outpace other consumer groups in a number of spending categories, notably personal care and hair products, but <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/black-women-nielsen-report_n_59c3fec2e4b06f93538d3a05">feel unappreciated by top brands</a>.</p>
<p>This line of thinking raised several questions <a href="https://www.jou.ufl.edu/staff/yewande-addie/">for me</a>: With the fairly recent launch of an ethnic corporate product line, Pantene’s Gold Series Collection, are black women feeling the love? When faced with choosing between this new corporate option and Shea Moisture, a brand perceived to be black-owned, where does their allegiance lie? And <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/pages/self_identity_and_consumer_behavior">if what people buy is an expression of their identity</a>, then which brand best reflects black female consumers’ truest sense of self? Our study builds on a conceptual model to test these questions.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Academic literature on black consumer identity is pretty sparse, or more often focused on highlighting important but troubling research insights – such as the relationship between <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29755932">targeted, high caloric food marketing and health disparities</a>. There is a deeply rooted relationship between how black women <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00497870903238463">style their hair</a>, <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0021934716653350">their personal identity, their self-esteem</a> and <a href="https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2013.301675">their health</a>. This is especially significant considering the ways <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1300/J015V06N01_07?journalCode=wwat20">black hair is politicized</a> and <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781315605753">policed in public spaces</a>. </p>
<p>For black women, hair is linked to <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4317206?seq=1">racial and gendered psychological traumas</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0021934716653350">joys</a>. It is also particularly important to note that recent scientific findings revealed black women are at an <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hair-products-popular-with-black-women-may-contain-harmful-chemicals/">increased risk for a number of illnesses</a> due to toxic chemicals commonly found in black hair care products. </p>
<h2>How we do our work</h2>
<p>Under the guidance of <a href="https://www.jou.ufl.edu/staff/sylvia-chan-olmsted/">Sylvia Chan-Olmsted</a>, director of Media Consumer Research at the University of Florida, my colleagues <a href="https://www.jou.ufl.edu/tag/brett-ball/">Brett Ball</a>, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kelsy_Ann_Adams">Kelsy-Ann Adams</a> and I developed a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10646175.2019.1697399">conceptual model</a>, which is a visual representation of a social or physical process. Ours was intended to explain a specific consumer experience. </p>
<p>We began with the idea that individuals and brands have unique identities that build on each other. This means that people buy products or services that <a href="https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/02634500110408286/full/html">appeal to their values and beliefs</a>, while brands <a href="https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joinma/v25y2011i3p169-177.html">attract consumers that support the identity</a> they aim to project to the public. Literature uses the term “consumer-brand identity,” or CBI, to define that harmonious relationship. We believed strong CBI would lead to positive attitudes toward the brand, increasing the likelihood of purchasing a brand’s products. We collected data to test our model.</p>
<p>Because a great deal of advertising research that is focused on black women is influenced by disparities – such as lack of visibility in ads, gender and racial bias, etc. – our approach engaged black women as participants in order to prioritize their voices and preferences. More than 300 women who self-identify as black answered questions about culture and their personal attachment to products from each of the two brands. The women in our study <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10646175.2019.1697399">overwhelmingly preferred products from Shea Moisture</a>. We concluded their preference is linked to strong CBI. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>We don’t yet know how a <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1014256417010">multicultural focus in advertising</a> is affecting marketing investments for black consumers, or whether diverse leadership in brand management can increase identity-based connections for broad audiences. Interestingly enough, these findings emerged in concert with <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/shea-moisture-ad-falls-flat-after-backlash-n750421">controversial backlash from a Shea Moisture campaign</a> about self-acceptance that dominantly featured white and mixed-raced models. We’re unsure how our participants made sense of this faux pas or how black consumers generally are negotiating their identity in a more multicultural marketplace. Also, Pantene has been around for ages, but we don’t know if our participants were as aware of the Gold Series products compared to Shea Moisture products, which have been around longer. </p>
<h2>What else is happening</h2>
<p>Although our research was very specific, <a href="https://theconversation.com/does-changing-style-of-hair-or-dress-help-black-people-avoid-stigma-76138">reactions to black hair</a> are broad and deeply mixed. <a href="https://theconversation.com/kinky-curly-hair-a-tool-of-resistance-across-the-african-diaspora-65692">Identity-affirming</a>, artistic representations like the Oscar-winning film <a href="http://www.matthewacherry.com/hair-love">“Hair Love”</a> exist in stark contrast to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/24/black-texas-teen-barred-high-school-after-graduation-not-cutting-dreadlocks/4562210002/">discriminatory hair policies</a>. And despite <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTtrnDbOQAU">Solange’s melodic appeal</a>, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2020/01/08/stop-asking-black-people-if-you-can-touch-their-hair/#3d67d7e450a7">uninvited hands</a> are still making their way atop the heads of black women, as witnessed in this <a href="https://twitter.com/trey_forde/status/1213352254566207488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1213352254566207488&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmadamenoire.com%2F1123798%2Fwhy-are-white-people-are-still-touching-black-womens-hair-without-consent-in-2020%2F">viral encounter</a>. </p>
<p>However, there’s hope with legislation like the <a href="https://www.thecrownact.com/">CROWN Act</a> and states making the move toward <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2019/09/19/more-states-are-trying-protect-black-employees-who-want-wear-natural-hairstyles-work/">enacting hair-protective policies</a> to combat <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1548051819848998">workplace bias</a>.</p>
<h2>What’s next for you</h2>
<p>Our hope is that <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10646175.2019.1697399">our work</a> will help spark more inquiry on black consumers that leads to the creation of more desirable messaging, content, products, policies and programming. </p>
<p>[<em>Deep knowledge, daily.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=deepknowledge">Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132159/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yewande O. Addie does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>With the fairly recent launch of an ethnic corporate product line, Pantene’s Gold Series Collection, are black women feeling the love?Yewande O. Addie, Doctoral Candidate, College of Journalism and Communication, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1313892020-02-20T19:00:34Z2020-02-20T19:00:34ZFriday essay: scarlet ribbons – the huge history of big hair bows<p>A sea of oversized hair bows bobs through primary school gates each morning. It might be dismissed as a harmless children’s fad but big bows are back, driven by current fashions, tween influencers and celebrities. </p>
<p>Hair bows have a long history that includes the cushiony large posh bows of the 1980s, and more recently Lady Gaga’s <a href="https://www.oprahmag.com/beauty/hair/g26762595/lady-gaga-best-outrageous-hairstyles-interview/?slide=27">hair bow made of hair</a>. In the 1940s, teenage girls wore hair bows as signs of <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=eE8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA70&dq=hair+bow+reveals&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=hair%20bow%20reveals&f=false">sexual availability</a>. </p>
<p>Over the last century or so they’ve signified femininity, but <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338918346_Displaying_and_negotiating_identity_through_the_hair_bow_A_case_study_of_child_celebrity_JoJo_Siwa_and_her_social_media_fans">historical sources</a> indicate it wasn’t always that way.</p>
<h2>For the boys</h2>
<p>The hair bow was originally gender-specific to adult males in Europe throughout the 1700s when men adorned their hair with bows to show they were prosperous and extravagant. </p>
<p>Women also wore extravagant hairstyles, but these did not often feature hair bows; rather large ornaments and jewels were preferred.</p>
<p>After the French Revolution extravagance in dress and hairstyle was frowned
upon and hair bows were rarely worn. By the 1800s it became common for
male children to wear hair bows tying hair at the nape of the neck.</p>
<p>Women throughout the 19th century wore hair ornaments and hats, but the hair
bow only really achieved widespread popularity in the 20th century before the second world war. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315458/original/file-20200214-11023-pr6lrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=632&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin, The House of Cards, 1736-37.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Jean-Baptiste-Sim%C3%A9on_Chardin%2C_The_House_of_Cards%2C_1736-37.jpg">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Pretty but strong</h2>
<p>The hair bow today most commonly projects ideas of innocence linked to children and a concept of femininity as linked to qualities of gentleness, softness and compliance.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=777&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/315459/original/file-20200214-10995-1416qkq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=976&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Poster by J. Howard Miller (1918–2004) used by the War Production Coordinating Committee.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:We_Can_Do_It!.jpg">Wikimedia</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It may be precisely because the hair bow projects such ideals that it has also been employed as a means of empowerment for both female and male bodies. </p>
<p>During the war in 1942 the wartime propaganda We Can Do It poster – designed by Miller for Westinghouse Electric – appeared in the company factories to encourage women at work in the facilities. </p>
<p>The poster depicts an active female holding up her arm to show strength. She wears a red and white spotted scarf in her hair knotted at the top. The female body is presented as strong and able. The bow is minimal in size, and in this context also becomes functional – to keep the woman’s hair off her face – rather than simply decorative. </p>
<p>In the 1980s, singers Madonna and Boy George wore bows as symbols of feminine performance. Both pop icons wore the bow as a sign of celebration and transgression. The small fashion moment subtly exposed the social limitations of ideas of femininity. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=435&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316093/original/file-20200219-11040-32w9bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=547&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Vivien Leigh’s hair bows in 1939’s Gone With the Wind played up her girlish immaturity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjE0ZDYwNDAtOGMxZS00NmU4LWE4ZjQtMjI0OWEwMDA5Mzc2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDE5MTU2MDE@._V1_.jpg">IMDB</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Madonna wore the hair bow in a subversive manner, poking fun at social constraints projected onto the female body by being girlish and powerfully sexy at the same time. </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=937&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=937&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=937&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1177&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1177&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316095/original/file-20200219-11000-1tgg7ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1177&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzIwNjY0OTg0N15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwMzc2OTI2._V1_.jpg">IMDB</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The innocence of the girly bow, lollipops, white wedding dresses and religious iconography both in her name and the crucifixes she wore contrasted with the sexy and outgoing image she personally projected. Like the titles of her songs and albums – Material Girl, Immaculate Collection, Like a Virgin – the bow poked fun at how women are constrained by the stereotypes of innocence, virginity and femininity. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Boy George, identifying as male, wore a hair bow during this period to perform femininity. In doing so, he highlighted the hair bow as something socially considered as limited to feminine presentation, but not necessarily limited to a female body.</p>
<h2>Gaming gender</h2>
<p>Today the hair bow is so intrinsically linked exclusively to femininity performed by a female body that we often see characters in games gendered simply by a hair bow. </p>
<p>In 1981, <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?id=7s96CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA131&lpg=PA131&dq=design+of+pacman+hair+bow&source=bl&ots=Czu94_kuzP&sig=ACfU3U12pN6tq0dckoPQh6v1kmnXAOIuvw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiT8PHY39znAhXkjuYKHQH9Bk8Q6AEwEXoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&q=design%20of%20pacman%20hair%20bow&f=false">Ms Pac-Man</a> was released in game form with a hair bow to distinguish her from the original male game protagonist. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316294/original/file-20200220-11011-2a13bs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ms Pac-man has the same round body as her male counterpart but a big hair bow signals her gender.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/san-francisco-usa-august-2019-600w-1557834458.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://mario.fandom.com/wiki/Wendy_O._Koopa">Wendy O. Koopa</a> of Super Mario fame relies mainly on a big pink polka dot hair bow (even though she has no hair), but gender is also indicated with a beaded necklace, large lips and long eyelashes. Super Mario character Birdo wears a large pink hair bow tied onto her head (like Wendy, the pink dinosaur does not have hair) and has been <a href="http://newnormative.com/2017/10/26/lgbtqia-representation-in-gaming-birdo/">hailed as the first transgender game character</a> to hit screens. </p>
<p>Nintendo game character <a href="https://mario.fandom.com/wiki/Mamar">Marmar</a> is probably the most explicit use of the bow to indicate gender. She is a gold star with no other indicators except a big pink hair bow a third of the size of her body. We are familiar with bows as a way of marking femininity through characters such as Ub Iwerks and Walk Disney’s <a href="https://mickey-and-friends.fandom.com/wiki/Minnie_Mouse">Minnie Mouse</a> who debuted in 1928.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=475&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316079/original/file-20200219-11044-qhzcb6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=597&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hair bows have been used to differentiate between boys and girls in comics, icons and videogames.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://wellcomecollection.org/works/nm5kuvt8">Wellcome Collection</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>JoJo with the bow bow</h2>
<p>Most recently American child pop star JoJo Siwa’s iconic oversized bow has been the point of great fan connection with many children under 11 years old wearing the oversized and often glamorous bows in public. </p>
<p>Siwa, originally known for her role in reality-TV series Dance Moms (2014), connects with her fans through <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeV2O_6QmFaaKBZHY3bJgsA">YouTube</a> and a number of songs with dance videos such as Kid in the Candy Store (2016) and Hold the Drama (2014). </p>
<p>Her Facebook account has more than 6.2 million followers made up of mothers and fans from Australia, UK, US and New Zealand. There are many images of children wearing the bow and often they are pictured with their mothers, suggesting a bond of mother-daughter through femininity. </p>
<p>The JoJo bows are reminiscent of the <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321683391_Hair_Bows_and_Uniforms_Entangled_Politics_in_Children's_Everyday_Lives">white Soviet Union bantiki bows</a>, worn from the 1940s on to show national allegiance. </p>
<p>At first glance, JoJo’s large bows might be dismissed as dance costume, dress-ups or linked to cheerleading. The practice of wearing them is evident in new Netflix documentary <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11426660/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1">Cheer</a>, which features college athletes competing in body-punishing routines in an effort to win the national championship. Despite being thrown high in the air and landing heavily, their stiff bows remain unmoved. </p>
<p>JoJo asserts the hair bow is more than a look. In an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_snn76M4ds">interview</a> with the Children’s British Broadcasting Corporation, JoJo said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>A bow is more than just a hair accessory […] It is a sign, a symbol of power, confidence, and (this is not a word, but) believing-ness, like literally, it’s just a good thing. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The hair bow is more than a piece of ribbon. The bow for Siwa and her fans carries power, confidence, “believe-ingness” and goodness.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=323&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/316078/original/file-20200219-10985-18u0xik.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On the hardcore cheerleading Netflix documentary Cheer, the oversized bow is built to last.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11426660/mediaviewer/rm1399620609">IMDB</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Luxe for ladies</h2>
<p>Bows have come back into fashion in the last few years: worn by the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, and <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/celebrity-hairstyle-trend-hair-bows#slide-9">well-heeled celebrities</a> like Nicole Kidman, Jessica Chastain and Margot Robbie. </p>
<p>The symbolism has been extended to high-end consumerism, with some bow-wearers <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/01/188767/designer-hair-ribbon-trend">repurposing</a> the characteristic decorations on Chanel, Dior and Chloe shopping bags for their hair. </p>
<p>Though we’ve seen many man buns, the trend of hair bows for men has yet to return, and it may be some time before the bow transitions from necktie to men’s heads. If it does have a resurgence, we’ll know it’s nothing new.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/131389/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Fiona Andreallo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Long before Netflix’s Cheer documentary and JoJo Siwa, big huge hair bows were a thing. And it wasn’t always girls who wore them.Fiona Andreallo, Honorary research fellow, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1111132019-02-11T11:45:08Z2019-02-11T11:45:08ZChange the way you wash your hair to help save the environment<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/257998/original/file-20190208-174870-p6tw0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you hear about businesses with a high environmental impact or activities with a high carbon footprint, you are probably more likely to imagine heavy machinery, engines and oil rather than hairdressing. Yet hairdressing, both as a sector and as an individual activity, can have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmslLpYQQgQ&t=3s">a massive carbon footprint</a>. </p>
<p>Hairdressing uses high levels of hot water, energy and chemicals. Similarly, in our homes, heating hot water is typically the most energy intensive activity. For the cost of a ten-minute shower that uses an electric immersion heater, you could leave a <a href="https://www.confusedaboutenergy.co.uk/index.php/household-energy-costs">typical television on for 20 hours</a>. </p>
<p>So while it helps to turn lights and appliances off, the real gains in terms of reducing energy usage are in slashing our use of hot water. A quarter of <a href="http://www.cir-strategy.com/uploads/CIRHEAT08NPH.pdf">UK emissions are residential</a> and, of those, the vast majority come from running hot water. The longer it runs and the hotter it is, the more energy intensive (and costly) it is. </p>
<h2>Little changes, big results</h2>
<p>Most people use too much shampoo and wash their hair too often. <a href="http://ecohairandbeauty.com/carbon-footprint-calculator/">A daily routine of shampooing your hair</a> twice followed by a wash out conditioner uses annually about 14,222 litres of water and 1252kWh of energy, costs about £245, and has a carbon footprint of 500kg of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e). </p>
<p>On the other hand, if you shampoo your hair twice a week (supplementing that with a dry shampoo if needed) and use a leave-in conditioner, you will use annually just 613 litres of water and 55 kWh of energy, produce a carbon footprint of 25kg of CO₂e, and cost yourself about £27 a year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258001/original/file-20190208-174864-pew8qe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hair salons get through a lot of water over the course of a day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Research has also <a href="https://www.driving.co.uk/news/shampoo-bad-health-risk-car-fumes/">revealed</a> how <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/shampoo-is-almost-as-bad-for-you-as-car-exhaust-fumes_uk_5a86b095e4b05c2bcac9a04b">shampoo can contribute to pollution</a>. Maybe this in part explains why <a href="https://uk.news.yahoo.com/shampoo-sales-slide-by-23m-in-one-year-because-british-women-are-washing-their-hair-less-112003078.html?guccounter=1">sales of shampoo have fallen</a> over the past few years in the UK – with many people choosing to wash their hair less often. </p>
<p>Washing your hair less doesn’t just save you money, it’s also much better <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd7v44U66tM&index=3&list=PLVpIMBnUZVgtubNngrelAqBXO219ypDvW">for your hair condition</a>. It can also help to limit the ageing effects of over exposure to <a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/how-often-you-should-wash-your-hair-according-science">hot water and chemicals on your skin</a>. </p>
<h2>Increased awareness</h2>
<p><a href="https://esrc.ukri.org/news-events-and-publications/impact-case-studies/cutting-carbon-footprints-in-the-service-sector/">My latest research project</a> looks at the issue of sustainability across the hairdressing sector. Not only is the hair sector a high user of resources, but hairdressers probably talk to more people than any other occupation – and are in a great position to pass on advice about lower resource hair care. </p>
<p>From speaking with hairdressers, it seems that ever since the episode of Blue Planet II in which David Attenborough explained how a whale mother was still carrying her <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a8HGJid-Jo">dead baby</a> which, it was claimed, had been poisoned by plastics (though scientists working on the show have confirmed there was no actual evidence to prove this) salons have been seeing a massive increase in clients wanting to know that their hairdresser is doing their bit. </p>
<p><a href="https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/416264/">Our research</a> has found that many hairdressers are keen to make changes that are better for the environment. The opportunity to present their industry as part of the solution rather than part of the problem is very attractive to hairdressers, as it boosts their sense of professional identity and pride in offering a well informed service. </p>
<h2>Sustainable stylists</h2>
<p>A large focus of the project has been on equipping hairdressers with the skills and knowledge required for them to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSqtiPvcn0s&feature=youtu.be">talk to their clients</a> about sustainable hair care. There are many products out there that are better for the environment, not because they have “organic” or “eco” on the label, but because they <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83zYtOBsgl4&feature=youtu.be">reduce the need for hot water</a>. </p>
<p>Dry shampoo is a great example. It is fast, convenient, and great at festivals and on the move. It also makes hair easier to style, is cheap and avoids the need for any hot water. Similarly, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ycSesQcBU&feature=youtu.be">leave-in conditioner</a> avoids the need for an extra rinse and again makes hair easier to style. It is also fantastic at giving body to fine hair, and saves water, energy, money and time. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/258000/original/file-20190208-174890-1hpm11w.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hairdressers can be part of the solution rather than the problem.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="http://ecohairandbeauty.com/">Our ecohair project</a>, run in association with the Vocational Training Charitable Trust and the Hair and Beauty Industry Authority, provides a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iM6UXh9gzlk&feature=youtu.be">sustainable stylist certificate</a> at no cost, once hairdressers have completed the <a href="http://edshare.soton.ac.uk/18415/2/story_html5.html">training programme</a>. The salon owner can also obtain a <a href="http://ecohairandbeauty.com/sustainablesaloncertificate/">sustainable salon certificate</a> to let customers know these things are important to their business. </p>
<p>Getting certified as a sustainable salon has numerous benefits, and not just in terms of reputation. Adopting the changes as part of the scheme <a href="http://ecohairandbeauty.com/virtual-salon/">saves the typical salon</a> 286,000 litres of water, 24150 kWh of energy and £5,300 a year. </p>
<p>And with <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-climate-crisis-has-arrived-so-stop-feeling-guilty-and-start-imagining-your-future-111139">new research</a> showing the increased threat of climate change and the need for urgent behavioural change, it is great that simple alterations to our hair care routines – and where we choose to get our hair cut (you can find <a href="http://ecohairandbeauty.com/salon-locator/">sustainable salons here</a>) – can make such a difference to the planet we call home.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111113/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Denise Baden receives funding from the ESRC for the research (I did have a grant a few years back). </span></em></p>Could hairdressers hold the key to tackling climate change?Denise Baden, Associate Professor in Business Ethics, University of SouthamptonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1086242019-01-08T12:20:02Z2019-01-08T12:20:02ZHair dye is toxic – could natural alternatives be made to work?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/252661/original/file-20190107-32142-1f2yo7u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/process-dyeing-hair-henna-ecological-product-352730813?src=3KaM7NuHp-XrVnH-jJltjQ-1-1">Symonenko Viktoriia/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do you really know what you’re putting on your hair? Many hair dyes you can buy in the shops or hairdresser <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03795">contain toxic chemicals</a> that can cause skin problems or even increase the chances of DNA mutations (a potential cause of cancer). As a result (and to save money), many people are turning to supposed natural alternatives, with the internet showcasing a <a href="https://www.annmariegianni.com/7-ways-to-color-your-hair-naturally/">plethora of home-made and plant-based concoctions</a>. Yet very few of these provide much evidence that they colour hair.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I recently conducted research to see if ultrasound, which is used to encourage fabrics to absorb dyes, could also help natural hair colours to be more effective. But while the results were positive, we also found that the treatment – and some of the natural dyes themselves – can also cause hair damage.</p>
<p>Hair dyes work by filling strands of hair with coloured chemicals, which enter through the hair’s pores. In permanent dyes, two types of molecule go through these holes and then react to form a bigger type of molecule that is too large to come out again. Semi-permanent dyes, meanwhile, only penetrate the outer layers of the hair and use chemicals that like to stick to the keratin protein in hair. In both cases, alkaline solutions such as ammonia can help to swell the hair, open up the hair cuticles and widen the pores to improve penetration and enhance the colour. </p>
<p>A huge range of natural products are recommended online for covering grey hairs, creating highlights or even changing the entire hair colour. Suggested substances include <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-hair-dye">coffee, tea, beetroot, carrots</a>, <a href="https://www.marveloils.com/natural-dyes-for-grey-hair/">onion skins, nigella seeds</a> and a tasty concoction of <a href="https://www.stylecraze.com/articles/herbal-hair-color-tips-and-techniques/#gref">vinegar and soy sauce</a>. Since these are all things we eat, they are inherently non-toxic, but most articles that recommend them suggest reapplying every week or fortnight and provide little evidence they actually work. </p>
<p>A common suggestion for highlighting is to use <a href="https://www.dryscalpgone.com/lighten-hair-lemon-juice-honey/">lemon juice, honey and sunlight</a>. The sun’s ultraviolet rays damage hair melanin which results in a yellowed colour, and the small amount of citric acid in lemon juice can speed up this reaction. But the acid can also shrink the shaft of each strand, leaving hair thinner, and strips the hair of essential oils <a href="https://www.futurederm.com/never-use-lemon-hair/">and moisture</a>.</p>
<p>You can also buy hair dyes that use naturally derived ingredients. If you don’t mind having purple hair, one natural ingredient that has been shown to work <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b01044">is blackcurrant extract</a>. However, the most common ingredients in natural dyes are henna or indigo, with henna’s use dating back to the <a href="https://www.byrdie.co.uk/hair-color-history">ancient Egyptians</a>. When mixed with indigo, henna can create a range of shades from brown to black. These colour extracts work in a similar manner to temporary dyes and are adsorbed onto the surface of the hair. But like other plant-based dyes, henna treatments are <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00032710802352605">limited by</a> their messiness and the need to frequently reapply them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/252662/original/file-20190107-32136-150qjd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Henna hair dye is natural but limited.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/henna-powder-paste-prepare-home-still-421391764?src=qdG-BRukgB74rWf9uxZMgQ-1-2">fotolotos/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To see if we could improve the hair dyeing properties of natural hair dyes, my colleagues and I <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350417718311994?via%253Dihub">recently tested</a> the effects of ultrasound on samples of goat hair. Much to the relief of the university ethics review board, this didn’t involve taking a goat to the local hairdresser. Samples of light-coloured goat hair provide a consistent source for testing and it has similar properties to human hair.</p>
<p>We already know that ultrasound can improve the performance of natural dyes on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0143720804001172">wool</a>, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10098-010-0296-2">silk</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350417708001284">cotton</a>. It creates a pressure wave in liquids that grows and collapses tiny bubbles, creating microturbulence that, depending on the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350417717301220">ultrasound’s characteristics</a>, can help the liquid’s molecules move around faster. Under certain conditions, ultrasound can also open up the pores of <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ie3022785">natural materials</a>. Our results showed that, with the right settings, ultrasound could halve the typical two-hour dyeing time of henna-based dyes. </p>
<h2>Hair damage</h2>
<p>But we also took magnified images of the hair using a scanning electron microscope before and after different treatments. These showed that, when ultrasound was applied for long enough, it changed the hair structure, creating a different shape hair follicle that has previously been seen in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pde.12674">ectodermal dysplasia patients</a>.</p>
<p>In some cases, there was also some surface damage to the hair, most likely from erosion caused by the ultrasonic bubbles collapsing near or on the hair surface. The images also showed that henna-based dye can damage the outer layer or cuticle of hair, which is typically linked to dry and damaged hair. </p>
<p>Overall, ultrasound under the right conditions was able to create a more intense colour that was more resistant to washing than using the henna dye on its own, and without damaging the hair. But before you go sticking your head in an ultrasonic bath, we need to work out all safety implications. Our next step will be to look at how ultrasound can be used in the best way to enhance different dyeing formulations without damaging hair and how this can be used in the real world.</p>
<p>So far, it doesn’t look like there are any natural hair dyes without their downsides. But there is definitely room for new products that don’t involve smearing smelly, sticky food into your hair.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/108624/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeleine Bussemaker receives funding from Food Waste Net (BBSRC grant BB/L013819/1) and the Plants to Products Network (BBSRC grant BB/L013797/1). </span></em></p>New research suggests ultrasound could make henna-based hair dyes more effective.Madeleine Bussemaker, Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, University of SurreyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1039052018-09-30T20:04:20Z2018-09-30T20:04:20ZI’ve Always Wondered: why did mammals go the fur route, rather than developing feathers?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237994/original/file-20180926-149979-1izpfs0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Birds and mammals use feathers and fur for staying warm and dry – but for other purposes too. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-eclectus-parrot-bassett-hound-puppy-1423051?src=7zA95dP7nX_BDircZRTnRQ-1-9">from www.shutterstock.com </a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This is an article from <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/ive-always-wondered-43449">I’ve Always Wondered</a>, a series where readers send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. Send your question to alwayswondered@theconversation.edu.au</em></p>
<hr>
<p><strong>Assuming feathers are superior to fur in terms of water protection and insulation, I’ve always wondered: why did mammals go the fur route, rather than developing feathers? – Shane, Perth</strong> </p>
<p>One of the main characteristics that distinguish mammals from birds, and other animals, is that mammals have hair or fur, and birds have feathers. </p>
<p>Mammals evolved from the <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/palaeontology/before-the-dinosaurs">synapsids</a> (such as the finback, <em>Dimetrodon</em>) between 320 and 315 million years ago, while birds evolved from <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/50-million-years-of-incredible-shrinking-theropod-dinosaurs/">theropod dinosaurs</a> (like <em>T.rex</em>) around 150 million years ago. So hair and feathers evolved separately from different groups of animals. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-how-many-dinosaurs-in-total-lived-on-earth-during-all-periods-100460">Curious Kids: How many dinosaurs in total lived on Earth during all periods?</a>
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<p>While each group of animals requires varying degrees of insulation and waterproofing, the different animals also use hair and feathers for additional purposes – like sensing their environment, and courting displays. Together, all these roles affect an animal’s chances of survival and finding a mate to successfully reproduce with. </p>
<p>Both fur and feathers are part of the <a href="https://biologydictionary.net/integumentary-system/">integumentary system</a>, associated with the external covering of the body.</p>
<h2>Hair for heat control</h2>
<p>Often, we associate hair or fur with insulation. Sheep hair, called wool, is well recognised for its capacity to insulate, and humans have built whole industries based on its properties. </p>
<p>Of course, the number, type and colour of hair differs among mammalian species, and these characteristics are based on the specific mammal’s needs. </p>
<p>Hairs are always associated with sebaceous glands (that produce sebum, a water repellent-like substance) and sensory receptors. </p>
<p>The naked mole-rat (<em>Heterocephalus glaber</em>), a blind subterranean mammal, has some scattered hairs (despite its name) – it uses these to navigate through associated <a href="https://oercommons.s3.amazonaws.com/media/thumbnails/22/00/220044edf76ab7d8cd0050a942a0a313.jpg">sensory receptors</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237995/original/file-20180926-149979-2gv1qw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Despite its name, hairs on the naked mole rat provide sensory information to help it navigate underground.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/naked-mole-rat-heterocephalus-glaber-tube-92428237?src=aq57HaKwL4klZY8kSFBXiA-1-12">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Elephants also appear essentially hairless; however, they are covered in hair of varying lengths and densities. Like their ancestors the mammoths, modern day elephants have a large volume-to-surface-area ratio. So rather than an insulator, modern-day elephant hair enables heat loss and aids cooling.</p>
<p>Individual hair strands are different colours. The outer portion of the hair strands are responsible for the general appearance of the animal, and hence, its overall colouration. The inner portion of the hair strand is responsible for insulation.</p>
<p>Hair or coat colour affects the ability of hair to reflect solar radiation and insulate. Dark hair absorbs more radiant heat than lighter hair. For example, in the arid zones of outback Australia, the darker euro (also referred to as the common wallaroo, <em>Macropus robustus</em>) avoids heat behaviourally by moving <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0010406X70909540?via%3Dihub">out of the sun</a>. The lighter-coloured red kangaroo (<em>Macropus rufus</em>) spends more time in open areas. </p>
<p>So hair colour is important for species who use basking in the sun to warm themselves and conserve energy.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/237997/original/file-20180926-149985-4aw7mv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Just catching some rays – because I can.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/red-kangaroo-macropus-rufus-wildlife-animal-507249961?src=vy_C0VeWMwISF9COx2erjQ-1-1">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Hair for defence</h2>
<p>Zebras (<em>Equis</em> species) have black and white striped fur to reduce insect attack and confuse biting flies. Scientists have found all white or all dark coloured horse species and related species are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=cgyDrHEDc7Q">more readily bitten by flies than striped zebras</a>. </p>
<p>Hair can also play a role in defence for species such as porcupines, echidnas and hedgehogs. Porcupines have modified hairs called quills, while echidnas and hedgehogs have hollow spines, both covered in a thick layer of keratin. The animals also have bristles, underfur, and/or hair among their quills or spines, and on their bellies. </p>
<p>Hedgehogs roll into a tight ball and expose their spiny backs towards predators. Smilarly, echidnas can curl into a ball or will bury themselves and leave their spiny backs exposed as protection from predators.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238000/original/file-20180926-149961-1ewhilx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Echidna quills are actually modified hairs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/148286771@N02/33128078282/in/photolist-Stq4vu-dZVPsC-6NxszS-7kgVJ5-69Zuu7-7dyYV8-7kd2tv-7dyZ1T-28qfcoV-5gEo5j-79vZCM-U3QLXW-7kgVUh-27g1m71-hfHQJV-8cJApA-LgdTjc-SsE6cf-7omQSi-isZ9MD-8zE2a6-on5H6t-hfJpGj-8zHaYo-ApYG5J-rpCgHA-KeHD6U-c33czu-am8rwR-q1U5rL-c32QNs-hfJgZo-meysSR-g8JUb1-9aFnnz-c32Xkh-hfJyof-29xQC73-6zU7qo-c33hsj-c32Rsy-8vSPPV-e6ofEw-c335B9-8vX6mJ-AaFCM3-69MsCR-c32Z9Q-5BNEUc-rBXrVo">148286771@N02/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Types of feathers</h2>
<p>So, what about feathers? Just like mammals have sensory receptors associated with hairs, birds have sensory receptors associated with feathers. These enable birds to sense objects such as biting flies and other parasites. </p>
<p>There are two main types of feathers: vaned feathers and down feathers. </p>
<p>Vaned feathers have a rachis or shaft, with barbs branching off, and smaller barbules branching off the barbs. Down feathers lack barbles, and are fluffy in appearance. </p>
<p>Down feathers are responsible for insulation, and are the feathers we use in our doonas, whilst vaned feathers aid flight.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=515&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=647&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=647&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238002/original/file-20180926-149964-ty8d0j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=647&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Different types of feathers suit different purposes – flight, warmth and mating displays.
1 - contour/flight feather, 2 - steering feather (tail feather), 3 - covering feather, 4 - piliform feather, 5 - bump feather, 6 - down feather.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Types_of_feathers.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In some birds, the barbles on vaned feathers produce a powder that aids waterproofing. </p>
<p>Birds also have a <a href="https://www.penguinscience.com/education/src/ap_7.jpg">uropygial gland</a> located towards the base of their tail. It provides wax-like substances to aid feather preening and maintenance, and likely provides an additional water proofing as well.</p>
<p>There is one further type of feather, that is very specialised: the piloplume. These feathers are used by males to display to females and attract a mate. Generally speaking, this is why male birds are often more colourful than female birds. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/238003/original/file-20180926-149967-yztvnq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=563&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">These tail feathers have the sole function of looking good.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peacock_Wooing_Peahen.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Mammals use different methods to display to females and to attract mates. Deer display strength and agility to females through antlers, whales use song, while other mammals, such as cats, use scent.</p>
<p>Finding a mate is of course essential to produce the next generation. And feathers and fur play key roles in making sure that happens. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YTR21os8gTA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">New Guinea’s spectacular birds of paradise.</span></figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103905/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hayley J Stannard received funding from an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant (2015-2018). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie Old does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Finding a mate is of course essential to produce the next generation. And feathers and fur play key roles in making sure that happens.Julie Old, Associate Professor, Biology, Zoology, Animal Science, Western Sydney UniversityHayley Stannard, Lecturer, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/981212018-06-15T10:57:23Z2018-06-15T10:57:23ZThe secret information hidden in your hair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223043/original/file-20180613-32313-ub0kww.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-examines-her-hair-through-magnifier-655336273">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Your hair can say a lot about you. It doesn’t just give people clues about your personality or your <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2011/jul/10/10-best-british-youth-cultures">taste in music</a>. It can also record evidence of how much you drink, whether you smoke or take drugs, and perhaps even how stressed you are. My colleagues and I research how hair can be used to provide more accurate testing for these attributes. And a recent court case shows how far the technology has come.</p>
<p>In 2008, a mother who had been struggling with alcohol abuse was asked by a UK court judging a child custody case <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22033194">to abstain from drinking</a> for one year. To assess whether she managed to do this, scientists used a hair analysis that can detect long-term drug or alcohol abuse (or abstinence) over a period of many months, from just one test.</p>
<p>This case turned out to be a landmark moment for toxicological hair analysis. The labs analysing the mother’s hair suggested that she may have been drinking during the time she was supposed to be abstinent. The case ended up in the High Court, where the scientific principles underlying hair testing and, crucially, the way the results are reported were thoroughly debated. The judge was critical of the interpretation of the hair analysis data and disagreed with the scientists, ruling that there was no evidence to support drinking during the defined time-period.</p>
<p>Fast forward to 2017 and hair analysis featured <a href="https://www.dnalegal.com/news/high-court-confirms-reliability-hair-strand-testing">in the High Court again</a>. Yet this time the reliability of hair testing was confirmed. A lot changed in the intervening years between these cases. Technology advanced but, importantly, so did our understanding of what hair analysis data actually means.</p>
<p>The traditional samples for drug and alcohol testing are blood and urine. These provide evidence for cases where we require an indication of exposure to drugs and alcohol in a very recent time frame. These samples have what is referred to as a “window of detection”. This is a timeframe over which that sample can demonstrate exposure to drugs or alcohol. The window of detection for blood is often measured in hours, and urine can show evidence over a few days, possibly a few weeks.</p>
<p>By contrast, hair can show a retrospective history of your drug or alcohol consumption (or abstinence) over many months. This level of information makes hair testing invaluable in a wide variety of legal scenarios. If you need to screen potential employees for a safety-critical role, you can use a hair test to check they are not regular drug users. What if you’re concerned your drink was spiked at a party, but too much time has passed for any drug to still be found in your blood or urine? The drugs can remain trapped in your hair, which gives you a longer window of detection and allows scientists to find traces of the drug long after the actual crime event.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/223045/original/file-20180613-32316-17720nz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ready for my close up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-illustration/microscopic-macro-closeup-view-strands-textured-1073673623?src=R4AC11pCnbI5kkE65PQ1zA-1-45">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>My <a href="https://www1.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/our-faculties/faculty-science-technology/our-departments/department-archaeology-anthropology-forensic-science/forensic-science-research-group">research group</a> is investigating factors that affect the hair concentration of certain chemicals produced when the body processes alcohol (metabolites). This sort of work is important to give confidence to the results of hair testing when presented in court. We need the utmost confidence in the data, when a court judgment may have life-changing consequences.</p>
<p>We <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29247980">recently showed</a> that hair sprays and waxes can greatly increase the level of alcohol metabolites found in hair, giving a false positive result in an alcohol test. In one of our experiments, a volunteer who was strictly teetotal tested negative for fatty acid ethyl esters (metabolites of alcohol) in head hair untreated with hair spray, but tested positive after application of hair spray. Not just a little positive either. The volunteer tested significantly over the threshold for chronic excessive alcohol consumption after using hair spray.</p>
<p>This may sound alarming for a test that is used in court, but now that scientists are aware of these limitations, procedures can be put in place to mitigate against them and <a href="https://www.soht.org/images/pdf/Revision%202016_Alcoholmarkers.pdf">guidance can be updated</a>. Ethyl glucuronide (a different alcohol metabolite) is not affected by hair sprays and waxes and so is a better target to test when someone uses cosmetic products.</p>
<h2>Other ways of testing</h2>
<p>Hair is not the only alternative to blood and urine testing. I’m currently investigating whether fingernails might be a better sample to test in cases where we need to prove abstinence from alcohol. It <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0379073817303213">has been shown</a> that fingernails may incorporate significantly more ethyl glucuronide (an alcohol metabolite) than hair samples. This means fingernails may be more sensitive than hair and could be better at distinguishing low levels of drinking and complete abstinence.</p>
<p>Toxicological hair analysis is not about catching criminals. It’s not about penalty or punishment. It’s about helping people. Results from hair testing can help support people <a href="https://www.addiction.com/12470/should-drug-testing-be-part-of-addiction-treatment/">struggling with addiction</a>. In the future I hope we will also be using hair analysis as a diagnostic tool in healthcare.</p>
<p>The research I’m conducting at the moment is evaluating the potential for hair to be used as a diagnostic marker of chronic stress. Stress can lead to very serious healthcare issues. We are examining the stress hormone cortisol to see if we can identify people at risk from future healthcare issues from the concentration of this hormone in hair.</p>
<p>If successful, this work will take hair analysis into a new realm. I’d like to see a future where hair testing is used for a national screening programme for older adults who are most at risk from chronic stress. This could allow scientists to target interventions to lower stress at people who need them the most, which could significantly improve the health and well-being of older people in particular.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/98121/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Paul receives funding from the Royal Society of Chemistry. </span></em></p>Your hair can reveal how much you drink, whether you smoke or take drugs, and perhaps even how stressed you are.Richard Paul, Principal Academic in Biological Chemistry, Bournemouth UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/978842018-06-12T15:12:51Z2018-06-12T15:12:51ZWhy the hair on our head could – and should – be so much more than merely decorative<p>Hair grows spontaneously from our heads naturally, but is rarely left in its natural state. Throughout our lives we spend time and money grooming it – cutting, shaving, curling, dying, straightening, covering, supplementing, or simply arranging. Our hairstyles project our sense of identity and how we wish others to see us. Both seductive and demanding, hair is fraught with expectations and aspirations about beauty, identity, culture and race. It offers creative possibilities, and can express conformity and dissent. But what does hair represent once removed from the head?</p>
<p>Our attitudes to human and animal hair are very different. We baulk at the idea of a dress or jacket made of human hair, but think nothing of wearing sheep’s wool jumper or camel hair coat. Why is the trade in cat and dog hair banned in the European Union on the grounds that they are pets, while the trade in human hair remains entirely unregulated? What sort of intimate hairy entanglements occur when we brush human hair with pig bristles, use badger hair shaving brushes, or weave a judge’s wig from horse hair? Clearly our attitudes to these various fibres are not about their physical properties – they are all composed of keratin – but about how we carve up our conceptual categories of animal and human. </p>
<p>Our relationship to hair is explored in <a href="https://www.infringe.com/hair-human-stories/">Hair! Human Stories</a>, a new exhibition I have curated, in which we consider the role of hair as a raw fibre and as a material with potential for recycling into wigs, extensions, rope, art works and even clothes. </p>
<p>These ideas are explored through unexpected objects, such as a <a href="http://www.jennidutton.com/blondhairdress.html">dress made of human hair</a> by Jenni Dutton, a <a href="http://www.tabithamoses.co.uk/page35.htm">hair purse</a> by Tabitha Moses, a <a href="https://www.axisweb.org/p/janehoodless/workset/103492-shorn-out-of-wedlock/">tiered, hair wedding cake</a> by Jane Hoodless, portraits of people wearing <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4114168/Knit-Dog-company-turn-pet-s-hair-sweater.html">clothes made from their dogs’ fur</a>, and a cat hair necklace made from the fur of my own cats. Visitors can touch and appreciate the different textures.</p>
<p>There is much about hair that is anomalous. Seen in piles, it is disturbing, perhaps calling to mind the <a href="http://auschwitz.org/en/gallery/exhibits/evidence-of-crimes,1.html">piles of hair from murdered Jews in the Nazi’s death camps</a>. As both a body part and a body product, it is what <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/may/18/guardianobituaries.obituaries">British anthropologist Mary Douglas</a> famously classified as “matter out of place”. When found on the head, hair evokes ideas of vitality, virility, femininity or seduction, but once removed it seems to evoke death. Yet hair has often taken on a disconcerting life of its own. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=761&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/222597/original/file-20180611-191947-n6r88a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=956&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Locks of hair from 19th-century poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife and author of Frankenstein, Mary Shelley.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Locks_of_hair_of_Percy_Bysshe_Shelley_and_of_Mary_Shelley_(19th_C)_-_BL_Ashley_MS_5022.jpg">British Library</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Victorians were renowned for keeping locks of hair of lovers, relatives and the departed, sometimes lovingly stuck into albums or incorporated into jewellery. By wearing someone’s hair close to skin, intimacy could be maintained. Collaborating with my local hairdresser, Hacketts, I’ve collected hair from over 30 people along with comments about their feelings towards their hair. The exhibition also contains the long auburn hair of a mother and daughter, one in the form of a bunch cut in the 1940s against her father’s will, the other in the form of a plait cut off in the 1970s – both lovingly kept wrapped up in scarves. For some people the act of offering hair clippings triggered memories of their love-hate relationship with their hair, such as the journalist Isabel Berwick’s <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/8c0fef9a-67ec-11e8-8cf3-0c230fa67aec">struggles with her curly hair</a>.</p>
<p>Hair is not something people like to throw away. To chuck out a hair clipping from a mother, grandchild or baby feels like an act of violation. Personal identity seems to linger on in hair even after it has been removed from the head. It is no surprise then that in many cultures hair has been used in magic, the idea being that person can be harmed through manipulating something that was once a part of them.</p>
<h2>A life of its own</h2>
<p>And yet every day our hair leaves us. On average we shed between 50 to 100 hairs a day. This means that the more hairy among us shed over 30,000 hairs a year. In most of Europe fallen hairs are ignored unless a person is suffering from alopecia or some other form of hair loss and, even then, we are more likely to pay attention to its absence from the head than to where the hair once detached ends up. </p>
<p>But this is not the case in many parts of Asia, where long-haired women carefully collect up hairs that fall out during brushing or washing <a href="http://insidestory.org.au/untangling-the-hair-trade/">because such “combings” have a market value</a>. In India, 100 grams of dusty hair balls sell for 100 rupees (about £1). In many Asian countries hair peddlers travel on foot, by bicycle or boat, door-to-door collectors of waste hair, which they sell to traders who export it to hair untangling workshops, situated in some of the poorest regions.</p>
<p>In the exhibition we see pictures of women and teenagers painstakingly untangling, sorting, de-licing and combing the hair for upcycling into products such as wigs. Combings are just one strand of the hair market: hair also comes from women who sell it directly into the trade, or through donations made for religious or charitable reasons. Once gathered into perfect bunches it is sent to hair factories in China and used for making the cheaper range of wigs and hair extensions for the world market.</p>
<p>Unlike the cherished hair kept in families, this hair becomes entirely stripped of its personal and cultural associations. It even gets assigned new identities – marketed and sold as “Brazilian”, “Peruvian” or “European” as it is bleached, dyed and refashioned to suit different tastes in the global market.</p>
<p>By the time the hair becomes attached to new heads it has generally travelled thousands of miles, passed through many hands and been subjected to many processes. In its new incarnation it becomes re-personalised and invested with human aspirations of beauty, ethnicity, religion, health and glamour. Hair – though a fibre composed of dead matter – is nevertheless saturated with human life and emotions. </p>
<p>Given hair’s importance to us, and its extraordinary strength, flexibility and durability, it is surprising that we make no use of this natural resource in the West. Every year in the UK alone 6.5m kilograms of hair enters the waste stream. Ecologically minded designers and their creations, such as Sanne Visser’s <a href="http://sannevisser.com/">hair rope</a>, Alix Bizet’s <a href="http://alixmariebizet.com/hair-by-hood">hair hoodie</a>, or the US organisation Matter of Trust’s approach of <a href="https://matteroftrust.org/297/clean-wave-program">using waste hair to soak up oil spills</a>, suggest the potential for making better use of our ubiquitous human fibre.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97884/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emma Tarlo does not currently receive any funding. She previously received funding from the Leverhulme Trust (2013-2016).</span></em></p>In Asia, human hair is sold and recycled into products, but in the West it is treated with either disgust or veneration. A new exhibition explores our bizarre attitudes to hair.Emma Tarlo, Professor in Anthropology, Goldsmiths, University of LondonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/932702018-03-18T18:56:41Z2018-03-18T18:56:41ZThe politics of black hair: an Australian perspective<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210439/original/file-20180315-113449-1185vu5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa ) and Lupita Nyong'o (Nakia) in Black Panther (2018). In the film, natural hair is used as a social identifier.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel Studios, Walt Disney Pictures </span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When I was growing up in a village in Kenya, we kept our hair short. Sometimes my grandmother cut it with scissors, other times with a razor blade. “It’s manageable when it’s short,” my grandma insisted. We never questioned why we were not allowed to grow our hair; but at almost every school assembly, we were punished if we had not shaved our heads. </p>
<p>We were told it was to keep us looking tidy. The irony was not lost that our feet — bare, covered in dust after walking to school — were much more “untidy” than our heads ever were.</p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210414/original/file-20180314-113458-13oqthr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author as a child.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Revisiting that phase of my childhood now with fresh eyes reveals a problematic history. When colonial education started in Kenya, most schools were run by Christian missionaries who constructed a singular narrative about black hair: that it was unsightly, ungodly and untameable. They demanded that girls who attended their “godly” schools cut their hair to the scalp. </p>
<p>Cutting girls’ hair somehow minimised evidence of their womanhood. It was a covert move to reduce their desirability to African men, who were constructed as primal beasts with no sense of sexual control. </p>
<p>Artistic hairstyles were banned or criminalised in school and in church. By enforcing these rules, the missionaries were able to successfully sexualise hair and use it as a tool of control and punishment in a way that Africans had never done. Such historical understandings expose the political significance hair carries.</p>
<h2>Hair and Black Panther</h2>
<p>The meaning of hair to Africans extends beyond looks and sexuality. For example, in the Maasai community, hairstyles and <a href="https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/54324739228292625/">braid patterns</a> can be a signifier for marital status, class, age and other social roles in the community.</p>
<p>In the Marvel movie <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-panther-hairstylist-black-hair_us_5a8c9323e4b03414379b2507">Black Panther</a>, natural hair is used as <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=hair+in+the+black+panther+movie&sa=N&rlz=1C1GGRV_enAU751AU751&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&ved=0ahUKEwj0jt2Z297ZAhUDULwKHbJgBgQ4ChCwBAg0&biw=1517&bih=707">a social identifier</a> that defines characters. The queen and the older women wear elaborate dreadlocks, the warriors are bald and bold.</p>
<p>Nakia, a secret agent and a love interest of the king, wears Bantu knots, an artistic African hairstyle. Shuri, a young tech genius, wears braids, which are popular among younger black women. The film also uses black hair symbolically to show the rejection of both patriarchal and racial expectations shaping the standards of beauty.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210443/original/file-20180315-113479-1whkmhq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Letitia Wright (Shuri) in Black Panther (2018)</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Marvel, Disney.</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a particularly powerful scene, Okoye, a warrior and army general, rips off her wig and <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?rlz=1C1GGRV_enAU751AU751&tbm=isch&q=okoye+throwing+wig&chips=q:okoye+throwing+wig,online_chips:gif&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiytN2PnN_ZAhXBa7wKHZ8bAaUQ4lYIKigC&biw=1500&bih=677&dpr=0.9#imgrc=XeEIFVKkTIhK2M:">throws it</a> at an adversary during a fight. In doing so, she rejects such accessories, which are often used to soften the blackness of women by hiding their natural hair.</p>
<h2>Policing black hair in Australian schools</h2>
<p>In Australia, conversations about hair and <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/the-hate-race-review-maxine-beneba-clarkes-urgent-writing-is-unique-and-vital-20160715-gq6fsk.html">blackness</a> are coming to the fore. Last year in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/mar/31/melbourne-school-allows-black-students-to-keep-braids-after-furore">Melbourne</a>, two Sudanese girls at Bentleigh Secondary College were told to remove their braided hair, as it did not comply with the school’s “strict uniform policy”. After media reports, the school’s principal later offered them an exemption from this policy.</p>
<p>Not long afterwards, it was reported that <a href="http://www.sunraysiadaily.com.au/story/4564334/mildura-student-kicked-out-of-st-josephs-college-after-refusing-to-cut-dreadlocks/">another student</a> in Mildura was asked to cut his dreadlocks or face expulsion as they did not comply with his school’s uniform policy – which forbids “extreme styles”. These kinds of incidents reveal the need to revise uniform policies and draft new ones that are more conscious of Australia’s growing diversity. </p>
<p>Over the last few years, salons catering solely to black hair have started to emerge in Australian cities, particularly in Sydney and Melbourne. Yet despite the growing presence of black hair in Australia, it continues to be threatening – a symbol of difference – or an object of curiosity. </p>
<h2>Black hair is political</h2>
<p>Black hair is personal, but it is also <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2015/oct/19/black-hair-why-its-time-to-stop-politicising-it">political</a>. It shows how <a href="http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qg9td">black consciousness</a> and identities of race, gender and sexuality are constructed, reinforced and represented. The ’fro is particularly interpreted as a statement of resistance to white supremacism due to its association with the US-based Black Panther political movement. </p>
<p>A simple <a href="https://mic.com/articles/140092/if-you-google-unprofessional-hairstyles-for-work-these-are-the-problematic-results#.9yexBj82P">Google search</a> of “unprofessional hair styles” is dominated by black women‘s kinky and “nappy” hair. A search for “professional hair styles” is populated by white women’s straight hair. <a href="https://books.google.co.za/books?id=TVrbAAAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=kobena+mercer&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=true">Social and cultural messaging</a> about hair and beauty has been clear: to be presentable, attractive, professional, black women need to tame their hair. </p>
<p>In her book <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/7771">Hair Matters: Beauty, Power and Black Women’s consciousness</a>, Ingrid Banks argues that “for Black women, desirable and undesirable hair is measured against white standards of beauty”.
To date, black women lament the ongoing <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/black-women-natural-hair-bias-discrimination">hair bias</a> they face during <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/shenegotiates/2013/03/11/is-your-natural-hairstyle-preventing-you-from-getting-a-job-2/#45e5cf125646">interviews</a> or in the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-36279845">workplace</a> when they wear their hair in its natural form. <a href="http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/djglp14&div=17&g_sent=1&casa_token=H9yb3i1sYPsAAAAA:bizPRofrAuhnIihLzOYdQN6PXLB5vzFjqWUTwjUKDK8YKrQwf7BZdQKmtV8JnEJQUXg5ObGblg&collection=journals">Policing</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/01/opinion/when-black-hair-is-against-the-rules.html?_r=0">prohibiting</a> black hair is a way of enforcing conformity with white beauty standards.</p>
<p>Due in part to these messages and the internalised hatred for their “nappy” hair, black women resort to using <a href="https://wp.nyu.edu/steinhardt-appsych_opus/hair-alteration-practices-amongst-black-women-and-the-assumption-of-self-hatred/">harsh chemicals</a> and extreme heat to tame their <a href="https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003&context=jur">“unruly” hair</a>. These methods can not only <a href="http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/National_News_2/article_8598.shtml">damage hair</a> but also cause <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/35472/summary">physical discomfort and pain</a>. Just like <a href="https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/a27678/skin-bleaching-epidemic-in-jamaica/">skin-lightening creams</a>, hair-straightening products have overpopulated the market — with companies capitalising on the message that black women are in need of fixing.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210437/original/file-20180315-113485-25aq95.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The author with her ’fro today.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Random hair touching</h2>
<p>My hair now reflects my developing black consciousness. Two years ago, I cut my chemically straightened hair to the scalp – and for the first time in my life, I allowed it to grow naturally. My different artistic expressions through my hairstyles are now often met with questions and curiosity. </p>
<p>Perhaps the most interesting aspect of growing hair that looks “different” in Australia is learning how to negotiate the constant attention it draws to me – from the unwarranted touch “just to feel my hair” to the unending questions about whether it is “real”. </p>
<p>The random and constant touching of my hair (and by extension my body) reveals how white privilege can function in hair politics. There is almost an unspoken expectation that black hair should be available to the white audience as an object of curiosity through touching and interrogation of its authenticity. </p>
<p>Hopefully, through powerful and positive imagery such as that shown in Black Panther, black hair will stop being interpreted as a threatening symbol or an exotic “mark of difference” – because representation matters.</p>
<hr>
<p><em>NB: The author refers to black hair to mean hair of Afro-descent.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93270/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kathomi Gatwiri PhD does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Stigma about black or African hair reflects deep-seated politics around race and history.Kathomi Gatwiri PhD, Lecturer, Southern Cross UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/819772017-09-11T00:40:30Z2017-09-11T00:40:30ZAt the beauty salon, Dominican-American women conflicted over quest for straight hair<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184780/original/file-20170905-13783-vgjfdt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A Dominican immigrant cuts the hair of a customer at her New York City salon.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/NYC-Immigrant-Business/3d166ad35ba64a43a949182983410738/3/0">Seth Wenig/AP Photo</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Chabelly Pacheco – a Dominican-American who moved to Long Island when she was five years old – walks into her favorite Dominican salon on Brooklyn’s Graham Avenue, it’s more like entering a home than a business. </p>
<p>The salon is filled with smoke, hair spray and women of all ages. Everyone in the room greets her: The hairdressers kiss her on both cheeks, while the other customers say hello. Daughters sit alongside their mothers with curlers in their hair, feet dangling from their chairs. </p>
<p>For first-generation Dominican women like Pacheco, these salons can serve as a place to bond with fellow Dominicans. </p>
<p>“I don’t really feel connected to my culture,” said Yoeli Collado, a friend of Pacheco’s who moved to Long Island from the Dominican Republic when she was three years old. “When I speak Spanish, I feel powerful… But other than that I don’t have much I can connect to. So going to a Dominican salon is part of my culture. For me, it’s one of the only ways I can identify.”</p>
<p>Other diasporas have a wide range of cultural public spaces. There are Chinese community centers and Indian music venues, Russian tea rooms and Ghanaian restaurants.</p>
<p>For Dominicans, the salon plays an outsized cultural role. </p>
<p>Fascinated by these spaces – and as a scholar studying women’s issues – I wanted to see how salons and Dominican beauty regimens influence female Dominican-American identity. </p>
<p>I found that although Dominican-American women I interviewed spoke warmly of the salons they frequent, Dominican hair culture is far from glamorous. In many ways, it’s a pricey, burdensome ritual steeped in a colonial beauty standards – a contradiction that young Dominican women are grappling with today. </p>
<h2>‘The hair carries the woman’</h2>
<p>As in many cultures, Dominican female beauty standards can be burdensome. Though most Dominicans tend to have curly, textured hair, the culture favors long, straight hair. Curly, frizzy or kinky hair is called “pelo malo,” which translates to “bad hair,” and many women feel pressured to treat it. </p>
<p>“I hear my mom say it all the time,” Pacheco said. “‘The hair carries the woman’ – that’s the mantra in my family. If your hair is fine, you’re fine.”</p>
<p>Despite the lively atmosphere of the salon, it’s not all fun. It can be costly, painful and time-consuming.</p>
<p>Sociologist Ginetta Candelario <a href="https://www.dukeupress.edu/black-behind-the-ears">has found</a> that Dominican women visit salons far more frequently than any other female population in the U.S., spending up to 30 percent of their salaries on beauty regimens.</p>
<p>Many Dominican kids don’t have any say over how to style their hair; their parents force them to get it straightened. This was evident in Pacheco’s salon, where young girls tugged at the tight curlers in their hair, complaining that the dryers were burning their scalps. </p>
<p>“You’re taught from a young age that your hair has to be straight to be pretty, to get a job, to get a boyfriend, to be called pretty by your mother,” Pacheco told me. </p>
<p>It all stems from a strict hair culture in the Dominican Republic, where young women can actually <a href="http://www.essence.com/hair/natural/black-student-natural-hair-asked-to-get-hair-done">be sent home from school or work</a> if their hair isn’t worn in the “preferred way.” Women with untreated, natural hair can even be <a href="http://remezcla.com/features/culture/meet-miss-rizos-the-woman-behind-santo-domingos-first-natural-hair-salon/">barred from some public and private spaces</a>. </p>
<p>Though discrimination against curly hair isn’t as pronounced in New York, many Dominican-American women told me that they nevertheless feel the same sort of pressure. </p>
<h2>No such thing as black</h2>
<p>The Dominican tradition of straight hair has it roots in colonial rule under Spain; it eventually became a way to imitate the higher classes and to separate themselves from their Haitian neighbors, who once occupied their country and <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3821341?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents">championed the négritude movement</a>, which was started by black writers to defend and celebrate a black cultural identity. </p>
<p>Dominicans believe that Haitians are “black,” while Dominicans – even those who clearly descend from African heritage – fall into other nonblack categories. </p>
<p>The process of differentiation is referred to as <a href="http://www.afropedea.org/whitening-bleaching-branqueamento-por-blanqueamiento-sp">“blanqueamiento</a>,” which translates to “whitening,” and hair straightening is simply one of many ways Dominicans try to distinguish themselves from Haitians. In fact, even though the Dominican Republic <a href="http://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/index.php?en_programs_diaspora">ranks fifth</a> in countries outside of Africa that have the largest black populations, many black Dominicans don’t consider themselves black. </p>
<p>“[Blackness] is a taboo in the DR,” Stephanie Lorenzo, a 25-year-old Dominican-American from the Bronx, explained. “You don’t want to be black.”</p>
<p><a href="http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2016/2/23/curly-centric-hair-salon-teaches-dominican-women-to-love-their-pajon.html">According to Yesilernis Peña</a>, a researcher at the Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo who studies race in the Latin Caribbean, there are six established racial categories in the Dominican Republic, and they tend to correlate with one’s economic class: white, mixed race, olive, Indian, dark and black.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://books.google.fr/books?id=ASkib7s1QH8C&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&dq=white+skinned+elite+dominican+republic&source=bl&ots=S-IS78LmcK&sig=BdbIdxL3IVzCZ-LSdfFEN7OIp_8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwikgPzGgpDWAhVIJsAKHY_PAhkQ6AEIgQEwFA#v=onepage&q=white%20skinned%20elite%20dominican%20republic&f=false">a light-skinned elite has consolidated most of the political power</a>, while many of the country’s black people – who make up the majority of the population – live in extreme poverty. So straightening one’s hair can be seen as an attempt to climb the social ladder – or at least imitate those with money and power. </p>
<p>“When people relax their hair or bleach it, they do it because they want to be closer to the people who hold the power,” Dominican salon owner Carolina Contreras told the magazine <a href="http://remezcla.com/features/culture/meet-miss-rizos-the-woman-behind-santo-domingos-first-natural-hair-salon/">Remezcla</a> in 2015. </p>
<h2>‘But I like it straight’</h2>
<p>Given the fraught history of hair, it’s clear that Dominican salons, with the beauty regimens they perpetuate, are complex, contradictory places.</p>
<p>Pacheco – who grew up in America and loves spending time at the salon – is aware that she’s also tacitly succumbing to beauty norms steeped in racism.</p>
<p>“Obviously it’s a construct, and it puts pressure on women and sometimes I feel conflicted about getting my hair straightened,” she said. “That deeply rooted colonial oppression is still there. But then I’m like, ‘I like it straight.’” </p>
<p>In sociologist Ginetta Candelario’s study “<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288671633_Hair_Race-ing_Dominican_Beauty_Culture_and_Identity_Production">Hair-Race-ing: Dominican Beauty Culture and Identity Production</a>,” she wonders if beauty can be a source of empowerment, even if it means using time and resources, while suppressing one’s “blackness.” </p>
<p>Through her extensive research in Dominican salons in New York, Candelario did find that women can, in fact, empower themselves through these beauty norms. By physically altering their appearance, they could get better jobs and use their beauty as “symbolic and economic capital.”</p>
<p>But she points out that in order for this beauty regimen to exist in the first place, it requires “ugliness to reside somewhere, and that somewhere is in other women, usually women defined as black.”</p>
<h2>Reimagining beauty, reinventing space</h2>
<p>In 2014, Carolina Contreras opened up Miss Rizos, a natural hair salon located in the colonial city center of Santo Domingo, the nation’s capital. </p>
<p>The 29-year-old Dominican-American wanted her salon to champion “pajón love” (Afro love), and to reimagine what a Dominican salon and a Dominican beauty regimen might look like. The salon, which caters to Dominican-Americans, encourages women to wear their Afro-textured hair with pride.</p>
<p>It was at Contreras’s salon where Stephanie Lorenzo decided to do “the big chop” in 2015: She cut off her chemically altered hair, leaving her with a small Afro. </p>
<p>“Around the same time, I was becoming more in touch with my African roots as an American woman,” she said. “[Cutting my hair] was part of acknowledging that we are also black.”</p>
<p>Back in Brooklyn, Chabelly Pacheco’s hairdresser said that during her 30 years working in salons in the Dominican Republic, Haiti and New York, she’s noticed more women asking for natural hair treatments. In fact, many older Dominican women are now starting to change the way they see their own hair. Carolina Contreras’ mother told me that she decided to go natural to be closer to the way God imagined her. </p>
<p>Contreras, however, is quick to note that the natural hair movement isn’t meant to shame women who do choose to straighten their hair. Instead, it’s simply about making textured hair accepted, appreciated and celebrated. </p>
<p>Perhaps by embracing all different kinds of hair, salons – which bring Dominican women closer to their culture and to each other – can also bring Dominican women closer to their natural selves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/81977/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Godin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>In New York City, hair salons are one of the few cultural spaces for Dominican women to bond. But they also perpetuate legacies of racism and colonialism.Melissa Godin, Rhodes Scholar Studying Development, New York UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/719582017-02-23T10:04:24Z2017-02-23T10:04:24ZChronic stress could be making you fat<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157740/original/image-20170221-18657-1xlvrrq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/313015073?src=KDuAs6ZRwz5L0TRIqu-TuQ-1-11&size=medium_jpg">Lisa S/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The world is getting fatter and it’s making us sicker. But could <a href="http://repository.cmu.edu/psychology/640/">rising stress levels</a> be playing an important role in our growing waistlines?</p>
<p>Obesity is now one of the <a href="http://www.who.int/healthinfo/global_burden_disease/GlobalHealthRisks_report_full.pdf">leading causes of death</a> worldwide and is associated with increased risk of developing a host of chronic health conditions. There is great public interest in the reasons some people struggle with their weight while others find it easy to stay slim, with blame often attributed to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17398746">genes</a> or health conditions, such as <a href="http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/thyroid-obesity-fat/2016/02/18/id/715039/">thyroid problems</a>. </p>
<p>Stress is another potential risk factor that has attracted research attention. People tend to report <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0271531705002836">overeating and “comfort eating”</a> foods that are high in sugar, fat and calories when stressed. And because the stress hormone <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortisol">cortisol</a> plays a role in metabolism and fat storage, there are plausible biological mechanisms behind a possible link between stress and putting on weight.</p>
<p>In research published in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21733/full">Obesity</a> this week we found that chronic stress was consistently linked with people being more heavily, and more persistently, overweight.</p>
<p>Our data were collected over a four-year period as part of the <a href="http://www.elsa-project.ac.uk/">English Longitudinal Study of Ageing</a>, a study that follows a large group of people aged 50 and older. We found that people who had higher levels of cortisol in their hair tended to have a larger waist circumference, were heavier, and had a higher body-mass index (BMI). People classified as obese on the basis of their BMI (≥30) or waist circumference (≥102cm in men, ≥88cm in women) had particularly high levels of cortisol in their hair.</p>
<p>When we looked back at people’s weight over a period of four years, we saw that those who had more persistent obesity had higher hair cortisol measurements than those whose weight had fluctuated or who had consistently been a healthy weight.</p>
<h2>Measuring long-term stress</h2>
<p>Why did we use hair to measure cortisol levels? Previous studies looking at the link between cortisol and obesity have relied mainly on measurements of the hormone in blood, saliva or urine which may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18609093">vary according to the time of day and other “situational factors”</a>, such as diet or illness. Because these methods give a very short-term picture of a person’s stress levels, these studies were not able to evaluate the relationship between obesity and longer-term stress. The distinction between acute (short-term) and chronic (longer-term) stress is important because the former is thought to serve as a protective fight or flight response whereas the latter can have a <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1196/annals.1314.001/abstract">damaging effect</a> on the body.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=388&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157742/original/image-20170221-18627-l0vz0f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=487&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Hair is a reliable way to measure long-term exposure to stress hormones.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/519395977?src=C-9im-NaRMF8YfQ_frm6RA-1-20&size=medium_jpg">Catalin Petolea/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
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<p>Over the last decade, a new method for measuring cortisol levels in hair has been developed, and has been shown to be <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0039128X11001383">a reliable way</a> of assessing chronic stress exposure.</p>
<p>For our research, a lock of hair 2cm long was taken from each participant, cut as closely as possible to the person’s scalp. Hair grows at an average rate of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16778731">1cm per month</a>, so our samples represented approximately two months’ hair growth with associated accumulated levels of cortisol.</p>
<p>We measured people’s weight, height and waist circumference, and we used these measures to assess the relationship between levels of hair cortisol and adiposity (fatness).</p>
<h2>A new target for treating obesity?</h2>
<p>We cannot be sure from our research that stress is causing people to become obese, but if causation can be proved through further investigation, the link between chronic stress and obesity offers a potential target for interventions aimed at preventing and treating obesity. Tried and tested stress-reduction techniques such as <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v16/n4/box/nrn3916_BX4.html">mindfulness meditation</a> and <a href="http://search.proquest.com/openview/25de198b92bec3b56b7f6e9f60630ea5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=32528">yoga</a> are cheap, widely accessible options that could help people reduce their risk of developing obesity. It may also be possible to use drugs that reduce cortisol levels to treat obesity in more severe cases.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71958/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Jackson receives funding from Cancer Research UK.</span></em></p>Hair samples reveal how stress and obesity are linked.Sarah Jackson, Research Psychologist, Health Behaviour Research Centre, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/715972017-01-23T09:06:51Z2017-01-23T09:06:51ZDoes the price of your shampoo affect how clean your hair is? Here’s the science<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153737/original/image-20170121-30951-1oodnuy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">But how much did you spend?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-woman-washing-hair-shampoo-shower-378849925?src=9SeHTA9vPXH8aJtGFylo7w-1-3">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>How do you choose which shampoo to buy? Do you take the advice of your hairdresser or believe the adverts you see in magazines or on television? Perhaps you just opt for the brand on special offer in the supermarket? Most importantly, does it make any difference?</p>
<p>The answer completely depends on what you are hoping to achieve. My recent study for <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c3v47">BBC Two’s Horizon programme</a> found that in some cases the simple answer is that is doesn’t matter which brand you choose or how much it costs. This is because all shampoos contain similar ingredients to clean your hair. Known as <a href="http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/materials-and-applications/surfactants.html">surfactants</a>, they are the same compounds used in many other cleaning products such as washing-up liquid. </p>
<p>These compounds are excellent at removing dirt and grease through their unusual multi-functional nature. At one end of a surfactant, the molecule is hydrophilic, – it is content to be soluble in water – yet at the other end, it is hydrophobic and will attract oil and dirt. </p>
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<p>When added to water, the molecules of surfactant spontaneously assemble into a spherical structure that captures any oil-based dirt inside the sphere, helping the grime to leave the surface of the hair. This is perfect for washing hair as the surfactant molecules within the shampoo mix with the water as you wash, then drag the dirt away as you rinse your hair. </p>
<p>If this is their only purpose, then shampoos – whatever they cost – are all the same. This was proven scientifically for the Horizon programme using two PhD students as volunteers who were instructed not to wash their hair for a week. </p>
<p>Samples of unwashed hair were collected and tested by washing in a range of shampoos and then analysed using microscopy to look closely at the surface of the hair to see if any dirt and oil remained. The study found that all samples, regardless of which shampoo was used or how much it cost, were equally clean after washing. </p>
<h2>Is there a catch?</h2>
<p>The cheapest shampoo (costing about £1 per bottle) left one student with a small static charge on the shafts of their hair, which quickly attracted dirt and dust back onto the surface. In this case, the hair would initially appear clean after washing, but dirt would soon find its way back onto the hair, making it a poor long-term cleanser. This might make it wise to avoid the very cheapest brand. That said, there was no difference between any samples from the mid-range shampoo and the much more expensive shampoo that cost more than £40 per bottle.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=406&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153738/original/image-20170121-30991-13xdbd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=510&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Decisions, decisions …</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/happy-young-brunette-selecting-bottle-shampoo-555730810?src=fhqbbOCwG-5z0Yj8gxVqMQ-1-14">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>So what’s the point in spending more money on a shampoo if they largely all clean your hair just as effectively? Well, it’s all the other ingredients that you are really paying for, such as fragrances and extra conditioners. The ability to clean your hair, after all, is only part of the overall function of shampoo.</p>
<p>Consumers want to use a shampoo that has a good, thick texture and one that smells appealing as they wash their hair. Interestingly, we found that thicker products do not work any better than the thinner brands yet the general belief that there is a connection between thickness and quality encourages the industry to thicken their products. </p>
<p>These thickening compounds cost extra money and therefore increase the price – as do unique blends of unusual fragrances such as extracts from exotic plants and flowers. Often the more expensive shampoos also contain a variety of conditioning agents to help avoid static hair, and leave it more manageable, softer and easier to style. </p>
<p>But even if a shampoo does contain conditioner, you will also still need a separate conditioner as, anecdotally, often the best results are seen when a more expensive shampoo that contains conditioners is used alongside a separate conditioning treatment. </p>
<p>People buy shampoo for a whole variety of reasons. If you love a particular brand because it works for your hair – and it smells divine – there’s no reason to switch. If you just want clean hair, however, then price doesn’t matter and swapping brands could save you a small fortune in the long run.</p>
<p><em>Horizon’s Hair Care Secrets is on BBC Two on Monday, January 23 at 9pm. It will also be available on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c3v47">BBC iPlayer</a>.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71597/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Waters does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>If you just want clean hair, you could save yourself a fortune.Laura Waters, Principal Enterprise Fellow, University of HuddersfieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.