Hair Analysis

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Hair Analysis

• SUPA Forensics

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What Exactly Is Hair?

• Typical mammalian hair consists of the shaft,
  protruding above the skin, and the root, which is
  sunk in a follicle, or pit, beneath the skin
  surface.
• Except for a few growing cells at the base of the
  root, the hair is dead tissue and is composed of
  keratin and related proteins.
• The hair follicle is a tubelike pocket of the
  epidermis, that encloses a small section of the
  dermis at its base.
• Human hair is formed by rapid divisions of cells
  at the base of the follicle. As the cells are
  pushed upward from the follicle's base, they
  harden and undergo pigmentation.

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The Structure of Hair
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Cross Section of Hair
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Hair / Skin Cross section
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Hair parts
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Cross Section of Hair
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Hair follicle
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Hair shaft
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Hair Bulb
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Cuticle differences
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Medulla Patterns
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Hair strengthLoss of sulfur causes hair to
harden and lose weight.
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Hair growth cycle
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Hair growth cycle
Diagram showing a resting hair follicle returning
from resting telogen to growing anagen. If the
old fiber has not already fallen out it is pushed
out by the new hair fiber growing underneath.
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Hair tutorial

• http//www.thegentletouch.com/hairbiol/h-cycl1.htm

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The phases of the hair growth cycleIt is easy
to remember the lengths of the different phases
ofthe growth cycle. Very roughly
speaking           anagen 1000 days (or
more) catagen    10 days 
telogen   100 daysThe hair growth cycle,
showing the changes from the growing of a new
hair (anagen) to its shedding (telogen) notice
how in anagen the hair bulb lies deep inside the
scalp and then rises towards the surface before
the hair is shed, then moves down again as the
new hair grows
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On a healthy head

• 80 to 90 percent of the hair follicles are in
  the anagen phase
• 2 percent are in the catagen phase
• 10 to 18 percent are in the telogen phase.

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Cuticle the scale structure covering the
exterior of the hair   Cortex the main body of
the hair shaft  Medulla a cellular column
running through the center of the hair  Anagen
phase the initial growth phase during which the
hair follicle is actively producing hair Catagen
phase a transition stage between the anagen and
telogen phases of hair growth
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Telogen phase the final growth phase in which
hair naturally falls out of the skin   Nuclear
DNA DNA present within the nucleus of a cell.
This form of DNA is inherited from both
parents  Mitochondrial DNA DNA present in
small structures (mitochondria) located outside
the nucleus of a cell. Mitochondria are
responsible for supplying energy to the cell.
This form of DNA is maternally (from the mother)
inherited.
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Three major parts of Hair Cuticle

• Cuticle
• Gives hair resistance to chemical breakdown and
  retains its structural features.
• Results in important forensic use
• Overlapping scales always point towards tip end
  of hair
• Scale pattern allows for differentiation of
  species
• Study scale by SEM or embedding into soft medium

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Three major parts of Hair Cuticle
 
Diamond Petal
Mosaic
Pectinate
Imbricate
Petal
Chevron
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Three major parts of Hair Cuticle
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Three major parts of Hair Cortex

• Cortex is the main part of the hair
• Has pigment granules
• Compare color, shape, distribution
• Examine by mounting in a liquid with similar
  REFRACTIVE INDEX
• Allows for less light to be reflected and light
  penetration is optimized

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Melanin
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Medulla

• Cellular column running through middle of hair
• Modullarly index is how much of diameter of hair
  medulla takes up
• Human lt1/3
• Other animals gt1/2
• Medulla can vary even in same individual
• Shape human and most animals have
  cylindrical shape

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Hair Removal
http//www.fbi.gov/hq/lab/fsc/backissu/july2000/de
edric1.htmHair20Evidence
Naturally shed hairs, such as a head hair dislodged through combing, display undamaged, club-shaped roots. A hair forcibly removed from the scalp will exhibit stretching and damage to the root area. Forcibly removed hairs may have tissue attached.
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Human vs. Human

• All unknowns are compared to
• KNOWN standards color, length, shape and
  diameter.
• Concentration of Medullary/ cortex pigments
• Growth after Dyed or bleached?
• Dyed (color) throughout
• Bleached pigments removed provides a yellowish
  tint

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• The hair on our scalps and in our eyebrows and
  eyelashes are different from other bodily hairs.
• The hair on our heads grows a healthy .5 inch per
  month, and long scalp hairs have an average life
  of 3 to 5 years. Most of us have between 100,000
  and 150,000 hairs on our heads!

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Head Hairs

• Head hairs are usually the longest hairs on the
  human body. They are characterized as having a
  uniform diameter and, often, a cut tip.
• Head hairs can appear uncut, with tapered tips
  but are more often cut with scissors, razors, or
  clippers.
• Head hairs are subject to more alteration than
  hairs from other body areas such as hair dyes,
  rinses, permanents, frosts, and other chemical
  applications.

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Hair use in crimes

• Environmental alterations can result from
  exposure to excessive sunlight, wind, dryness,
  and other conditions.
• It is recommended that head hair samples be
  obtained as soon as possible from suspects and
  victims of crime. Head hair samples obtained
  years after a crime are generally not suitable
  for meaningful comparison purposes.

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Hair use in crimes

• The known sample should contain a random sampling
  of hair from different areas of the scalp (
  because of different morphology).
• The number of hairs required for a meaningful
  comparison may vary depending on the uniformity
  of characteristics present in the hairs from an
  individual. (usually 50 head hairs combed and
  plucked)
• Head hair vairations are 14500 individuals

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Pubic Hairs

• Pubic hairs are generally coarse and wiry in
  appearance. They exhibit considerable diameter
  variation or buckling and often have a continuous
  to discontinuous medulla. While tapered tips are
  common, these hairs may also be abraded or cut
• Pubic hairs are not subject to as much change as
  head hairs over time, and because of this, a
  sample taken a year or more after a crime may
  still be suitable for meaningful comparison
  purposes.
• About 25 full length pubic hairs are required for
  a sampling
• Variations exist in 1800 individuals

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Facial Hairs

• Facial hairs are more commonly called beard hairs
  or mustache hairs. These hairs are coarse in
  appearance and can have a triangular cross
  section. Heavy shouldering or troughs in the hair
  are observed under magnification. Other
  characteristics include a wide medulla and a
  razor-cut tip.
• The presence of facial hairs on the clothing of a
  suspect or victim may help establish contact
  between these individuals. While these hairs may
  be compared microscopically, the significance of
  the association may not be as great as head hair
  and pubic hair associations.

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Limb Hairs

• Hairs from the legs and arms constitute limb
  hairs. These hairs are shorter in length,
  arc-like in shape, and often abraded or tapered
  at the tips. The pigment in limb hair is
  generally granular in appearance, and the medulla
  is trace to discontinuous.
• While limb hairs are not routinely compared in a
  forensic laboratory, they can differ in
  appearance between individuals. These
  differences, however, are not considered
  sufficient to allow limb hairs to be of value for
  meaningful comparison purposes.

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Fringe Hairs and Axillary Hairs

• Hairs originating from areas of the body outside
  those specifically designated as head or pubic
  are generally not suitable for significant
  comparison purposes. These hairs might originate
  from the neck, sideburns, abdomen, upper leg, and
  back
• Axillary (underarm) hairs, chest hairs, eye
  hairs, and nose hairs are not routinely compared.
  As with limb hairs and fringe hairs, their
  presence may help to corroborate information
  obtained during an investigation.

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Hair color

• There are two kinds of melanin found in the hair
  eumelanin (the most common and responsible for
  hair shades from brown to black) and phaeomelanin
  (responsible for yellowish-blond, ginger and red
  colors). Absence of pigment produces white/gray
  hair. Before any permanent color can be deposited
  into the hair shaft, the cuticle, or outer layer,
  must be opened. The insoluble formula then reacts
  with the cortex to deposit or remove the color.

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Chemicals in hair coloring

• The two main chemical ingredients involved in any
  coloring process that lasts longer than 12
  shampoos are
• Hydrogen peroxide (also known as the developer or
  oxidizing agent) -- This ingredient, in varying
  forms and strengths, helps initiate the
  color-forming process and creates longer-lasting
  color. The larger the volume of the developer,
  the greater the amount of sulfur is removed from
  the hair. Loss of sulfur causes hair to harden
  and lose weight. This is why, for the majority of
  hair coloring, the developer is maintained at 30
  volume or less.
• Ammonia -- This alkaline allows for lightening by
  acting as a catalyst when the permanent hair
  color comes together with the peroxide. Like all
  alkalines, ammonia tends to separate the cuticle
  and allow the hair color to penetrate the cortex
  of the hair.
• In addition, various types of alcohols, which can
  also dry the hair, are present in most hair color

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How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?

• Semi-permanent color -- This product adds color
  without changing natural color dramatically. The
  hair color contains tiny color molecules that
  enter the hair's cuticle, or outer layer, and go
  into your hair's cortex. They don't interact with
  your natural pigments. And since the molecules
  are small, they eventually exit the hair shaft
  after several shampoos, leaving the hair as it
  was before treatment. This level generally lasts
  for 6 to 12 shampoos, covers up to 50 percent
  gray, enhances your natural color and leaves no
  roots. This hair coloring won't lighten your hair
  color because it contains no ammonia or peroxide.

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How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?

• demi-permanent color -- This product level lasts
  longer, through 24 to 26 shampoos. In this
  process, pre-color molecules penetrate the
  cuticle and enter the cortex where they then
  partner to create medium-sized color molecules.
  Their larger size means they take longer to wash
  out. These products do not contain ammonia so the
  natural pigment can't be lightened. However, it
  contains a small amount of peroxide, which allows
  for a subtle, but noticeable, color enhancement.
  It also blends and covers gray. (Both semi- and
  demi-permanent colors can become permanent on
  permed or already-colored hair!)

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How Do Hair Coloring Products Work?

• permanent color -- This is what you need for a
  more significant color change. In this level,
  both ammonia and peroxide are used. Tiny
  molecules enter all the way into the cortex,
  where they react and expand to a size that cannot
  be washed out. Your hair actually has to grow out
  over time. This product acts to lighten the
  hair's natural pigment to form a new base and
  then to add a new permanent color. The end result
  is a combination of your natural hair pigment and
  the new shade you chose. That means the color may
  appear different on you than on someone else
  using the same color. (That's why the "strand
  test" is so important.) Regular touch-ups of 4 to
  6 weeks are generally needed to eliminate roots
  -- hair with your natural color growing at half
  an inch per month from your scalp.

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What actually happens to your hair?

• If you're blonde and are going darker -- to brown
  -- permanent hair color uses the interaction
  between the ammonia and the peroxide to create a
  new color base in your hair shafts.
• If you go in the opposite direction -- from black
  or brown to blonde -- the hair goes through an
  additional step. First, bleach is used to strip
  the color from the hair. Then the
  ammonia-peroxide reaction creates the new color
  and deposits it in the hair shaft.
• If you use a semi-permanent color, the hair is
  coated with color, rather than deposited into the
  hair shaft.

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Differences in hair length depend on the length
of anagen, which is genetically determined. These
two people started off with hair of the same
length and went without a haircut for 18 months
the man's hair grows only to his collar before it
falls out naturally, but the woman's anagen
period is clearly much longer
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Normal Telogen Phase haircompound e-
micrograph
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An anagen hair that has been plucked out notice
the soft, sticky tail
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A method of measuring the rate of hair growth
both cut hairs and newly emerging hairs can be
seen
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Forensic Hair Morphology
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Muskrat Hair
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This is a deer hair. Unlike that of
any other animal, the root of deer hair has a
wine-glass shape a narrow root that gradually
widens. In addition, the medulla, or inner layer
of cells, consists of spherical cells that take
up the whole width of the hair in a repeating
pattern of different shapes, such as a hexagonal
shape, depending on what member of the deer
family the subject belongs to.
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Deer Hair
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This is a deer hair. Unlike that of any other
animal, the root of deer hair has a wine-glass
shape a narrow root that gradually widens. In
addition, the medulla, or inner layer of cells,
consists of spherical cells that take up the
whole width of the hair in a repeating pattern of
different shapes, such as a hexagonal shape,
depending on what member of the deer family the
subject belongs to.
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Muskrat Hair
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This is a deer hair. Unlike that of
any other animal, the root of deer hair has a
wine-glass shape a narrow root that gradually
widens. In addition, the medulla, or inner layer
of cells, consists of spherical cells that take
up the whole width of the hair in a repeating
pattern of different shapes, such as a hexagonal
shape, depending on what member of the deer
family the subject belongs to.
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Deer Hair
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This is a cat hair. Cat hair has fibrous roots
and its pigment particles do not run down to the
root. In addition, its medulla, or inner layer of
cells, is thicker than that of dog hair.
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Cat Hair
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This is a cat hair. Cat hair has fibrous roots
and its pigment particles do not run down to the
root. In addition, its medulla, or inner layer of
cells, is thicker than that of dog hair.
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• This is a dog hair. Dog hair has spade-like roots
  and its pigmentation runs down throughout the
  shaft to the root. Its medulla, or inner layer of
  cells, is thinner, too, than that of cat hair.

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Dog Hair
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This is a dog hair. Dog hair has spade-like roots
and its pigmentation runs down throughout the
shaft to the root. Its medulla, or inner layer of
cells, is thinner, too, than that of cat hair
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Muskrat Hair
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Human Head Hair - Cut
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Human Hair Cut
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Darn those Split Ends
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Human Pubic Hair
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Hair Structure
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Cuticle Human Hair
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Cuticle Oragutan hair
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Human Orangutan
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Slight Lifting Normal cuticle
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Cuticle damage by overperming
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Brush down Brush up
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Electronmicrograph showing new hairs emerging
from the hair follicles of the scalp
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Zinc deficiency Normal
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Hair density patterns
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A hair, carrying some normal fragments of debris,
seen under the electron microscope
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This is a human head hair of Caucasian origin.
Caucasian hairs come in the widest variety of
colors, can be of fine to medium coarseness and
are generally straight or wavy. In addition, the
shafts vary from round to oval in cross section.
Finally, color pigments are fine- to medium-sized
and are evenly distributed throughout the shaft.
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Caucasian / European Hair
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HairThis is a human head hair of Caucasian
origin. Caucasian hairs come in the widest
variety of colors, can be of fine to medium
coarseness and are generally straight or wavy. In
addition, the shafts vary from round to oval in
cross section. Finally, color pigments are fine-
to medium-sized and are evenly distributed
throughout the shaft.
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Caucasoid hair can be anything from blond to
black in color, and may be curly, wavy or straight
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This is a human head hair of Asian origin. Such
hair is generally coarse, straight and circular
in cross section. Its diameter is wider than the
hair of other racial groups, and the outer layer
of the hair, the cuticle, is usually
significantly thicker. The medulla, or inner
layer of cells, is continuous and wide. In
addition, the hair shaft contains pigment
particles that are generally larger than those of
Caucasian hairs, and often appear to be grouped
in patchy areas. Finally, the hair may have a
reddish appearance, a product of its pigment.
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Mongoloid / Asian Hair
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This is a human head hair of Asian origin. Such
hair is generally coarse, straight and circular
in cross section. Its diameter is wider than the
hair of other racial groups, and the outer layer
of the hair, the cuticle, is usually
significantly thicker. The medulla, or inner
layer of cells, is continuous and wide. In
addition, the hair shaft contains pigment
particles that are generally larger than those of
Caucasian hairs, and often appear to be grouped
in patchy areas. Finally, the hair may have a
reddish appearance, a product of its pigment.
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Asian hair is straight and thick, and resists
damage well
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This is a human head hair of Afro-Caribbean
origin. Such hairs are generally curly or kinky,
and have a flattened cross section. Larger than
those of other racial groups, its pigment
particles are grouped in clumps of different
sizes and shapes and may be so dense that they
render the hair opaque. Furthermore, the hair
shaft may vary or seem to vary in diameter
because of its flattened nature and the way it
settles on the microscope slide
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African American Hair
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This is a human head hair of Afro-Caribbean
origin. Such hairs are generally curly or kinky,
and have a flattened cross section. Larger than
those of other racial groups, its pigment
particles are grouped in clumps of different
sizes and shapes and may be so dense that they
render the hair opaque. Furthermore, the hair
shaft may vary or seem to vary in diameter
because of its flattened nature and the way it
settles on the microscope slide.
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African hair is vulnerable to damage, because of
its shape and twisted structure
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Human HairsRacial Determination
Negroid Afro-Carribean
Mongoloid Asian
Caucasian
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POST-Mortem root band
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Burnt Human Hair
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Forced Removal - Naturally Shed
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Comparison Microscope evaluation of hair.
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Naturally shed hairs have an undisturbed club
shaped root
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Hair forecably removed with stretching / damage
to the root area
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Tissue attached to root. Recall tissue is the
part that has DNA
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Examination of the Medulla
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Age of hair donor

• The age of an individual cannot be determined
  definitively by a microscopic examination
  however, the microscopic appearance of certain
  human hairs, such as those of infants and elderly
  individuals, may provide a general indication of
  age.
• The hairs of infants, for example, are generally
  finer and less distinctive in microscopic
  appearance.
• As individuals age, hair can undergo pigment loss
  and changes in the configuration of the hair
  shaft to become much finer and more variable in
  diameter.

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Sex of hair donor

• Although the sex of an individual is difficult to
  determine from microscopic examination, longer,
  treated hairs are more frequently encountered in
  female individuals.
• Sex can be determined from a forcibly removed
  hair (with tissue), but this is not routinely
  done.
• Nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) tests
  will provide more specific information regarding
  the possible origin of the hair.

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Questions concerning hair examinations and their
significance include

• Is the significance of a hair association
  dependent on a set number of compared
  characteristics?
• Does the length of the compared hairs affect the
  significance of an association?
• Does treatment influence the significance?
• Are hairs of specific racial groups more
  significant than others?
• Do hair sprays, gels, or other hair applications
  influence the significance of a hair match?
• Is a hair match significant when the comparison
  was made with a limited number of known hairs? 

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Forensic Hair Morphology
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Examination of the Medulla
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Patterns in Animal Species Examination of Scale
Pattern
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Hair Roots
Pulled
Forcibly Removed Shed
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Tip of the Shaft
Burned Cut
Razored
split
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Collection of Hair Specimen
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All slides pictures and commentaries copied from
a variety of sources
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One Small Snip Of Hair... One giant headache
for Ohio barber who sold Neil Armstrong's locks
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JUNE 1--Former Apollo astronaut Neil Armstrong is
threatening to sue an Ohio barber who once cut
his hair and then sold the locks to a collector.
Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, is
steamed at Marx Sizemore, who peddled the shorn
hair for 3000 last May. Now, according to the
below May 17 letter from Armstrong's attorney,
the ex-astronaut wants Sizemore to retrieve the
hair or contribute his proceeds from the sale to
charity (Armstrong also wants to be reimbursed
for his legal expenses). Ross Wales, Armstrong's
lawyer, contends that the 35-year-old Sizemore's
tonsorial hijinks violated a state law protecting
the "persona rights" of famous Ohioans. Sizemore,
who used to cut Armstrong's hair monthly at his
Lebanon shop, told TSG that he did not initiate
the hair sale, but rather was approached by Todd
Mueller, a Colorado memorabilia dealer.
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The death of Napoleon Bonaparte.Murder? The
answer is in the hair.
                                          

 
Portrait of Louis Marchand
Portrait of Longwood House, St. Helena
http//www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/assas
sins/napoleon_bonaparte/index.html
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Beethovens Hair Locke

• http//www.sjsu.edu/depts/beethoven/hair/hair.html

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The Fourth Amendment

• Does the collection of a hair sample from a
  prisoner violate their fourth amendment rights?

The right of the people to be secure in their
persons, houses, papers, and effects, against
unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be
violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon
probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation,
and particularly describing the place to be
searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
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Coddington v. Evanko
At the end of last month, in the case of
Coddington v. Evanko, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the Third Circuit ruled that police officers
may constitutionally shave large amounts of hair
from a suspect's head, neck, and shoulders,
without a warrant, probable cause, or any basis
for suspecting that the hair would provide
evidence of crime. The Fourth Amendment
guarantees the people the right to be free from
unreasonable searches and seizures. But according
to the court, the Fourth Amendment does not apply
to hair removal.
http//writ.news.findlaw.com/colb/20041117.html
Find Law
Hair lacks constitutional protection CNN Law
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Thats Not My Hair!!!!Hair Analysis Acceptable
Means of IdentificationVolume 4, Issue 11 --
Published Thursday, Oct 12, 2000 -- Last
Updated Monday, Mar 11, 2002

• Stanford Johnson was found dead in the home he
  shared with his son, Terrence Johnson. An autopsy
  later revealed that the victim was killed by
  manual strangulation. Because there was no
  evidence that the victim's home was entered
  forcibly, Terrence Johnson immediately became a
  suspect in the investigation of his father's
  murder

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• At trial, witnesses testified that the cuts and
  bruises the medical examiner observed on Terrence
  Johnson had not been there the day before the
  murder.
• Still other witnesses contradicted Terrence
  Johnson's statements that he was not home the
  entire evening before he called the Jefferson
  County emergency service to report his discovery
  of his father's body.
• Perhaps most convincing, however, was the
  physical evidence A blood spot found on the
  victim's clothing matched Terrence Johnson's
  relatively rare blood type, and hairs found in
  the victim's hands had the same characteristics
  as hair samples taken from Terrence Johnson's
  head.
• The murder suspect moved to suppress the
  testimony of the serologist who made the
  connection between the hair in Stanford Johnson's
  hands and the hair on Terrence Johnson's head.
  The trial court overruled that motion.

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Frye Yes, Daubert No
Sentenced to a lifetime prison term for his
father's strangulation, Terrence Johnson
appealed, arguing that, among other things, the
court should have suppressed the testimony of the
hair analysis expert. Johnson primarily relied
on Williamson v. Reynolds, 904 F. Supp. 1529
(1995), a case in which a federal district judge
in Oklahoma concluded that hair analysis by
microscopic comparison, which may have satisfied
the test established in Fyre v. United States, 54
App. D.C. 46 (D.C. Cir. 1923), did not satisfy
the test of reliability established in Daubert v.
Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993).
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Frye Yes, Daubert No
The Supreme Court of Kentucky took judicial
notice (that is, accepted as true) the state's
assertion that hair analysis is scientifically
reliable based upon the overwhelming acceptance
of this evidence by other jurisdictions, as well
as our own history of routine admission of this
evidence at trial. The Court further held that
the Appellant could still convince the Court that
the trial court erred when it admitted the
serologist's testimony, however, by proving that
hair analysis is no longer deemed reliable.
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Frye Yes, Daubert No

• The opinion in Williamson was virtually the only
  evidence submitted by Appellant in support of his
  contention that hair analysis is unreliable.
• Finding that the case was reversed by its own
  appellate court and was thus stripped of any
  precedential value, the Supreme Court of
  Kentucky sustained Terrence Johnson's conviction

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Drug Testing Network
Questions and Answers About Hair Testing
Court Cases Involving Hair Testing
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mRNA

• Scott Peterson Case