Chapter 5

THE HUMAN HAIR

 Hair is a specialized epithelial outgrowth of the skin which occur
everywhere on the human body except on the palm of the hands and the sole
of the feet. Hair is not completely round but maybe oval or flattened. The hair
will continue to grow until it reaches a mature stage, and then it will drop out
the follicle because of root shrinkage. A new hair will then be generated from
the follicle. It has been estimated that hair on the scalp grows at the rate of 0.3
to 0.5mm per day.
Most crimes cause contact between one person and another and there may
be transfer of hairs from the victim to the criminal and vice versa. The
successful investigation of crimes and violation such as rape, murder, assault,
kidnapping, hit and run, etc. are frequently materially assisted by the result of
the examination of the hairs and fibers. Hairs are very resistant to
decomposition and purification thus they often remain as a means of
identification long after others such as facial and fingerprints have been
destroyed.
 The work of Glaister Hussman and others has made relatively simple and quite positive
the identification of hair as to species. In negative sense human hair may often be
definitely shown not have come from a particular in of individual. The obvious difference
in color, length and texture can distinguish one hair from another and served to eliminate a
suspect. The use of hair as a means of positive identification is more uncertain and indeed
no expert in his right mind/senses will venture to give a definite statement as to individual
origin of hair.
There are limitations when dealing with hair as evidence, unlike the individuality of
fingerprints, which is beyond question. Blood and hair are certainly more individual and
direct than fingerprints left on the scene, but to date science are unable to demonstrate
totally individual characterization. We cannot say this drop of blood or the strand of hair
could have come from the suspect and the only suspect. Those in forensic sciences who
deal with hair samples have no doubt that hair itself is totally individual in nature. The
problem lies in technology and research, which are not capable in defining the individual
characteristics. We can say that hair found at a scene is not similar to that of a suspect.
Alternatively, we can say it is possible that the hair on the scene came from this suspect
because it is similar. However, there are no absolutes.
 TYPES OF CASES IN WHICH FIBER AND HAIR
MAY BE OF VALUE AS EVIDENCE:

1. Assault/Rape/Homicide: These types of crimes often involve

personal contact. Therefore, fibers and hairs may be
exchanged between victim and suspect and/or their respective
environments and apparel. Weapons and fingernail scrapings
also may be important sources of this evidence. Bindings,
such as rope, may also transfer fibers.

2. Burglary: Clothing fibers may be found at the point where a

burglar may have crawled through a window or other opening.
If no head covering was used, hair may also be found.
 TYPES OF CASES IN WHICH FIBER AND HAIR
MAY BE OF VALUE AS EVIDENCE:
3. Automobile Collisions/Hit-and-Run: Due to the forceful contact between a
person and an automobile, clothing fibers and hair may be found adhering
to the vehicle; for example fenders, grill, door handles, or parts of the
undercarriage. Fabric impression patterns may also be observed on surfaces
with which the fabric impacted. Hair and clothing fibers adhering to
interior spaces such as the windshield or steering wheel can assist in
determining the driver of a vehicle.
4. Precautions DNA may be detectable in hair; therefore, hairs should be
stored frozen. Depending upon case circumstances, other evidence may be
present. An investigator may need to consider latent prints, tool marks,
broken glass, shoe/tire prints, blood stains, saliva, and other trace evidence.
See the Physical Evidence Bulletins for collection and preservation of other
types of physical evidence.
 TWO KINDS OF HAIR:

1. Real hair-generally long and stiff

2. Fuzz hair-generally short, fine at times curly wooly
 CHARACTERISTICS OF HAIRS:
There are different characteristics to be found when comparing human hair
to animal hair and human hair from the individual to another. There are also
significant differences in hair found in various parts of the body on the same
individual. There are many types of hair, example scalp hair, public hair,
axillary hair and hair from the beard. The first step in a successful
laboratory examination is to select hair from the proper region of the body
to compare with the questioned specimen. Even within the scalp hair we
find varies from top of the head to the back of the neck some, literature has
suggested that the variation in specific body regions preclude comparison
from one individual characteristic. However, the differences in the scalp
hair of one individual are very slight when comparing it with the scalp hair
of another individual.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF HAIRS:

In general, a questioned hair should fall into the range of

recorded types for a known sample if an inclusionary comparison
opinion is to be offered.
What are the characteristics of human hair?
This question provides the expert with an opportunity to
describe the various features that can be observed when hairs are
examined. These features include:
- Macroscopic (large) Characteristics
- Hair Form
- Degree of Hair Curl
- Shaft Length
 PARTS OF THE HAIR
Anatomically hair consists of three parts:
1. Hair root-portion embedded in the skin
2. The hair follicle is the point from which the hair grows.
3. Hair shaft is the portion above the surface of the skin. It is the most
distinctive part of the hair.
Parts of the shaft:
a. Cuticle – outermost covering of the hair. It consists of one layer of non-
nucleated polygonal cells which overlaps like the scalp on the fish.
b. Cortex-the intermediate and the thickest layer of the shaft and is
composed of elongated, spindle – shaped fibrils which cohere. They
contain pigment granules in varying proportion depending on the type of
hair.
 PARTS OF THE HAIR

c. Medulla – the most characteristics portion of the hair. It is the central canal
of the hair that maybe empty or may contain various sorts of cells
more or less pigmented and begins more or less near the root. Certain
hair has no medulla.
Medullary Index or MI – the relationship between the diameter of the
medulla and the diameter of the whole hair. Its determination is
performed under a microscope provided with microscopic eyepiece.

Hair with narrow medulla (less than 0.5) – belongs to human

Hair with medium medulla (approximately 0.5) – belongs to hair of cow,
horse
Hair with thick medulla (greater then 0.5) – almost all animal belongs to this
PARTS OF THE HAIR
 HAIR AT THE CRIME SCENE

It is tragic to think that many times, valuable evidence such as the

victims or perpetrators hairs is overlooked or ignored, because when we
compare a hair to a size of a room we may consider looking for hair to be
looking for a needle in a hay stack.
Frequently hair is an important piece of evidence in cases involving
rape. In this instance, the assailant’s public hair can be found with victim and
possibly on the victims clothing. A thorough search of a crime scene will
include the use of vacuum. If vacuum is not available, a rounded lens may be
used and flashlight to a dim part of the crime scene. If hairs are found, they
should be placed individually in clean vials or matchbox type container. They
should never be place more than one per container and they should never be
taped to a surface.
COLLECTION OF HAIR FROM THE SUSPECT FOR COMPARISON
Hair Sample References:
Whenever hair is collected, the roots should be included because considerable
information can be obtained during analysis. People may not like to have their hair
pulled by another person; however, they can generally be persuaded to pull out enough
of their own hair for root evaluation. The preferred method of sample collection is in
this order: (1) pulled hairs, (2) backcombed hairs, and/or (3) close cutting.
Head or Scalp Hair. Hairs should be representative of the left temple, the right temple,
crown, and the base of the neck. Ideally, at least 15-20 hairs from each area should be
submitted.
Pubic and Other Body Hairs. When indicated by circumstances of the case or when
requested by the laboratory, appropriate body hairs (pubic, chest, etc. – at least 15-20
hairs from each area) should be collected. Use a separate container for each area with
appropriate labeling.
COLLECTION OF HAIR FROM THE SUSPECT FOR COMPARISON

Animal Hairs. Comb and pull 50-100 hairs (pulling is again preferred
as roots are needed for species identification in some animals). Hair should
be pulled from the head, back, tail and underbelly of animals. If the animal is
multi-colored in patches or stripes, samples from all major color areas should
be obtained. Use a separate container for each area with appropriate labeling.
Hair should be collected from s suspect be a series of strokes with a fine
clean comb and placed in a sealed container. Several dozen hairs should be
taken from various body regions of the suspect. If it is necessary to cut hair
with scissors, it should be cut as near as the skin as possible. The investigator
should attempt to gain more approximately one hundred hairs to allow for
optimum comparison study.
 COLLECTION, PACKING, PRESERVATION AND
TRANSPORTATION OF HAIR
1. All the hairs in the questioned specimens should be submitted,
but do not mix hairs found at different places.
2. In vicious assault and murder cases, obtain the clothing of the
victim from the hospital or morgue to avoid the loss of evidence
by careless handling and to prevent the clothing from being
destroyed.
3. Representatives samples of hair from the victim as well as the
suspect should be obtained if possible.
4. Do not mix known samples of hair from different parts of the
body.
 COLLECTION, PACKING, PRESERVATION AND
TRANSPORTATION OF HAIR

5. The hairs should be placed in a folded paper or in a white mailing

envelope, but the corners of the envelope should be sealed with a scotch
tape.
6. Do not secure the hair samples to a piece of paper with scotch tape
because this will damage the hair.
7. All foreign debris should be removed from the submitted specimen.
8. Fragmentary hair or underdeveloped hairs are not suitable for
examination.
9. Areas on an object containing hairs should be protected with cellophane or
paper taped over the area before wrapping the object for transmittal to the
laboratory.
 LABORATORY EXAMINATION OF HAIR
1. Is it hair?
To the untrained observer, hair can easily be confused with treads or countless other fibers
found at the crime scene, but to the laboratory analyst “nothing looks like hair except
hair”
Microscopic examination will reveal the cuticle, cortex and the medulla in a hair
specimen that are absent in fibers and threads.
2. Is it hair of animal or human origin?
The most important indicator as to the hair of human or animal question is the medullary
index. The medullary index is the ratio of the size of the medulla to the diameter of the
hair. Human hair has a relatively small medulla approximately 1/3 of the diameter of the
hair. Saferstein states that human head hair generally has no medulla or has fragmented
ones. Animals generally display a continuous or interrupted medulla. The size of which is
greater than one half the diameter of a shaft. In addition to the medullary index, the
diameter of the half itself is important. Very fine and thick hair is not of human origin,
because human hair falls only between 50 to 150 microns in diameter.
 Comparison Between Human And Animal Hair

Human Animal

1.M.I.is less than 0.5 1.M.I. more than 0.5

2.Medulla may not be present 2.Medulla always present

3.Scale pattern is fine and each one 3.Scale is coarse and overlaps less
overlaps the other more than 4/5 than 1/2

4.Pigment granules are fine Pigment granules are coarse

 Microscopic Examination of Human Hair
1. Color-with the naked eye or under the microscope
Melanin – brownish-black pigment in the hair, skin, etc. It is the chemical
responsible for the color of the hair. Black and brown hairs differ only on the amount of
melanin.
2. Length by actual measurement
3. Character of hair – whether stiff, wiry or soft
4. Width(breadth)
5. Character of hair tip if present - tip of the hair may show whether a hair has been cut. Tips
of body hairs become rounded from rubbing against the cloths. Hair of human usually
shows a fine tip. Men’s hair tip is up to be cutoff square.
Split End
a. Crushed tip/end
b. Swells, vacuolated end (fluid filled cavity)
c. Burned end or tip (evidence of singled hair has been of value in arson and firearm
cases)
 Microscopic Examination of Human Hair
6. Manner by which hair had been cut:
a. Cut with sharp tool
b. Cut by blunt/dull tool (the end severed cortical cells of the hair is
rough)
c. Cut for sometime
d. Newly cut
7. Condition of root or base or bulb of hair
a. Root of the hair pulled forcibly (have a portion of the sheath clinging to
the root. Root shaped like a bulb)
b. Root of hair that has been fallen naturally (there is bulb formation at the
root end. Has clean appearance with nothing adhering to it. Root is dry
and smooth)
 Microscopic Examination of Human Hair
Two kinds of roots:
a. Living root – often found on hair in full growth
b. Dry roots – dear roots

The roots do not give much information as to the origin of the hair. Very often the
root is missing on hair found on cloth at the scene of the crime, on weapons, etc
The examination of the root will only give clue as to whether the hairs have been
pulled away by forced or have fallen out spontaneously and there are three possibilities:

a. All hairs have living roots – in case they have not fallen out themselves but have
been pulled away by force.
b. All hairs have dry roots – in this case they have most certainly fallen out
themselves.
c. Some hairs have living and some dry roots-in this case they have been pulled
away by force, the living hairs with dry ones.
 Microscopic Examination of Human Hair
8. Character of cuticle – the size, general shape and the irregularity of the scale are observed
9. Character of cortex – structural features is studied under microscope.
Cortex is embedded with the pigment granules that impart hair with color. It is the color,
shape and distribution of these granules that provide the chemist with important points of
comparison between the hairs of the individuals.
10.Presence of dye in hair
Dyed hair can be distinguished from natural hair. Under microscope, dyed hair has a dull
appearance and the color tone is constant, whereas natural hair is not and the individual
pigment granules stand more sharply. If there has been subsequent growth of the hair since
dyeing, the undyed root end portion will stand out markedly. Bleached hairs have a rough
appearance, are more uniform in shade and contain less pigment depending on the amount of
bleaching. Dye absorption and chemical have been developed for the detection of bleached
hair.
Before performing the examination take note of any foreign material on the hair and
should be identified if present in sufficient quantity. Hair should be cleaned with a moisture of
equal parts of alcohol and ether.
 Microscopic Examination of Human Hair
11. Determination of whether naturally or artificially curled
12. Character of Medulla
The Medulla and cortex are the most characteristic portion of the hair. Have more
distinguishing quantities, thus cortex and medulla yields the most reliable criteria in the
diagnosis of hair.
Medulla or core or the central canal of the hair can be continuous or interrupted. It is
continuous in large number of animals, very often interrupted in human monkey, horses.
Medulla has diameter can be absolutely constant. At times alternately narrow and
broader. The diameter of the medulla and the diameter of the whole hair is the great
importance.
Medullary Index (M.I)- is the relationship between the diameter of the medulla and the
diameter of the whole hair. It is usually expressed in fraction. Its determination is performed
under a microscope provided with micrometer eyepiece.
a. Hair with narrow medulla (less than 0.5) belongs to human and certain monkey hair.
b. Hair with medium medulla (approximately 0.5) belongs to hair of cow, horse and others.
c. Hair with thick medulla (greater than 0.5) almost all things belongs to this.
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
1. Determination of characteristic by RACE:

NEGROID Race Hair:

a. Pigment granules densely distributed (hair shaft may be opaque) and arranged in prominent
clumps. Contains heavy pigment distributed unevenly
b. A thin cross section of the hair is oval in shape. Flattened cross-sectional shape
c. Shaft diameter moderate to fine, with considerable variation.
d. Hair is usually kinky (with prominent twist and curl) with variation in the diameter along the
shaft.
MONGOLOID Race:
a. Pigment granules densely distributed and often arranged in large patchy clumps or streaks.
b. Hair contains pigment distributed more evenly than Negroid race hair
c. Cross section of the hair is round to oval in shape.
d. Hair is coarse and straight with very little variation in diameter along the hair shaft.
e. Usually contains a heavy black medulla or core (broad and continuous).
f. Shaft diameter coarse and usually with little or no variation.
g. Cuticle thick.
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
CAUCASIAN Race:
a. Pigment granules sparse to moderately dense with fairly even distribution.
b. Cross section is oval in shape.
c. Usually straight or wavy and not kinky.
d. Shaft diameter moderate with minimal variation

2. Determination of characteristics by SEX

a.Male hair is generally larger in diameter, shorter in length, more wiry in
texture than that of a female
b.Male hair averages approximately 1/350 of an inch in diameter, female hair
averages approximately 1/450 of inch in diameter.
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
3. Region of the body from which the human hair has been removed:
a. Scalp hairs
• Long with moderate shaft diameter variation.
• Medulla absent to continuous and relatively narrow when compared with its structure in
hairs from other body areas.
• Often with cut or split tips.
• May show artificial treatment, solar bleaching, or mechanical damage such as is caused by
- back-combing
- Soft texture (pliable)
b. Pubic hairs
• Shaft diameter coarse, with wide variations and 'buckling'.
• Medulla relatively broad and usually continuous when present.
• Root frequently with follicular tags.
• Tip usually rounded or abraded.
• Stiff texture (wiry)
• Has many broken ends because of the clothing rubs
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
3. Region of the body from which the human hair has been removed:

c. Limb hairs (arm or leg)

• Diameter fine with little variation.
• Gross appearance of hair is arc-like in shape.
• Medulla is broad, discontinuous and with a granular appearance.
• Soft texture

d. Lower facial; beard or moustache hairs

• Diameter very coarse, very stiff with irregular or triangular cross-sectional
shape.
• Medulla very broad and continuous
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
3. Region of the body from which the human hair has been removed:

e. Upper facial
• Eyebrow: some fluctuation. Sabre-like (fusiform) in appearance.
• Eyelash: short, stubby with little shaft diameter fluctuation. Sabre-like
(fusiform) in appearance, has sharp tip
• Nose and ears

f. Chest hairs
• Shaft diameter moderate and variable
• Tip long and fine, arc-like
• Stiff texture
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:
3. Region of the body from which the human hair has been removed:

g. Auxiliary or underarm hairs

• Resemble pubic hairs in general appearance.
• Diameter moderate and variable, with less 'buckling' than pubic hairs.
• Tips long and fine.
• Frequently with bleached appearance

h. Trunk: a combination of features of limb and pubic hairs. A 'transitional' hair

type. It may vary in thickness along the shaft and are immature but are
somewhat similar to head hairs. They have fine, long tip ends.
 Other Aspects of Hair Examination:

4.The approximate age of an individual through hair examination:

Infant hairs are fine, short in length, have fine pigment and are rudimentary in
character.
Children’s hair through the adolescence is generally finer and more immature
than adult hair but cannot be definitely differentiated with certainty.
If it is noted that the pigment is missing or starting to disappear in the hair, it
can be stated that the hair is from adult. It is common for a relatively young
person to have prematurely gray or white hair (head hair) but not body hairs.
The root ends of hair from an aged person may show a distinctive
degeneration.