Physiocochemical properties of "spun glass" hair.

The amount of protein solubilized with a Trisurea-mercaptoethanol buffer was markedly reduced in a patient with"spun glass" hair but normal in 3 other patients with similar appearing hair. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that it was mainly the matrix component that was solubilized. X-ray diffraction and stress strain tests on the "spun glass" hair proved normal, as was the amino acid analysis. The cause of the insolubility has not been established.