Scanning electron microscopy of hair. Observations on surface morphology with respect to site, sex and age in man.

The cuticular scale pattern of adult human terminal hair sampled from 10 different body sites was examined by scanning electron microscopy and showed: (1) differences according to site, the size of the cuticular scales being significantly greater in scalp hair than in hair taken from the nine other sites; (2) differences according to sex, the size of cuticular scales of facial, axillary and abdominal hairs being significantly larger in females; and (3) differences according to age, the size of cuticular scales from scalp hairs being significantly smaller in older than younger people.