1. Analysis of Hair of Various Ethnicities
Michelle Dy:
Jack Britt High School
Summer Ventures in Math and Science 2010
Visual and Image Processing
Mentors: Dr. Rahman Tashakkori, Mr. Dale Henries, and Mr. Sina Tashakkori
Appalachian State University
24 July 2010
Good Morning. My name is Michelle Dy and today I introduce you to my project which is the Analysis of Hair of Varied Ethnicities.

2. HYPOTHESIS
The objective of this research was to identify the ethnicity by determining the thickness, shape, and color of the hair.
When I conducted this experiment, I wanted to prove that, under the microscope, there are certain aspects that differentiate the hairs of the ethnicities. My hypothesis then molded into what it is now: The hypothesis states that hairs from different races will have distinct characteristics that will differentiate themselves from the other groups.

3. HAIR Made up of keratin, a strong protein
A human hair is comprise of follicles and shafts
The hair originates from the follicle where it gets its nourishment
Hair shaft contains three layers

4. PIGMENTS Pheomelanin Eumelanin Lack of Pigments
The color of the hair is affected by two major pigments called the Eumelanin and the Pheomelanin. The Eumelanin is a factor that causes the hair to appear brown to black. People who contain high amounts of the pigment will have a darker hair color. Pheomelanin, on the other hand, causes the hair to be light and resplendent. The lack of pigmentation in the hair causes gray hair and the absence of it produces white hair [2]. Those who have white hair actually have clear hair and it only appears to be white because of the reflection of the light

5. MONGOLOID Asian descent Withstands 100 grams
Thickest and most coarse hair
Almost always straight

6. CAUCASOID European descent Withstands 60-100 grams
Straight, wavy, or curly
Thin hair fiber

7. NEGROID African descent Withstand 60 grams Most fragile
Spiral hair, hair alternates to thick and thin hair

8. PROCESS Samples gathered Under the microscope at 400x
Straight, wavy, or curly
Pigmentation of the hairs.
T=L*W to find the thickness
For this experiment, hair samples were gathered from the people in the VIP class. Then those hair strand were taped and placed under a microscope with a magnification of 400. The characteristics shown were recorded in a table. An imaging software was used to determine the thickness using the formula T= L*W. After doing so, the average for each ethnic group were taken. Then the shape of the hair was also recorded in the table. The shapes were straight, wavy, or curly. The colors were the last to be documented

9. UNKNOWN SAMPLES Two unknown samples were gathered
The images were distorted
Thickness and shape were classified
For the unknown group, hairs from two unknown people were accumulated and observed using a microscope. In this stage, the researcher was given two distorted images in order for the experiment to be secure. The image was also processed so that to discover the thickness, and shape. The color was to be given later as a confirmation.

10. OUTCOME NAME SHAPE COLOR THICKNESS (mm) RACE 1 wavy dark brown 0.12
Caucasoid 2
straight
red-orange
0.129 3
brown
0.141 4
blonde
0.104 5
0.15
Negroid 6
0.085 7
0.164
Mongoloid 8
curly
dark brown- black
0.098 9
Clear-blonde
0.114 10
clear 11
black
0.161
In the table, twenty- seven percent of the participants had wavy hair, sixty- four percent with straight hair, and 9 % had curly hair. Fifty- five percent of them were Caucasoids, 18% were Negroids, and 27% are Mongoloids. According to the means, the Mongoloids had the thickest hair fibers with the average of mm; the Caucasoids had the finest (0.1155) and the Negroids had mm.
When the data for the unknown specimens were processed it shows that the samples were matched with sample 4 and 11. When asked, the person who distorted the images confirmed the researcher’s findings.

11. OUTCOME Average Caucasoid: 0.1155 Average Mongoloid: 0.143
Average Negroid: 0.124
UNKNOWN SAMPLE
SHAPE
THICKNESS (mm)
COLOR 1
straight
0.157
blond 2
0.105
black
In the table, twenty- seven percent of the participants had wavy hair, sixty- four percent with straight hair, and 9 % had curly hair. Fifty- five percent of them were Caucasoids, 18% were Negroids, and 27% are Mongoloids. According to the means, the Mongoloids had the thickest hair fibers with the average of mm; the Caucasoids had the finest (0.1155) and the Negroids had mm.
When the data for the unknown specimens were processed it shows that the samples were matched with sample 4 and 11. When asked, the person who distorted the images confirmed the researcher’s findings.

12. CONCLUSION -The hypothesis was proven correct
-Thickness, shape, and color can aid in the identification of ethnicity of the known and unknown
-However, people who perm, iron, or dye their hair can destroy those characteristics
-This kind of classification, unfortunately, will be arduous in identifying mixed- race individuals
In this project, the thickness, shape, and color were established so that to contrast different ethnicities. Pheomelanin affects those who have light hair usually blonds and Eumelanin influences those who have dark hair. The shape of the hair is actually regulated by the hair follicles where the hair strand originates. The way the follicle has grown will influence the growth of the hair. An imaging software was used to uncover the thickness of the hair and lastly, the shape was determined and placed in a table for evaluation. My hypothesis was proven right. Different ethnicities show a variety of characteristics that discern them from one another. Unfortunately, if the participant was mixed race it would be arduous to establish their race. Also, reforming the hair such as performing a perm or ironing it will deform the strands thus making the experiment ineffective.

13. RESOURCES
[1] Johneen Manning,
[2] Summerwinds BIS, Inc.,
[3] Zoe Diana Draelos MD,
[4] L’Oréal International,
[5] White hair Burford, Michelle (August 2009). "Gray Hair Myths and Facts"
[6] Life's Little Mysteries Staff,

14. Acknowledgements Summer Ventures of Science and Math
Department of Computer Science at ASU
Ms. Lori Tyler
Mentors
Classmates