1. Hair Comparisons

2. Race Comparisons
European – hair is generally straight or wavy; pigment is small and evenly distributed; cross-section is oval or round with moderate diameter
Asian– hair is straight; pigment is densely distributed; cross-section is round with large diameter; have continuous medulla
African– hair is curly or coiled; pigment is densely distributed and may differ in size and shape; cross-section is flattened with moderate to small diameter

3. Cross-Sections of Hair

4. Age Comparisons 5 years old 55 years old 32 years old
These hairs all came from people who had similar hair color. You can see how the area of densely packed pigment granules has decreased with age and how the hair has started losing pigmentation.

5. Natural vs. Dyed Natural Dyed
You can see in the natural hair color that the pigment seems to be lighter as you move down toward the bottom of the screen. In the dyed hair, the pigmentation is more uniform throughout the hair strand.

6. Individual Evidence?
The top picture is a hair found at a crime scene. The bottom (angled) picture is the hair of a suspect. Did this person commit the crime?