Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 62, Issue 3 , Pages 402-408 , March 2010

‘Relaxers’ damage hair: Evidence from amino acid analysis

  • Nonhlanhla P. Khumalo, FCDerm, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Dermatology, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: Nonhlanhla P. Khumalo, Division of Dermatology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Ward G23, Observatory 7925, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
    • ,
  • Janet Stone, BSc, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • Freedom Gumedze, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
    • ,
  • Emily McGrath, MRCP

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom
    • ,
  • Mzudumile R. Ngwanya, FCDerm

      Affiliations

    • Division of Dermatology, Groote Schuur Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
    • ,
  • David de Berker, MRCP

      Affiliations

    • Department of Dermatology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, United Kingdom

,Accepted 14 April 2009.

References 

  1. Dekio S, Jidio J. Hair low-sulfur protein composition does not differ electrophoretically among different races. J Dermatol Surg Oncol. 1988;15:393–396
  2. Dekio S, Jidio J. Amounts of fibrous proteins and matrix substances in hairs of different races. J Dermatol. 1990;17:62–64
  3. Nappe CK. Electrophoretic analysis of alkylated proteins of human hair from various ethnic groups. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1989;40:91–100
  4. Nikolaeva SS, Dubinskaia V. [Physico-chemical properties of head hair of people of European and Negroid races]. Sud Med Ekspert. 1989;32:17–20Russian
  5. Wolfram LJ. Human hair: a unique physicochemical composite. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;48:S106–S114
  6. Franbourg A, Hallegot P, Baltenneck F, Toutain C, Leroy F. Current research on ethnic hair. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003;48:S115–S119
  7. Porter CE, Diridollou S, Holloway Barbosa V. The influence of African-American hair's curl pattern on its mechanical properties. Int J Dermatol. 2005;(44 Suppl 1):4–5
  8. Khumalo NP, Doe PT, Dawber RP, Ferguson DJ. What is normal black African hair? A light and scanning electron-microscopic study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000;43:814–820
  9. Khumalo NP, Gumedze F. African hair length in a school population: a clue to disease pathogenesis?. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2007;6:144–151
  10. Khumalo NP, Dawber RP, Ferguson DJ. Apparent fragility of African hair is unrelated to the cystine-rich protein distribution: a cytochemical electron microscopic study. Exp Dermatol. 2005;14:311–314
  11. Thibaut S, Gaillard O, Bouhanna P, Cannell DW, Bernard BA. Human hair shape is programmed from the bulb. Br J Dermatol. 2005;152:632–638
  12. Lindelöf B, Forslind B, Hedblad MA, Kaveus U. Human hair form. Morphology revealed by light and scanning electron microscopy and computer aided three-dimensional reconstruction. Arch Dermatol. 1988;124:1359–1363
  13. de Sa Dias TC, Baby AR, Kaneko TM, Robles Velasco MV. Relaxing/straightening of Afro-ethnic hair: historical overview. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2007;6:2–5
  14. Khumalo NP, Jessop S, Gumedze F, Ehrlich R. Hairdressing and the prevalence of scalp disease in African adults. Br J Dermatol. 2007;157:981–988
  15. Khumalo NP, Jessop S, Gumedze F, Ehrlich R. Hairdressing is associated with scalp disease in African schoolchildren. Br J Dermatol. 2007;157:106–110
  16. Kaur BJ, Singh H, Lin-Greenberg A. Irritant contact dermatitis complicated by deep-seated staphylococcal infection caused by a hair relaxer. J Natl Med Assoc. 2002;94:121–123
  17. Nicholson AG, Harland CC, Bull RH, Mortimer PS, Cook MG. Chemically induced cosmetic alopecia. Br J Dermatol. 1993;128:537–541
  18. Swee W, Klontz KC, Lambert LA. A nationwide outbreak of alopecia associated with the use of a hair-relaxing formulation. Arch Dermatol. 2000;136:1104–1108
  19. Liang C, Morris A, Schlücker S, Imoto K, Price VH, Menefee E, et al. Structural and molecular hair abnormalities in trichothiodystrophy. J Invest Dermatol. 2006;126:2210–2216
  20. Rushton DH, Norris MJ, James KC. Amino-acid composition in trichorrhexis nodosa. Clin Exp Dermatol. 1990;15:24–28
  21. Ligthart-Melis GC, van de Poll MC, Boelens PG, Dejong CH, Deutz NE, van Leeuwen PA. Glutamine is an important precursor for de novo synthesis of arginine in humans. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008;87:1282–1289
  22. van Waardenburg DA, de Betue CT, Luiking YC, Engel M, Deutz NE. Plasma arginine and citrulline concentrations in critically ill children: strong relation with inflammation. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007;86:1438–1444
  23. Khumalo NP, Pillay K, Ngwanya RM. Acute ‘relaxer’-associated scarring alopecia: a report of five cases. Br J Dermatol. 2007;156:1394–1397
  24. Loussouarn G. African hair growth parameters. Br J Dermatol. 2001;145:294–297
  25. Khumalo NP, Jessop S, Gumedze F, Ehrlich R. Determinants of marginal traction alopecia in African girls and women. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;59:432–438

 Funding sources: Dr Khumalo's post at the time of the study was funded by the Discovery Foundation of South Africa.

 Conflicts of interest: None declared.

PII: S0190-9622(09)00936-0

doi: 10.1016/j.jaad.2009.04.061

Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
Volume 62, Issue 3 , Pages 402-408 , March 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution