Hair color measurement and variation

Bibliographic Data

ID8320137
AuthorsMichelle Vaughn, Michelle R Vaughn (Victoria University, corresponding author), Roland van Oorschot (Victoria Police), Swati Baindur‐Hudson (Victoria University)
Year2008
Volume137
Issue1
Pages91-96
Publication date2008-09-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Physical Anthropology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0002-9483 • E-ISSN: 1096-8644
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/ajpa.20849
PMID18446854
OpenAlexW2042578741
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited22

Pigmentation of hair in humans has been investigated by medical scientists, anthropologists and, more recently, by forensic scientists. In every investigation, hair color must first be defined by the researchers. Subjective color assessment inhibits the reproducibility of experiments and the direct comparison of results. The aim of this study was to objectively measure human hair color and examine the variation found in a population with European ancestry, using the CIE L*a*b* color space. Observer‐perceived hair colors were compared with self‐reported hair colors and the color as measured by reflective spectrophotometry of 132 subjects of European ancestry. The presented data show that self‐reported hair colors and observer‐reported colors are similar; however, these categories are not necessarily the best way to categorize hair color for quantitative research. Using a two‐step cluster analysis, hair color can be divided into categories or clusters based on spectrophotometric measurements in the CIE L*a*b* color space and these clusters can be well discriminated from each other. This separation is primarily based on the b* (yellow) color component and the clusters show agreement to observer‐reported colors. This study illustrates the possibilities for and necessity of objectively defining the hair color phenotype for various downstream applications. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc

Astrophysics · Categorization · Color space · Limits of agreement · Observer (physics) · Physics · Population · Skin color · Variation (astronomy) · Artificial Intelligence · Computer Science · Mathematics · Medicine · melanin and skin pigmentation · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Skin Protection and Aging

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