Karger Publishers, Skin Appendage Disorders, 4(4), p. 304-307, 2017
DOI: 10.1159/000485522
Full text: Unavailable
<b><i>Background:</i></b> There is limited research into normative hair density values in individuals of Hispanic descent. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> In order to help establish baseline density values in these individuals, we evaluated the hair density in 99 Americans of Hispanic descent and compared them with the values in 44 individuals of African descent and 23 Caucasians. Participants were recruited from a New York City medical center and self-identified their ethnicity. Biracial individuals were excluded from the study. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The hair density means ± SD ranged from 169 ± 31 to 178 ± 33/cm<sup>2</sup> in Americans of Hispanic descent, from 148 ± 25 to 160 ± 27/cm<sup>2</sup> in individuals of African descent, and from 214 ± 28 to 230 ± 33/cm<sup>2</sup> in Caucasian individuals. All differences in hair densities between the ethnicities were statistically significant (<i>p</i> values ranging from 3.03 × 10<sup>-14</sup> to 0.0249). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> While trichoscopy is not as accurate as invasive histological assessment of hair density or phototrichogram, it is still a reliable and fast method for assessing hair density. Increased awareness of ethnic variances in hair density can help clinicians and researchers diagnose hair disorders, monitor response to therapy, and conduct hair-related research in these patients.