The clinical importance of 'weathering' in human hair.

The article focuses on the clinical importance of weathering in human hair. The clinical importance of weathering has been greatly increased by the recent popularity of wearing the hair long. With the scanning electron microscope it has been shown that apparently normal hair shafts show a progressive loss of cuticular scale pattern from root to tip. In man it is difficult to differentiate the effect of weathering alone from the combined effect of weathering and trauma inflicted for cosmetic purposes, since even the more uncouth seldom refrain completely from the use of a brush and comb.