Chemical and Physical Properties of Hair: Comparisons Between Asian, Black, and Caucasian Hair

Abstract

Although the fundamental structure and function of the hair are similar among all races, there are important anatomic and molecular differences that contribute to the unique characteristics of ethnic hair and impact its health and management. Hair researchers have generally classified hair into African, Asian, and Caucasian subgroups. Though this may be an oversimplification, this classification scheme is used in this chapter for the sake of uniformity.