Value of Hair
By Team Tablechairs
The BEST team talks about the value of hair...................
Hair is a lender outgrowth on the skin of mammals.
Hair is mainly composed of keratin.
Hair is found on the head, pubic region, arms, legs and other body areas.
Hair Evidence
The value of hair evidence is related to the variability of hair characteristics between individuals in the population.
The only hairs that will be valuable in evidence will be head and pubic hairs.
When you match two hairs is it useful for crime investigation because hairs have a variety of characteristics and it is very unlikely that the two hairs came from two different people, if they match.
Phases of Hair
Anagen is when the hairs are actively growing. Telogen is when the hairs are dormant. Catagen is when the transition from growing to resting.
How Hair Helps
Hair helps crime investigations by the appearance on individual microscopic characteristics which can help connect suspects to a crime. A victim placed in a vehicle or held at a location where animals are routinely found often results in the transfer of animal hairs to the victims clothing. Primary transfer is contact between a place where hair grows and an item. Secondary transfer is hair falling off of the place where it grows and falls on an item.
Hairs of the Body
Limb hairs are hairs from the arms and legs.
Fringe hairs are neck and side-burn hairs.
Axillary hairs are arm-pit , chest, eye, and nose hairs.
These hairs will not be valuable in a crime investigation as head or pubic hairs, but still useful for study.