Hair‐Discoloration of Japanese Elite Swimmers

Abstract

To understand hair-discoloration in relation to swimming, we examined sixty-seven elite swimmers of the Japan National Swimming Team and fifty-four, age-matched subjects as controls. The incidence of hair discoloration (61%) in the swimmers' group was significantly higher than that in controls (0%) (p<0.0001). Interestingly, surface damage of the nail plates coexisted in the swimmers with the scalp-hair discoloration. The hairs picked from the eight swimmers and two age-matched individuals as controls were examined by electron microscope (EM) and EM X-ray microanalyzer. The swimmers' discolored, golden hair revealed complete disappearance of hair cuticle both by scanning EM (SEM) and transmission EM (TEM). The quantity of melanosomes in the cortex decreased, and their diameter was smaller than that of controls. In addition, irregularly shaped melanosomes with variable electron density and less electron-dense melanosomes with white haloes were frequently observed in the swimmers' golden hair. The X-ray elemental spectrograph by SEM revealed that the content of sulfur in all the swimmers' discoloured hair was lower than that in the normal controls and that the content of chlorine in the male swimmers' discoloured hair was higher than that in the female swimmers and the normal controls. The X-ray elemental microanalysis by TEM focused on melanosomes in the cortex of the cross section and detected elemental chlorine in all swimmers' golden hairs. It did not detect any element in the control hairs. The 14C-tyrosine uptake test of hairbulbs found no significant difference between the swimmers and the normal controls. These findings suggest that hair discoloration was mainly due to cuticle damage by friction with water. Hypochlorous acid in the swimming pool water can penetrate to the hair cortex through the cuticle. It can oxidize and degenerate melanosomes there.

Yellow hair following sequential application of bacitracin zinc and selenium sulfide: Report of acquired xanthotrichosis and review of yellow hair discoloration

“…Setting Source Environmental and occupational Cigarette smoke [4][5][6] Copper [7] Dihydroxyacetone [8] Hydrogen peroxide [9] Hypochlorous acid [10] Picric acid [11] Resorcinol [12] Sunlight exposure [13] 1 -naphthol derivatives [12] 4,4' methylenedianiline (MDA) [14]…”

“…The causes of acquired lightening of hair color, resulting in yellow to blonde to orange-red discoloration, range from exogenous exposures to systemic metabolic alteration (Table 1). Exogenous factors resulting in xanthotrichosis include pigmented compounds that are inadvertently deposited on the hair shaft, including cigarette smoke residue [4][5][6], copper [7], dihydroxyacetone [8], MDA (4, 4'methylenedianiline) [14], 1-naphthol [12], picric acid [11] and resorcinol (dihydroxybenzene) [12]. Topical medications may also result in yellow discoloration, including anthralin when applied under acidic conditions [15], minoxidil [16], and tar shampoo [7].…”

Weight stigma and acculturation in relation to hair cortisol among Asian Americans with overweight and obesity: A cross-sectional study

“…The 1-cm segment of hair most proximal to the scalp represents the cortisol level of the prior month, with the second-most proximal 1-cm segment of hair representing the level of the month before that (Stalder and Kirschbaum, 2012). Hair cortisol may be affected by cosmetic hair treatments, such as bleaching, as well as by smoking, shift work, ultraviolet sun exposure, repeated shampooing, hot water, and hair discoloration from swimming in chlorinated pools (Hoffman et al, 2014; Manenschijn et al, 2011; Nanko et al, 2000; Wosu et al, 2015).…”

Exogenous Factors in Hair Disorders

“…These sacs tend to catch on combs and brushes and form splits and cracks in the cuticle [31] . Salt does not interact with hair, but salty water that is left behind after swimming in the sea dries into hard crystals, which cause mechanical abrasion of the cuticle.…”