• Applied Microscopy
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 2008

We investigated the morphological differences of the ethnic hairs using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy, sampled from African, Asian and Caucasian women. Transverse section of African hair had a highly elliptical type whereas those of Asian and Caucasian hairs had circular and elliptical types, respectively. The diameter of African hair showed wide variations from 90 to 115 ${\mu}m$. The diameter of Asian hair was 100 ${\mu}m$ and Caucasian hair had a lesser diameter of 80 ${\mu}m$ on average. African hair were much more damaged in cuticle layer compared with Asian or Caucasian hairs. In particular, endocuticle of cuticle cell had a lot of holes in it, which resulted that it tends to be easily broken. Phaeomelanin in the cortex of Caucasian hair had a concentrically helical structure in it.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.88-99
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• 2012

Recently the hair style of Michelle Obama, the world's most recognized First Lady of the United States has been loved by the public with her optimistic confidence and as a fashion leader. For Michelle Obama's hair styles by length, a medium-short cut style was expressed in various ways to show her strong will by exposing the forehead, an elegant image by asymmetry hair, or a progressive image by a short volume hair cut. A medium cut style expressed an elegant and intelligent image in shoulder-length and a trendy image using a side parting. A updo hair style produced young, womanly, and casual images using twisting, binding, typing up, and rolling technique according to situations. For hair styles associated with her roles, when participating as a diplomatic delegate, she expressed the President's helpful partner by a soft and womanly image using bobbed hair and half updo technique. For the participation in state occasions, her hair styles were examined in three situations. First of all, she mainly had a neat style, exposing her forehead in official schedules as a political partner to create an intelligent and high-class image. Second, she expressed a strong will with a medium-short style during an election campaign. Finally, she showed an elegant and refined hair style in consideration of T.P.O. during social activity. Michelle Obama overcame her hair's handicap, grasped her images associated with hair length, and expressed hair strategically according to her roles as the first African-American First Lady of the United States.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.423-429
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• 2017

Hair color is determined by kind and amount of melanin. Melanocyte mainly synthesizes melanin from L-tyrosine by stimulation of ultra violet. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in greying hair. Polygonum multiflorum radix has been reported to inhibit the aging process that black color of hair is turned into grey color. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of Polygoni multiflorium radix ethanol extract (PMEE) on melanin synthesis related to black hair growth. In anti-oxidant experiment, PMEE decreased DPPH radical and increased reducing power, indicating that PMEE could eliminate ROS involved in greying hair. PMEE decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the effect of PMEE on the production of melanin was determined by DOPA assay and tyrosinase activity. PMEE increased tyrosinase activity and promoted melanin synthesis. In addition, the expression levels of tyrosinase, tyrosinase related protein-1 (TRP-1), tyrosinase related protein-2 (TRP-2) and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF), as well as anti-oxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD-3) and catalase were examined using western blot analysis. The expression levels of SOD-3 and catalase were decreased due to the enhanced antioxidant activity of PMEE. In particular, PMEE increased the expression levels of tyrosinase and TRP-2. These results suggest that PMEE could promote melanin synthesis that involved in tuning gray hair into black hair.