An Investigation of the Association Between Structural Proteins and Lipids With Scalp Hair Curvature

This study investigated the relationship between structural proteins, lipids, and scalp hair curvature using a multiomics approach on hair samples from 90 participants. It identified 420 hair proteins and the largest number of chaperones in any hair study, with 9 novel chaperones and 7 proteins described for the first time. Proline-rich protein 29 was the only protein showing a linear increase from straight to curly hair. The study also identified 3,084 lipid species, the largest number in any hair study, and found 129 differentially expressed lipids associated with hair curvature. Lipids showed a strong correlation with hair curvature, unlike proteins. The study highlights the importance of lipids in determining hair curvature and suggests further research to explore the role of identified molecules in hair curvature variation.