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The scalp hair shaft microbiota is distinct from that of the scalp skin. The composition of scalp hair microbiota is greatly influenced by the scalp microbiome, but it is also shaped by various intrinsic factors, including gender, as well as extrinsic factors like hair washing and styling.
What We Know:
Differences in bacterial community structures between the microbiome of hair shafts and scalp include variances in cell density and relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. There is also correlation between Actinobacteria and Firmicutes abundances between an individual's hair and scalp (Watanabe et al., 2020).
The primary bacteria found on human scalp hair shafts are native inhabitants originating from the hair roots. Phyla Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes are the species present in the greatest abundance, with the former two competing for dominance (Watanabe et al., 2021).
Scalp hair shafts are known to harbour the hair-specific genus, Pseudomonas, alongside the skin-derived genera Cutibacterium and Staphylococcus, which is distinct from other human skin microbiomes. Cutibacterium, Lawsonella, Moraxella and Staphylococcus were notably elevated in males compared to females. Conversely, the bacterial cell count of Pseudomonas was higher in females than in males (Watanabe et al., 2021).
Females using hair wax had reduced cell counts of Cutibacterium, Lawsonella and Moraxella, while hair bleach showed lowered Pseudomonas counts. In males, hair colour application decreased Cutibacterium, Lawsonella and Staphylococcus counts, and using hair dryers reduced Staphylococcus. Additionally, males who washed their hair in the morning had lower Lawsonella counts than those who washed it the night prior (Watanabe et al., 2021).
Industry Impact and Potential:
Given the shared bacterial species between scalp skin and hair shafts, environmental distinctions on scalp skin could potentially contribute to microbial differences observed on hair shafts (Watanabe et al., 2021).
This discovery opens up a promising and largely uncharted frontier of scalp and hair care products. By focusing on nurturing the scalp microbiome, new innovative products can offer targeted support to the hair and understanding the interplay between scalp and hair microbiomes not only sheds light on individualised hair care, but also presents promising opportunities for product development.
Our Solution:
With a database of 20,000 microbiome samples and 4,000 ingredients, alongside a global network of 10,000 testing participants, Sequential offers tailored solutions to build your custom microbiome studies and product formulation. Our focus and emphasis on creating microbiome safe and friendly products guarantees the preservation of biome integrity, making us the perfect partner for your scalp and hair care product development needs.
References:
Watanabe, K., Yamada, A., Nishi, Y., Tashiro, Y. & Sakai, K. (2021) Host factors that shape the bacterial community structure on scalp hair shaft. Scientific Reports. 11 (1), 17711. doi:10.1038/s41598-021-96767-w.
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