Hair

A Nile crocodile.

Scientists Unlock the Secrets of Crocodile Skin and Its Irregular, Mystifying Patterns

The scales on crocodiles’ heads are very different from the skin appendages of other animals and even distinct from the scales on the rest of their bodies

By examining the fossils of ancient creatures, scientists are able to see the origins of features that make mammals different from other animals.

How to Make a Mammal in Nine Evolutionary Steps

From the formation of inner ear bones to the rise of hair to cover our bodies, these developments made us distinct from other animals

A view from the webcast of the 34th First Annual Ig Nobel Ceremony.

Anus-Breathing Animals and Pigeon-Guided Missiles: Ig Nobel Prizes Reward Unusual but Valuable Science

The annual award ceremony featured costumes, songs and paper airplanes as scientists recognized comedic research across ten disciplines

Wig Shoes, Chunxiao Qu, 2017

These Artworks Explore the Cultural Significance of Hair

A new exhibition at the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Australia examines what hair says about identity, gender, social status and more

Most of the combs found in Ipswich were made of deer antlers, but some were carved from animal bones.

Trove of Viking Combs Sheds Light on English Town's Medieval History

The hair care items are part of a sprawling collection of artifacts found in Ipswich between 1974 and 1994, which are now the subject of a new book

Barbie's faithful sidekick, Ken, hit shelves in 1961.

Why the Ken Doll Will Never Truly Emerge From Barbie’s Shadow

The blockbuster film sparks a podcast discussion about why Ken can’t possibly be (k)enough

Tighter curls may dissipate more heat than other types of hair or no hair.

Curly Hair Keeps the Head Coolest

A new study suggests our locks may have evolved to prevent our brain from overheating

The hair strands were found inside decorative tubes.

Ancient Europeans Took Hallucinogenic Drugs 3,000 Years Ago

Hair strands from the Bronze Age reveal the first direct evidence of drug use in Europe

Before and after images of four study participants who recieved 36 weeks of treatment for severe alopecia areata with the drug baricitinib.

FDA Approves First Drug to Treat Hair Loss Caused By Alopecia

In a clinical trial with 1200 patients, more than half grew their hair back after a year

The gold ring's chemical composition suggests it originated in Cornwall, England, and likely traveled to Germany via a vast trade network.

Did a Bronze Age Woman Wear This 3,800-Year-Old Gold Spiral in Her Hair?

The precious metal accessory is the oldest gold object ever found in southwest Germany

Researchers are unsure whether the figurine is of Roman or Celtic origin.

Did Early Britons Sport Mullets and Mustaches?

A first-century figurine found in England may reveal the ancient roots of a much-maligned hairstyle

Smithsonian anthropologists hold up the world’s longest beard after it was donated to the National Museum of Natural History in 1967.

Celebrate Five of Nature's Best Beards on World Beard Day

In the sea, the sky and the land between, organisms sport bristles, fuzz and fur of all styles

A Tour of Beauty Industry Pioneer Madam C.J. Walker’s Indianapolis

The hair-care magnate at the center of the new Netflix series 'Self Made' left her imprint on the city where she launched her career

Some soldiers (although not necessarily the ones pictured here) dyed their lighter locks to avoid appearing washed out in photographs.

Archaeologists Find Hair Dye Bottles Used by Self-Conscious Civil War Soldiers Posing for Portraits

Hair-do it for the gram

On the lid of the two-ounce can of Madam C. J. Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower, her top-selling product, appears an African-American woman with thick, flowing hair. That woman was Walker herself.

How Business Executive Madam C. J. Walker Became a Powerful Influencer of the Early 20th Century

A tin of hair conditioner in the Smithsonian collections reveals a story of the entrepreneurial and philanthropic success of a former washerwoman

Expect a hair-raising good time at the annual International Hair Freezing Contest.

Expect Stiff Competition at This Year’s International Hair Freezing Contest

The annual event at Canada’s Takhini Hot Pools draws people from around the world competing for the title of the world’s coolest ’do

The Cairns Broch site in Orkney, Scotland

Archaeologists Find 2,000-Year-Old Wooden Bowl, Strands of Hair in Northern Scotland

The Iron Age artifacts were sealed in a subterranean chamber of the Cairns Broch, a tower-like stone structure

Researchers have found that graphene could work as a hair dye.

Graphene Hair Dye Is Gentle on Your Locks. But Is It Safe?

Unlike traditional hair dyes, graphene coats the hair surface without chemically altering it

Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington

Lock of Washington’s Hair Found in 18th-Century Almanac

It was once common practice to give away locks of hair as gifts and keepsakes

Many animals, like this red sphinx cat, are bred to be hairless. Other times, animal baldness is a symptom of stress and other factors.

Do Other Animals Besides Humans Go Bald?

From Andean bears to Rhesus macaques, non-human mammals have hair woes of their own

Page 1 of 2