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| This is a picture of hari/ fiber samples that were collected from a crime scene. |
The History of Hair and Fiber Analysis
Hairs and fibers have proven to be quite helpful when dealing with criminals, Just a single strand of hair can hold the key to finding out race, age and even the sex of the owner. Despite the usefulness of hair and fiber examination, they haven't been around very long.
In just 1857, one of the very first papers on hair analysis was published, then in the 1900's, microscopic examination of hair was established and the usage of these examinations is by now very common. A single hair holds information which can help us find out the race, sex, and the age of its owner, even though a fingerprint can hold more information a single strand of hair.
The Labeled Part of a Complete Hair
The hair is bio-material that grows from a small skin organ called the follicle. There are in fact different and specific parts to a hair despite the incredibly small size, but it's the hair that can sometimes catch a criminal who almost got away by hair's width.
The hair is bio-material that grows from a small skin organ called the follicle. There are in fact different and specific parts to a hair despite the incredibly small size, but it's the hair that can sometimes catch a criminal who almost got away by hair's width.
The Major Types of Hair/ Fibers
Fibers can also be the giveaway clue to convict a criminal. Below are some of the more common fibers.
Fibers can also be the giveaway clue to convict a criminal. Below are some of the more common fibers.
Hair and Fiber Collection Techniques
Hairs
1) Start by recovering all of the hairs that you see.
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| This is a picture of step # 2: putting the piece of hair in a paper bundle. |
2) Then, use your fingers or tweezers to pick up the hair, carefully placing them in coin envelopes which should then be folded and sealed in a larger envelope. You must then label the outer envelope with the appropriate information.
3) If hair is attached to anything, like dried blood or in broken glass for example, DO NOT attempt to remove it, leave the hair intact on the object.
a. If the object is small, mark it, wrap it, and seal it in an envelope.
b. If the object is large, wrap the object/area containing the hair in paper to prevent the misplacement of hairs during transportation.
b. If the object is large, wrap the object/area containing the hair in paper to prevent the misplacement of hairs during transportation.
4) For collecting head hairs for comparing, start by having the person (who the samples will be taken from) bend over a large sheet of clean paper. Then have them rub or massage their hands through their hair so that extra and loose hair will fall out onto the paper.
5) If after this you don’t have the desired amount (50-100 hairs), then more should be gathered by carefully plucking them from the representative from different places all over the head.
REMEMBER::::Do not cut the hair. When the person is a suspect, hair should be gathered from all parts of the body even though head-hair is the only focus at the moment.
Fibers
Fiber evidence is often found in fabric abrasions or caught in torn materials, so the examinations will sometimes indicate the type of garment or fabric from which they originated.
1) Fibers and threads can also be compared with suspects clothing to determine whether or not they could have come from this clothing.
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| Here, fibers are being collected from underneath a victim's fingernails to check for anything that could convict a suspect. |
a. If threads or large fibers are found, pick them up with your fingers and place them in a paper bundle, then in a coin envelope, which can be sealed and marked.
i. Never place loose fibers directly into a mailing envelope because they can fall out of this kind of envelope.
b. If the fibers are attached to item such as that of a bloody knife or sticky substance, wrap the area or the entire item containing the fibers in paper, and send the whole object to the lab.
i. (Pick up fibers on tape only if you have been told to do so)
i. (Pick up fibers on tape only if you have been told to do so)
2) When fibers or threads are recovered, always send all clothing from the scene from which it may have come from so to better understand the evidence.
