New research shows that the processes involved in hair, fur, and feather growth are remarkably similar to the way scales grow on fish—a finding that points to a single, ancient origin of these protective coverings.
Scientists think they’ve stumbled upon a newly discovered mechanism that could explain why some people’s hair turns gray and others become afflicted with patches of unpigmented skin, a rare, stigmatized condition called vitiligo. Their research, published Thursday in PLOS Biology, suggests a gene that regulates the…
Researchers at Northwestern University think they’ve stumbled upon an unexpected new use for the so-called supermaterial graphene: an easy-to-apply, safer, and sturdier black hair dye that could give other permanent dyes a run for their money. The new dye even made hair immune to frizz and static electricity.
While conducting an inventory of archived documents, curators at Union College in Schenectady, New York, discovered strands hair attributed to George Washington, #POTUS1, in an envelope inside a leather book.
When Thor faces the fall of Asgard and a trip into outer space in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, he’s going to do it with a new, shorter hairdo and a full-on Sadness Beard. It’s a look that has at least one major fan in Chris Hemsworth himself.
Hair alert! io9 is back with all your breaking pop culture hair news, this time concerning our brand new Han Solo.
Today, we got our first look at the royal family of Marvel’s upcoming Inhumans TV series. We saw Black Bolt grimacing without his mask, Maximus looking suspiciously like Ramsay Bolton, and of course, we saw Queen Medusa. Wearing what looks like a Party City wig. Marvel, what the fuck is going on?
io9: Your one stop shopping for all geeky hair news needs! From Jon Snow to, well, Jon Snow, we’ve got it all. The latest major hairdo change comes to us from Australia, where Chris Hemsworth is filming Thor: Ragnarok. Thor is best known for having flowing locks but, a new behind-the-scenes photo reveals he’ll be…
With Doctor Strange on the rapidly approaching horizon, San Diego Comic-Con is naturally the place to start seeing merchandise crop up for the first time. But there’s something... well, strange about some of the toys on the show floor today. The plastic versions of the sorcerer supreme are all a bit off in the hair…
At io9, we love wild theories about movies and TV shows based on actor hair length (just look at our shockingly extensive coverage of Jon Snow’s locks). So when Daisy Ridley reveals that she has to hide her Episode VIII hairstyle for spoilers’ sake, even while she’s just working out, you can be damn well sure we pay…
You can blame your parents for some of those gray hairs. A new study has identified the first gene known to be responsible for causing your hair to lose its color.
Could this be the ‘killer app’ for 3D printers that finally makes them a must-have device for every home? Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Human-Computer Interaction Institute have found a way to use 3D printers to create realistic-looking hair, bristles, and other fibers.
Since movies, television shows, and comics are visual mediums, sometimes you need a visual cue to a character’s identity or motivations. And although you can use costumes or props for this purpose, there’s no better storytelling device than facial hair.
A new and surprising component of human hair has just been discovered, according to research recently presented at the annual meeting of the American Crystallographic Association. Remarkably, it’s a discovery that could lead to improved hair products.
A few weeks back, we examined why fingernails grow so much faster than toenails. Now comes the explanation for another bodily-function quirk you’ve always kinda wondered about, courtesy of the SciShow’s Hank Green: How does hair (including, like, eyebrow and armpit hair) know when to stop growing?
Down is the most effective commonly-available insulator for outdoors apparel. But, it’s also expensive, loses its ability to insulate when wet (if untreated) and — there’s no way around this — is horribly cruel to most of the ducks and geese who donate their underfeathers. Now, there may be a real alternative:…
Shaved heads have come in and out of fashion over the past few decades, but some people don’t have the option of allowing their locks to grow. Thankfully, for those who do suffer from hair loss, or alopecia, help may be at hand. Somewhat counter-intuitively an effective treatment for baldness may come from plucking a…
Our favorite TV show characters and movie stars and cartoons are often remembered for how they look. The outfits they wear, the cars they drive, the weapons they use, the swagger they carry and the hairstyle they have. Here's an infographic showing 65 different famous hairstyles.
