Transfer of fibres to head hair, their persistence and retrieval

The presence of fibres in head hair can provide strong evidence of contact with a discarded facial disguise (mask). The likelihood of finding fibres has been assessed by studying the persistence of two fluorescent fibre types in the hair of five individuals and results have shown that rate of loss is generally reduced when compared to that for clothing. Hair style and activity are major factors in affecting persistence. Comparison of fibre retrieval methods shows that taping is more efficient than combing.