Distribution of hair on the phalanges of the hand in Nigerians

Data on the frequency and patterns of hair distribution on the phalanges of the hand are available from different parts of the world. However, the literature reveals that the African continent has so far not been explored adequately in this respect. The present investigation was undertaken to document the findings from Nigeria. A random sample of 585 male and female students and staff of the University of Calabar, Nigeria, between the ages of 18 and 30 years were examined. All the cases considered were Nigerians born to Nigerian parents. It was interesting to observe that in 4% of the males and in 5% of the females hair on the first phalanx was absent which has not been reported so far in any other population. The presence of hair on the middle phalanx also was significantly less (21%) as compared to the findings of other authors in different populations. The distal phalanges never showed hair which is quite in agreement with the reports from other workers. Although there is a wide range of variation in presence or absence of hair on the middle phalanx from one population to another, the frequency order remains 4 greater than 3 greater than 5 greater than 2 in all of them including the present report. Further, it is obvious that the frequency of phalangeal hair is lowest in Africans (21%) and highest in the white race (70%). Other races are in between these values.