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Hair-raising chemistry

Human hair is unusual in the animal kingdom. Unlike many species we have many natural hair colours, ranging from jet black to bright orange. Have you ever wondered how these colours occur and why?

Only two pigments account for the wide spectrum of colours found in human hair. These are eumelanin, which has a brown/ black colour, and pheomelanin, which causes reddish tones. The higher the concentration of these pigments in your hair fibres the darker and more intense the colour. Blonde hair is the result of a lack of pigmentation. The different ratios of these pigments create all the different colours possible.

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Iodine in medicine

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Chemical conundrum

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