METHODS OF INCREASING SKIN PIGMENTATION 85 INCREASING PIGMENTATION IN VITILIGO Vitiligo is a disease where the melanocytes produce no pigment. The cause of the inhibition of tyrosinase is not known. Tyrosinase is nor- mally partially inhibited. I do not feel that vitiligo represents an in- crease in normal inhibition, but that another inhibitory mechanism is involved. Therapy in vitiligo is directed solely at the release of tyrosinase with resulting pigment production. Almost all therapy for vitiligo produces inflammation and, the greater the inflammation, the better the results. Vibra-Puncture, Croton oil (4), 8-MOP and sunlight, electrolysis to the point of crusting followed by copper sulfate have been used to treat vit- iligo. This type of treatment is not good therapy. A general irrita- tion of the skin is produced to obtain the freeing of one enzyme. There has been one preliminary report which may point the way to a better method of treating vitiligo. Christiansen (5) gave a patient with vitiligo chloroquine diphosphate to protect him against sunburn. After prolonged exposure to sunlight, repigmentation developed. It may be possible to find an anti-inflammatory chemical which will prevent the nonspecific inflammation from sunlight while allowing the ultraviolet energy to free the enzyme tyrosinase. ACCESSORY FACTORS Tyrosinase is a copper protein and inactivation of the copper stops the function of the enzyme. ¾oshida (6) has found that copper sulfate alone may activate tyrosinase. El-Mofty (7) has given copper sulfate by mouth to patients using 8-MOP and sunlight claiming to have increased the cure rate in vitiligo. It would appear that copper has a place as a thera- peutic aid in producing pigmentation. HORMONES The melanocyte stimulating hormone of the pituitary will produce pig- mentation. There are probably other hormones that act in conjunction with this factor but their mechanism of action, physiological balance and possible deleterious effects have not been elucidated. SUMMARY The normal pigmenting cycle is discussed. Preliminary work on the actual changes produced by 8-methoxypsoralen are presented. The pres- ent therapy used to produce pigmentation is discussed with possible im- provements in these agents. BIBLIOGRAPHY (1) Becker, S. W., Jr., Fitzpatrick, T. B., and Montgomery, H., ?lrch. Dermatol. and Syphilol., 65,511 (1950).

86 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS (2) Rothman, S., "Physiology and Biochemistry of the Skin," Chicago, University of Chicago Press (1954), p. 552. (3) Lerner, A. B., Denton, C. R., and Fitzpatrick, T. B., 7. Invest. Dermatol., 20, 299 (1953). (4) Carvalho, A. A., 7. Indian Med. Assoc., 26, 93 (1956). (5) Christiansen, J., Acta Dermato.-VenereoL, 35, 453 (1955). (6) Yoshida, Y., and Togashi, Y., 7. Invest. DermatoL, 25, 363 (1955). (7) EI-Mofty, A.M., Excerpta Medica, Special Issue, Ilth International Congress of Dermatol- ogy, 42 (1957). (8) 8-MOP Supplied by Paul B. Eider Company, Bryan, Ohio. SOME PHOTOMICROGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES FOR HAIR* By MuRa^¾ BERDICK, and EVERETT G. McDoNouc, P.D. Evans Research and Development Corp., New York 17, N.Y. T•E pt•RPOSE of this paper is not to provide a comprehensive man- ual of photomicrographic techniques, since this has been done elsewhere, not only in a general way (1, 2), but in several cases, specifically for the study of fibers (3, 4). Also specifically excluded from consideration here are methods dealing with the biology and growth of hair. The purpose of this paper is to point out a few special problems that arise when dealing with human hair after it has emerged from the scalp. Some of the usual microscopic and photomicrographic techniques are not applicable, even some of the ones that have been devised specifically for work with fibers. It is hoped that this paper will show some of the pit- falls and demonstrate a few methods that may be new to you. Then, to illustrate the utility of some of these methods in research on hair, a case history dealing with permanent waving will be presented. METHODS Observation of Cuticular Scale Pattern Most of the conventional methods for observing scale patterns of fibers are not well suited to • human hair because the diameter of the fibers is so large that the depth of focus of the microscope will not permit observa- tion of anywhere near half the circumference at high magnification. Thus, whole fiber mounts are usually not of much value, even when care is taken to select a mounting medium whose refractive index is far removed * Presented at the September 20, 1957, Seminar, Chicago, Ill.