Human Hair as defined
Hair is defined as a protein filament that grows through the epidermis from follicles deep within the dermis. Hair can grow on most areas of the human body, except on the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet (among other areas).
* Hair can be divided into three parts length-wise:
• (a) the bulb, a swelling at the hair base which originates from the dermis,
• (b) the root, which is the hair lying beneath the skin surface,
• (c) the shaft, which is the hair above the skin surface.
In cross-section, there are also three parts:
• (a) the medulla, an area in the core which contains loose cells and airspaces
• (b) the cortex, which contains densely packed keratin
• (c) the cuticle, which is a single layer of cells arranged like roof shingles.
* Human scalp hair normally grows at a rate of 0.4 mm /day (incidentally human scalp hair grows at a rate four times that of human nails. Human nails grow at a rate of 0.1 mm/day).
* Emotional distress, especially that caused by verbal abuse, etc. often is a contributing factor to a slower hair growth rate.
* The average person has 100,000 – 150,000 strands of hair.
source
* On average, you shed around 50-150 strands of hair a day.
* Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in the body after bone marrow.
* A healthy strand of hair can stretch an additional 30% when it’s wet.
* A new hair begins to grow as soon as it is plucked from its follicle.
* At different times, 90% of hair is growing, while the other 10% is resting.
* A single hair has a lifespan of about five years.
* A strand of hair is stronger than a copper wire with the same diameter.
* When we are cold or scared, goosebumps happen when the muscle for each hair strand contracts.
* Hair is made up of mostly keratin, the same substance that makes up most of horses hooves, mane, and tail.
* Human hair grows faster with the mere anticipation of sex!
* Hair is the storehouse of information. One can find out everything that has been into a person’s bloodstream by analyzing a strand of hair and that includes medicine, drugs, alcohol, vitamins and minerals. Why then do we get pierced for blood test?😮
* There are, on an average, 100,000 to 150,000 strands of hair on a human head.
* A single strand of hair is capable of supporting 100 grams of weight, which simply means that all hair strands taken together can support up to two (2) tons of weight. This is equivalent to the weight of two elephants.
* A person’s gender cannot be identified using hair.
* Hair elasticity is greater for Asians than any other races in this entire world. Interestingly, Asian hair grows faster compared to other races!
* Hair growth is stimulated in warm weather and hence, if you are a resident of any warm weather area, your hair will grow faster than people in cold weather area.
* Contrary to the popular belief among women, trimming of hair never promotes hair growth.
* The commonest hair color in this world is black and the rarest is red.
* Some weirdos tried to figure out the correlation between personality perception and hair color and after a survey they figured out that blondes represent fun and flirty, redheads represent strong, brown hair represents serious and smart.
* Our body has insulating fat layers. The only place where the layer is absent is our head. Thus, our hair works as insulators.
* Hair is made of dead cells but the hair root is alive. The hair root is present between the epidermis. The part of the hair above epidermis is dead.
* 90% Japanese people wash their hair twice a day while 80% of North Americans wash their hair twice a day. In Europe people usually wash their hair thrice a week while only 1/4th of the European population wash their hair daily.
* Hair grows at the rate of 1 cm per month but only Asian hair grows at the rate of 1.3 cm per month. However, Asian hair has lowest density of all. The slowest hair growth rate is among African. Their hair grow at the rate of 0.9 cm per month but their hair density is highest.
* There is no difference between male and female hair in terms of growth cycle and structure.
* Hair elasticity is very high. A strand of hair can stretch up to 30% without sustaining any damage. However, curly black hair has low elasticity compared to lighter colored hair.
* Hair density of blondes is more than that of redheads and people with darker hair color. Blondes have around 146,000 hair strands while redheads have around 86,000 hair strands.
* All the hair follicles a person will ever have throughout his or her lifetime actually form when the fetus is only 5 months old.
* There are 14 different elements found in a single hair strand. Most of them are in trace amounts. One of these 14 elements is GOLD.
* Hair is capable of absorbing out oil from water. So, oil spills can be easily cleaned up using human hair.
* Asians have round-shaped hair cross-section. For Europeans the cross-section is oval and for African-Americans, it is flat-shaped.
* An abnormality known as Hirsutism is believed to be the source of the Werewolf Legend. In Hirsutism, excess hair grows in places where they are not supposed to grow, for example, face.
* There is a common myth that hair continues to grow even after death. This is absolutely wrong!
* Ancient Greeks thought that redheads turn to vampires after death. They also associated blonde hair with prostitution.
* Hair never grows on palms, feet soles, lips, mucous membranes and eye lids but hair can grow everywhere else on the body.
* Pigeon dung can dye the hair blonde. This is precisely the method that was used by Ancient Roman women.
* Each hair strand on human body has its own nerve, blood supply and muscle.
* Grey hair is scientifically known as canities. Split ends is scientifically known as trichoptilosis.
* The very basis of chemotherapy is that it eliminates those cells that replicate very quickly. Hair follicle cells are known to grow and divide very rapidly and hence, chemotherapy kills those cells too! Results are plain and simple – Hairfall!
* Hair is primarily composed of sulfur (S), hydrogen (H), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O) and carbon (C).
* Lighter hair has less carbon compared to darker hair.
* Women spend around 2 hours each week simply for styling their hair. Men spend, on an average, 5 months of their entire lifetime in shaving.
* On an average adult scalp, 25 meters of hair fiber is produced every day.
* 40% of women have female pattern hair loss by the time they go through menopause. 12. 50% of men have male pattern baldness by the age of 50.
* For it to be apparent that you are balding, you would have to lose 50% of your hair.
* Most drugs cause a person to lose their hair.
* Humans are born with all of their hair follicles and there is no possible way to increase the number of follicles you have.
* Hair turns grey as a result of the pigment cells in the follicle not working properly. The hair bulb slows melanin production as a result of age or stress.
* Hair is produced in the hair shaft beneath the skin; therefore it takes 13 days to see grey/white hair after it is produced.
* Hair structure is the same, no matter whose head it is on.
* The outer layer of hair is called the cuticle, and its purpose is to protect the inside layers. In healthy hair, the cuticle lays flat. In damaged hair, they are more open.
* The middle layer of hair is called the cortex, which is made of long proteins twisted together.
* The innermost layer of hair is called the medulla. Fine hair usually does not have a medulla. The purpose of the medulla has not yet been determined.
* Keratin is composed mostly of an amino acid called cysteine, which is what gives the hair its shape.
* Blow-drying your hair works by changing hydrogen bonds to alter the shape. Water also changes hydrogen bonds; hence the reason women hate humidity.
* African hair grows slower and is more fragile than European hair.
* The word “shampoo” comes from the Hindi word “champna” which means “to knead”.
* Women lose a lot of hair after giving birth. This is due to their hormones regulating back to normal.
* Most shampoos are slightly acidic to restore the pH of damaged hair and smooth the cuticle.
* It takes about 7 years to grow your hair to your waist, and 3 years to grow to your shoulders.
* The only way to get rid of “split ends” is to cut them off. There is no way to completely repair them.
* The major cause of dandruff is a fungus called Malassezia Globosa, which pushes dead skin cells to the surface quicker than normal.
* One sixteenth-century doctor claimed you could restore hair by applying a random concoction made of boiled slugs, olive oil, honey, saffron, soap, and cumin on the scalp.
* “Trichotillomania” is the name of the disorder where you pull out your hair, eyelashes, and/or eyebrows compulsively. It is more common in women and usually stress related.
* Africans and Europeans are more prone to balding than Asians.
* Hair grows the fastest during the summer, sleep, or between the ages of 16 to 24.
* The growing stage of hair lasts between 3-5 years on average.
* Scientists can tell what you ate or drank, or the environment you live in, by examining a small piece of your hair.
* Facial hair grows faster than any other type of body hair.
* The first hair dye was invented in 1907 by French chemist Eugene Schueller and it was called “Aureole.”
* If a man never shaved his beard, it would grow to over 30 feet in a lifetime.
* The first men’s hair product was called “Brylcreem”, was produced in 1928, and was made of mineral oil, beeswax, and water.
* At one time, in Russia, there was a random tax for wearing a beard.
* Humans have the same amount of hair follicles per square inch as a chimpanzee.
* The earliest form of chemical hair removal dates back to the ancient Turks, who used a concoction known as “rusma”. Rusma is a combination of yellow sulfide of arsenic, quicklime, and rose-water.
* The growing stage of hair is called “anagen,” and the resting phase is called “catagen.” When hair goes into the “telogen” phase, it will shed.
* Scientists have discovered that people with a higher IQ, have more zinc and copper in their hair.
* Hair transplantation is the only permanent solution for hair loss.
* Almost all hair extensions come from people of the Chinese and Indian heritage.
* A lock of Elvis’ hair once sold at an auction for 15,000$.
* The average American woman spends between 10-23 thousand dollars in a lifetime on unwanted hair removal.
* The color of hair depends on how much melanin each strand has. Furthermore, there are two types of melanin: eumelanin and phomelanin.
* For whatever reason, studies show that men without hair on their chests are more likely to get cirrhosis of the liver than men with hair.
* Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss.
* In 2004, the longest hair ever documented was measured. It belonged to Xie Qiuping from China and measured 18.5 feet long.
No comments:
Post a Comment