At some point, you learned to take care of your hair all on your own.
Whether you learned what to do from your grandmother, mother, aunty, or favorite YouTuber, you have learned a lot about hair!
And while it is fantastic to learn about protective styles and wash-n-go’s, there is more to hair than that.
Learning about hair structure can be fascinating and beneficial, and it does not have to be overwhelming.
So, what is hair made of…
According to WebMD, hair is made of a tough protein called keratin (fingernails are also made up of this protein).
The function of hair:
The primary function of hair is to insulate the body from heat and cold and protect the head from injury or physical trauma. The second function is to make you look fabulous, of course, as it is your crown and glory!
Understanding Hair Structure:
Your hair structure includes hair follicles that anchor each strand of hair into the skin through the scalp, each strand has its follicle, but some can have more than two strands. The hair follicle is the part of the hair that we cannot see. It is the part that is beneath the skin. However, we can see the bulb when hair is pulled from the skin.
The hair follicle is located in the dermis and maintains stem cells. It is the part of the hair that regrows the hair when one falls off. The hair follicle can also help to regrow skin after a wound.
Hair Strands:
Some strands are vellus (baby hairs); others terminal (longer hairs). Strands are made up of three layers the cuticle (outer), cortex (middle), and medulla (innermost layer). Follicles vary in size, shape, and thickness.
The Medullar
The Medullar is a honeycomb-like core of the hair structure. It is at the center of the fiber and is mostly disorganized. Made up of glycogen (a sugar) and citrulline (an amino acid). This innermost layer is essential in determining the overall condition of the hair.
The Cortex
The cortex is a hard keratin layer surrounding the medulla. It is the mid-layer in any strand of hair. It is a highly structured and organized region that serves as the primary source of mechanical strength and water uptake. In addition, it contains melanin and therefore determines the color of the hair based on the type of melanin granules and their distribution.
The Cuticle
The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair. It is the protective layer and also gives hair its shine. It has a somewhat complex structure and also contains some amount of melanin. It is covered by a single molecular layer of lipid that makes the hair fibers repel water.
The hair bulb forms the base of the hair follicle, and this is the white part of the very top of a hair strand. Blood vessels nourish the cells in the hair bulb and deliver hormones that modify hair growth and structure at different times of life. In the hair bulb, living cells divide and grow to build the hair shaft.
The hair shaft is the part of the hair that we can see. It is the hard filamentous part that extends above the skin surface. We are mainly concerned about when we talk about hair and how it affects looks. The hair shafts of different people are different in several ways. While some individuals have curly hairs, others have straight hairs or wavy hairs.
The shape of hair can be a genetic factor determined by the shape of the hair shaft and the angle it grows out from the dermis. Though hair looks different, it is precisely the same scientifically.
Of course, there is more to it than that, but I will not bore you with science talk. So, let us move on.
How the Hair Grows:
The hair is majorly composed of protein. Hair growth starts from the hair follicles. As described earlier, the hair follicles are the parts of the hair below the skin. The root hair is the portion of the hair strand that is in the follicle. Generally, growth occurs when nutrients convert into the hair cell.
As the cells are made, they are attached to the follicle, and the older cells are pushed outward to make the hair strand longer. The newest part of the hair that you can see is the part located close to your scalp.
The Hair Growth Cycle:
Hair growth occurs in cycles consisting of three phases. Each hair fiber can be in a different part of the hair growth phase at any given time.
- Anagen (growth phase): Most hair is growing at any given time. Each strand spends several years in this phase.
- Catagen (transitional phase): Over a few weeks, hair growth slows, and the hair follicle shrinks.
- Telogen (resting phase): Over months, hair growth stops, and the old hair detaches from the hair follicle. A new hair begins the growth phase, pushing the old hair out.
Hair grows at different rates in different people; the average speed is around one-half inch per month.
Hair Textures:
The texture of everyone’s hair follicles is different and is determined by the follicle shape. Asians tend to have round strands, which create straight hair, Europeans tend to have oval-shaped follicles that make wavy hair, and African Americans tend to have flat follicles that produce wavy/curl to coily/wavy hair.
The Building Blocks of Hair:
Each of the hair follicles in your skin is connected to a blood supply. The blood supplies the nutrients that are needed to build the new hair cells. Protein may be an essential nutrient required to produce the cells, but it is not the only nutrient used. Some other nutrients are vital in building the.
Biotin
Biotin is a form of vitamin B. It is a water-soluble vitamin referred to as vitamin B7 or “vitamin H.” The vitamin helps to metabolize amino acids from food, thereby helping to form the keratin needed for the formation of hair cells and overall growth. Biotin is also helpful in strengthening the cortex.
Iron
Iron is another vital nutrient that plays an indirect but essential role in hair formation and growth. This is because iron helps in the construction of red blood cells. The cells are responsible for delivering oxygen and the nutrients needed to create new hair cells—a reason why iron deficiency always results in hair loss.
Niacin
Niacin is another vitamin B that plays a significant role in hair growth. It is mainly referred to as vitamin B3 and helps repair the DNA in hair follicles. DNA is important in giving the cells of the hair follicles instructions. The instructions are necessary for the hair follicles to function appropriately and facilitate hair growth.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is another essential vitamin that helps form hair cells and, subsequently, hair growth. In addition, it is a crucial vitamin that helps the body to absorb iron. As has been discussed above, iron is also essential in hair cell formation and hair growth. In addition to encouraging iron absorption, vitamin C is a well-known antioxidant. This vitamin property helps protect the hair follicles from free radicals that can cause different kinds of damages.
Zinc
Zinc is another nutrient that helps in facilitating the formation of new hair cells. Zinc supports DNA production, and as has been described earlier, the DNA delivers the proper instructions that promote hair cell formation and hair growth in the long run. In addition to this, zinc can also help to balance hormones in the body. An unbalanced hormone can always result in hair loss. Lack of zinc in the body will always result in deterioration of the hair’s protein structure, which can cause shedding.
Does The Hair Contain Oil?
There is a common misconception that hair contains oil, but that is not the case. The oil that we see naturally in our hair is from the sebaceous glands in the skin. These oils may help the hair to remain healthy, but they are not part of the hair.
So, that’s hair, in a nutshell.
What to Do with Your Newfound Knowledge?
Now that you have a good idea of what hair is made of, you can use the knowledge to improve the condition of your hair and facilitate hair growth.
- First, eat the right food that promotes hair growth when you want your hair to grow and remain healthy.
- Next, get enough protein and the other nutrients discussed above into your diet. Such foods as asparagus, eggs, beans, citrus, chicken, beef, fish, spinach, and oyster can benefit.
- Also, avoid anything that can destroy the shape of the protein, such as heat.
- You can also use natural oils to promote hair growth and improve the overall condition of your hair.
But before you go, here’s a cool and interesting fact: Did you know that hair is both alive and dead?!
The hair that grows past the scalp and covers our heads has no blood or nerve ending and therefore fills no pain (like when you get a haircut) and is considered dead, but keep in mind that from a holistic standpoint, the hair is believed to have a life force still.
On the flip side, the part that is alive is the papilla (small cone-shaped elevations at the end of the hair bulb), bulb, root, and follicle.
Pretty cool!