Amusing Truths and Unbelievable Facts About Hair

Curious about your natural crown? Here are some interesting hair-related facts and myths, including information on hair development, hair colour, and hairstyles. Since ancient times, new hairstyles have been created. The only human body part that miraculously grows, deteriorates, and then miraculously grows again is hair.

A Head Full of Hair

Although the pace of growth is roughly the same for all body hairs, the length of the growth stage varies. Hair on the forearm and eyelashes only lasts a month or less on average. The hair follicle rests for about three months before rousing itself for another growth stage. Head hair grows for two to six years before it withers at its root and falls out.

Hair Development and Anatomy

Around 50 to 80 hairs fall out each day. In winter, there is more shedding. Men's hair doesn't grow as quickly as women's hair. Between the ages of 15 and 30, hair growth is at its fastest, with a dramatic drop between 50 and 60. Hair grows roughly half an inch each month, or 1/72 of an inch, per day.

About 100,000 hair follicles, each capable of producing numerous hairs, are present on the normal head. On average, 85% of the head's hairs are growing at any given time. Capilli is the medical name for hair on the head. The cuticle (transparent, overlapping cells), cortex (source of strength, elasticity, and colour), and medulla make up the outermost, middle, and innermost layers of a single strand of hair, respectively.

Structure of Hair

Fun Facts about Hair Growth

Here is some very interesting hair information for you:

1. Facts About Hair Colour

• The pigment melanin, which also colours skin and eyes, gives hair its colour. 

• The cortex, which is the middle layer of a hair, or the hair shaft, contains the colour. 

• The protein keratin makes up the majority of hair; darker hair chemically contains more carbon and less oxygen than lighter hair. Including the degree and timing of greying, hair colour is inherited.

• Grey hair is not actually grey; rather, it is white or opaque due to a lack of pigment in the hair shaft. 

• Greying typically develops from the hairline to the back of the head. 

• Unpigmented grey hair typically has a coarser texture than coloured hair. With dyes and rinses, hair colour can be altered and improved, but coloured hair is typically 10% thinner than untreated hair.

2. Facts About Hairstyles

• Depending on the angle and direction the hair shaft emerges from the follicle, hair can be straight, wavy, or curly. 

• Whorls, cowlicks, and the general tendency for hair to curl out on one side of the head and under on the other are all caused by the angle of the follicles, commonly known as the hair stream.

• Hair can be rounded, oval, or flat in cross-section. 

• Straightening or other heat-based techniques can temporarily alter hair shape, but new growth will always retain its natural tendency.

• Temperatures above 140°F can melt the hair shaft when trying to restructure hair, severely damaging it.

3. Facts About the Density of Hair

• The typical number of hairs on a human scalp is 1,000 per square inch or about 1,20,000 total hairs.

• The peak thickness is at age 20.

• Blonde hair typically has the most hairs per head (140,000), followed by brown (110,000), black (108,000), and red (90,000).

• Blonds have more hair than darker tones, but individual hairs are typically finer.

• By the age of 60, 40% of women have suffered some form of hair loss, and 50% of all males are either bald or balding.

• Male-pattern baldness is caused by a gene that, as men age, transforms the hormone testosterone into the new chemical dihydrotestosterone, which causes hair to become thinner and finer with each new hair generation until baldness develops.

• Temporary hair loss can also be brought on by high fevers, tranquilisers, thyroid issues, and excessive stress.

Myths Regarding Hair

There are several myths regarding Hair, Here are a few of those and the true facts:

Summary

• Hair has three parts: Cuticle, Cortex, and Medulla.

• Hair is made up of a protein called Keratin.

• Hair follicles’ shape decides whether the hair will grow straight or curly.

• A typical scalp has 1,20,000 hairs.