INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HAIR
1. Hair is mostly made of keratin (97%), of which our outer layer of skin and fingernails are also composed. The remaining 3% is water.
2. Keratin is composed mostly of an amino acid called cysteine, which is what gives the hair its shape.
3. Hair contains 50.65% carbon, 20.85% oxygen, 17.14% nitrogen, 6.36% hydrogen, and 5.0% sulphur.
4. One hair contains trace amounts of magnesium, arsenic, iron, chromium and other metals and minerals.
5. In animals, horns, hooves, claws, feathers, beaks, quills (porcupines), and baleen (whales) are all also made of keratin.
6. By analysing human hair, you can determine the overall condition of the body, because of the ability of the hair to accumulate various substances. For example, by examining a lock of Napoleon’s hair, researchers concluded that he was poisoned by arsenic. However, critics say medicines and even hair tonic of the era sometimes contained the toxic element.
7. Because of its structure, hair absorbs moisture well.
8. The amount of hair a person has, and its thickness, density and colour, are genetically predetermined.
9. The average person has between 100,000 and 150,000 strands of hair on their head.
10. Natural blondes usually have more hair strands on their head than dark- or red-haired people. Blondes generally have about 120,000 strands; brown/black-haired people have 100,000 strands, and redheads average about 80,000 strands.
11. At any given time, 90% of your hair is actively growing.
12. During your lifespan, you will grow up to 725 km of hair.
13. Five percent of all human skin is covered with hair.
14. Usually, hair grows at a rate of about 1 cm per month.
15. The skin on the heads of women is thicker and the follicles are about 2 mm deeper than in men.
16. Worldwide, only 2% of people are natural blondes.
17. Only after losing 50% of all head hair, signs of baldness will become apparent.
18. The rate of hair growth in various parts of the body is very different.
19. Eating mostly green vegetables, eggs, oily fish and carrots can improve the condition of hair.
20. Regular lack of sleep and stress have a negative impact on the condition of hair.
21. A side effect of some drugs is hair loss.
22. Hot styling tongs draw moisture out of the hair, making it brittle and dull.
23. Frosty weather makes the hair drier.
24. Terminal, Vellus, and Lanugo are the three types of human hair.
25. In ancient times, long hair was a sign of wealth.
26. The condition of your hair affects your self-esteem and mood.
27. It is believed that the most acceptable water temperature for washing hair is 40°C.
28. A single hair strand has a thickness of 0.02 – 0.04 mm.
29. Everybody normally sheds between 40 and150 strands of hair per day.
30. Crash dieting can cause temporary hair loss.
31. Hair is the fastest growing tissue in the body. The only tissue in the human body that can grow faster than hair is bone marrow immediately after being transplanted.
32. The amount of fat consumed with food has no effect on the fat content of hair.
33. On an average adult scalp, 25 metres of the hair fibre is produced every day.
34. 40% of women have female pattern hair loss by the time they go through menopause.
35. 50% of men have male pattern hair loss by the age of 50.
36. Thyroid imbalance can cause hair loss.37. Due to changes in hormone levels, pregnant and breast-feeding women report that their hair changes its structure.
38. Majority of women lose a lot of hair after giving birth. This is due to their hormones regulating back to normal.
39. Iron deficiency can cause hair loss.
40. Humans are born with all of their hair follicles and there is no way to increase the number of hair follicles you have.
41. Hair turns grey as a result of the pigment cells in the hair follicle not working properly.
42. The hair bulb slows melanin (responsible for hair colour) production as a result of age or stress.
43. Hair is produced in the hair shaft beneath the skin; therefore it takes 13 days to see grey/white hair after it is produced.
44. A whole head of hair can support a weight of up to 2 tons.
45. On average, hair grows 0.3 – 0.5 mm per day.
46. The length of the growth phase of hair shortens as you age.
47. When you are born, you have about 1000 hair follicles per square centimetre. This number drops as you age.
48. Each hair follicle grows a completely new hair about 20 times in a lifetime.
49. Hair structure is the same, no matter whose head it is on.
50. The outer layer of hair is called the cuticle, and its purpose is to protect the inside layers. In healthy hair, the cuticle lies flat. In damaged hair, the cuticle scales are more open.
51. The middle layer of a hair is called the cortex, which is made of long proteins twisted together.
52. 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.
53. Blow-drying your hair works by changing hydrogen bonds to alter the shape. Water also changes hydrogen bonds; this is why women hate humidity.
54. The only part of the hair that is not dead is the part that is inside your scalp.
55. African hair grows slower and is more fragile than European hair.
56. Asian hair grows the fastest and has the best elasticity.
57. The word “shampoo” comes from the Hindi word “champna” which means “to knead”.
58. It is recommended to choose shampoo which is slightly acidic to restore the pH of damaged hair and smooth the cuticle.
59. Healthy hair, when wet, can stretch to 30% more than its original length.
60. It takes about 7 years to grow your hair to your waist, and 3 years to grow to your shoulders.
If the mind can conceive and believe you can do it!
