Everything About Hair – Hair Structure, Hair Color, and Hair Growth

What does your hair mean to you? Probably the most powerful, beautiful asset you have. Hair and beauty have a deep relationship. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of women and men. A bad hair day means a bad day. For some, their hair is a form of personal expression. You must have noticed that you feel super confident the day you have beautiful hair. You naturally feel that I can conquer the world, all because my hair is shiny, smoothly flowing, and looks amazing today! Healthy hair gives a confidence boost while bad hair really ruins the mood and enthusiasm.

In this book, I am going to discuss all things about hair, what foods and factors positively or negatively affect your hair, and what are the solutions. But first, let’s see what hair is actually made of and how it works?

HAIR STRUCTURE

Hair is made up of keratin, a tough protein.

Hair Follicle

Hair grows from follicles found in the dermis layer of skin; these follicles are called hair follicles, in simple terms, the part of hair beneath the skin called as the hair follicle.

Hair Shaft

The part of the hair that can be seen above your scalp is called hair shaft. The hair shaft is comprised of three layers: cuticle, cortex, and medulla.

Cuticle: The cuticle is the outer most protective layer of the hair which has a fish scale (facing downwards) likes cells that overlap. These cells prevent damage to the cortex, hair’s inner structure. It also controls the moisture content of hair fiber.

Cuticle gives your hair shine and protects the inner layers from the damage. However, excessive heat, chemical over-processing, and weather change can damage the protective cuticle layer of the hair, affecting the integrity of the hair.

Cortex: The middle layer called cortex is the main component of the hair. It consists of long keratin chains that add bulk, strength, and elasticity to the hair. The health of your cortex depends mainly on how well the cuticle is protecting it.

Cortex also contains the pigment melanin. Melanin is the pigment responsible for giving hair its natural color. Hair coloring, relaxing, thermal styling, and other aggressive treatments cause temporary or permanent changes to the cortex layer.

Read more in the book “Secret of Healthy Hair”

Medulla

Reason for Different Hair Color

Hair Bulb

Sebaceous Glands

Hair Growth Cycle

What are the phases and how long do they last:

Growth phase

Transition phase

Resting phase

Shedding phase

Illustration representation of Hair growth cycle for better understanding