Hair

What’s Hair Made Of?

Hair looks simple, but it’s got some cool layers. Each strand has two parts:

• The hair shaft: The visible part, consisting of a hard protein called keratin. It has three layers — the outer cuticle (like a shield), the cortex (which gives strength and colour), and, in thicker hair, a soft core called the medulla.
• The follicle:  The root beneath your skin, tethered to blood vessels that furnish it with nutrients so it can grow.

Think of it like a tiny factory under your scalp, pumping out hair with its own structure!

Different Kinds of Hair

Your body’s covered in different types of hair, each with a job:

• Scalp hair: The star of the show, growing long and strong.
• Body hair: Think eyebrows, eyelashes, or hair on your arms and legs. These protect your skin or help you sense things.
• Vellus hair: Super fine, light hair all over, especially in kids or women.
• Terminal hair: Thicker, darker hair that shows up as you grow or with hormonal changes (like beards for guys).

Men tend to have coarser facial and body hair due to testosterone, while less body and facial hair for women. It’s all part of what sets us apart!

How Hair Grows?

Hair doesn’t just grow non-stop—it follows a cycle with three stages:

• Anagen (growth phase): Your hair’s growing strong, lasting 2–7 years. Cells in the root are busy making new hair.
• Catagen (transition phase): A short 2–3 weeks where the follicle shrinks and takes a break.
• Telogen (resting phase): For about 3 months, the hair chills before falling out, and a new one starts growing.

That’s why losing some hair daily is normal—it’s just the cycle doing its thing. Problems start when something messes with this rhythm.

Hair Texture and Types

Hair comes in all sorts of textures, and knowing yours helps you care for it. There are four main types:

• Type 1: Straight, no wave.
• Type 2: Wavy, with some bounce.
• Type 3: Curly, with defined spirals.
• Type 4: Coily/kinky, with tight curls or zig-zags.

The shape of your follicle decides this—round for straight, oval for curly. Your genes, ethnicity, and hormones play a role too. Each type needs its own TLC, like the right shampoo or styling tricks to avoid frizz or breakage.

Genes and Your Hair

Your hair’s look—colour, texture, thickness, even when it greys—comes mostly from your parents’ genes. If they’ve got curly hair, you might too. Things like pattern baldness also run in families. But it’s not just genes; stuff like your diet, stress, or hormones can change how your hair shows up. That’s why siblings can have totally different hair vibes even with the same parents.

What Gives Hair Its Colour?

Your hair colour is a result of melanin, a pigment produced in your follicles. There are two kinds:

• Eumelanin: Makes black or brown hair.
• Pheomelanin: Adds red or yellow tones.

Your genes determine how much of each you get, producing everything from blonde to jet black. As you age, your body produces less melanin — the pigment that colours the hair — which is why hair becomes grey or white.

Stress or low nutrients might speed this up. Hair dye? It just swaps in new colours by changing the pigment in the shaft.

Hair and Culture

Hair’s a big deal in every culture. It can show who you are, your beliefs, or your status. For example:

• Sikh men keep their hair uncut as a sign of faith.
• African braiding styles tell stories or show heritage.
• In some places, bold haircuts signal rebellion or new trends.

Hair’s more than beauty—it’s a way to express yourself, stand up for something, or connect with your roots. It’s powerful stuff!

What Your Hair Says About Your Health?

Your hair’s like a health report card. If it’s suddenly falling out, thinning, or looking dull, it might mean:

• You’re low on nutrients like protein or iron.
• Your hormones are out of whack (like with thyroid issues).
• You’re super stressed, causing temporary shedding.

Even serious illnesses, like diabetes, can manifest in your hair. If your hair’s behaving strangely, it’s worth consulting with a doctor — it could be a hint about what’s happening inside.

Common Hair Troubles

Lots of us deal with hair issues at some point. Here are a few:

• Dandruff: Flaky scalp that’s itchy but manageable.
• Split ends: When hair tips fray from damage.

• Hair loss: Such as pattern baldness (genetic) or alopecia areata (patchy loss from an autoimmune issue).
• Scalp issues: Fungal infections, psoriasis, or oily dermatitis.

Good hygiene, the right products, and sometimes a doctor’s help can fix most of these. Catching issues early keeps them from getting worse.

Hair Care Made Easy

You don’t have to dread taking care of your hair. Here’s the basics:

• Cleanse with a shampoo that’s right for your hair type (gentle for dry, clarifying for oily).

• Condition to keep it soft and tangle-free.
• Trim every couple of months to stop split ends.

• Brush your hair in a gentle way to avoid breakage of hair.
• Avoid tight ponytails that pull at your roots and allow your hair to air-dry whenever possible.

Beautiful, healthy hair is all about an easy routine to suit your hair’s needs. Consistency is key!

Styling Without the Damage

Love curling, dyeing, or straightening your hair? It’s fun, but heat and chemicals can stress your hair out. They strip oils, weaken the shaft, and cause breakage. To keep your hair happy:

• Use heat protectant sprays.
• Don’t pile on multiple treatments (like dyeing and relaxing at once).
• Give your hair breaks to recover.
• Use color-safe shampoos if you dye.

Style all you want, but balance it with care to keep your hair strong.

How Hair Changes Over Time?

Your hair evolves as you age:

• Kids: Soft, fine hair.
• Teens: Puberty brings thicker, oilier, or curlier hair thanks to hormones.
• Adults: Hair’s at its prime, but stress or habits can affect it.
• Older adults: Thinning, greying, or slower growth from aging or things like menopause.

Sun, diet, and lifestyle also play a part. Knowing what’s normal helps you care for your hair at every stage.

Hair in Science and Crime-Solving

Hair’s big in science! In forensics, it might even contain DNA, drugs, or poisons, and can help crack cases by identifying people or documenting their exposure to something.

In research, hair holds information such as stress levels or chemical exposure over the course of months. It’s like a time capsule of your history of body changes, which is why it is such a neat tool for doctors and scientists.

What’s Next for Hair?

The hair world’s getting exciting! Scientists are working on stuff like:

• Stem cell therapies and hair cloning to regrow hair.
• Eco-friendly shampoos and sustainable dyes.
• AI apps that suggest custom hair care routines.
• Non-invasive hair loss treatments like PRP or laser caps.

Plus, many of us are letting our natural texture or grey hair shine through, which is great. With science and style joining forces, hair care is only getting better.

Hair is a huge part of you — biologically, culturally and personally. Whether you’re styling or caring for it, or simply letting it be, knowing it helps you love it even more. So, here’s to those we celebrate every strand!