Know Your Hair
Hair is a natural human beauty accessory. Hairs are the most noticeable part of human body but unfortunately the most missed. Hair defines and improves the characteristics of an individual’s personality. It is important to have basic understanding of hair for better hair care.
Hair is chemically composed of Carbon (45%), Oxygen (28%), Nitrogen (15%), Hydrogen (7%) and Sulfur (5%). The proportion may vary with age, sex, type of hairs etc. The main constituent of hair is keratin, a protein, which has great chemical resistance and mechanical strength.
Hair growth begins under the skin in a hair follicle. The only “living” portion of the hair is found in the follicle. The follicle consists of hair shaft and hair bulb. The hair that is visible is hair shaft, which exhibits no activity and is considered dead. It is made up of medulla, cortex and cuticle. Cortex is responsible for mechanical strength and water uptake. It also contains melanin which provides color to the hairs. Cuticle is the outer covering of hair shaft. When cuticle breaks and dislodges at the end of hair, it results in split ends. Improper care and use of hair chemicals damages the cuticle.
The base of the root is called hair bulb, which contains the dermal papilla cells that produce the hair shaft and matrix which supplies nutrition to the hair shaft. Other structures of the hair follicle include the oil producing sebaceous gland which lubricates the hair and the erector pili muscles, which are responsible for causing goose bumps.
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