Hair grows almost everywhere on everyone's body. Nevertheless, head hair is of particular importance. Well-groomed, long hair is considered a symbol of beauty by many people. Here you can find out why your head hair grows much longer than the rest of your body hair, what purpose it previously served and how you can care for it optimally.
WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE HAIR?
Well-groomed hair is considered a sign of beauty. In many cultures, hair and hairstyles have an important meaning. In the past, hair was often important for survival. Not only body hair, but also head hair fulfilled an important function in earlier times. They were not only a natural ornament, but also a protection. While the eyelashes protect against foreign bodies, the hair on the head served particularly as protection against the sun or cold.
The hair on your head keeps direct sunlight away from your head in summer and cold wind in winter. While people's body hair has diminished through the use of clothing, head hair still grows very long and thick. Head hair still serves an important purpose as natural jewelry today, so it receives a lot of care. What hair looks like and what its maximum possible length is is genetically determined and different for each person.
WHAT IS HAIR MADE OF?
Hair, like fingernails, is largely made of keratins. The structure consists of the hair shaft, the visible part of the hair, and the hair root. The hair root extends into the subcutaneous tissue and ends in the hair bulb. New cells and keratin fibers are constantly produced there during the growth phase. These cells stick together to form a strand, die and keratinize. This is how they form the hair shaft, the visible part of the hair that slowly pushes out of the skin. During the growth phase, the hair pushes further and further out of the skin until it finally falls out.
Hair color is influenced by the proportion of the pigment melanin in the keratinized cells of the hair shaft. The position of the hair root in the skin also influences the structure of the hair. Since hair does not contain nerves, cutting off the keratinized strands is not noticeable. Hair loss after the growth phase is usually not noticed.
HOW LONG DOES HAIR GROW?
For many people, it seems as if their hair keeps growing. However, this impression is misleading. For most people, hair grows about an inch a month for two to six years. The hair then slowly falls out before it begins to grow again. How long hair grows depends on your genetic makeup. In some people, the hair grows even longer than six years, so that it can reach several meters in length.
The growth cycle of scalp hair is made up of several phases. The growth phase lasts much longer than with the rest of the body hair. The growth phase is followed by the rest phase. During this time, the hair roots slowly detach before the hair finally falls out. This process can take a few weeks to months. On average, every healthy person loses around 100 hairs a day. Since other hair grows back during this time, the lost hair is not noticeable.
HOW MUCH HAIR DOES A PERSON HAVE ON THEIR HEAD?
How much hair a person has can be roughly determined by the color of their hair. Blonde people usually have fine, but a lot of hair. There are usually around 150,000 hairs on a light-haired head. Red-haired people, on the other hand, usually get by with around 90,000 thicker strands of hair. In brown and black-haired people, the number of hair strands is approximately 100,000.
For most people, the productivity of the hair roots only decreases as they age. The result of this is not only increased hair loss, but also thinning hair. The graying of hair with age is due to the reduced proportion of melanin in the keratinized cells of the hair strands.
WHAT CARE DOES HAIR NEED?
The health of your hair depends on various factors. The body's hormonal balance plays an important role in hair production. Increased production of estrogen, prolactin and progesterone are responsible for hair becoming fuller and thicker during pregnancy. Stress or an unbalanced diet, on the other hand, can have a negative impact on hair production. A sufficient supply of vitamins and nutrients is important for healthy hair growth. For thick and healthy hair, your body needs an adequate supply of all important minerals, vitamins and other nutrients.
High-quality care products also provide the hair with natural ingredients such as vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. These include, among others, biotin or keratin. These valuable ingredients are particularly important for fine, dry or damaged hair. After treatment with color, especially after bleaching, a Colocare set can repair the damaged hair layers. A wellness mask provides dry hair with moisture and vitamins so that it is not prone to breakage. With the right care, straight, curly and even colored hair shines with a fresh and healthy shine.
