For any person, regardless of age and gender, hair is an adornment. They protect our head from overheating, hypothermia, but in order for them to look excellent and have a healthy appearance, proper care is necessary. And in order to properly care and not damage, you need to know what the hair consists of.
Hair base
Nature is designed so that after cutting, hair grows anyway. But for some, this process is happening rapidly, while for someone a little slower. It depends on what condition they are in.
Find out what human hair consists of and what are the causes of damage. A common cause of damage can be natural phenomena and improper care. Recovery in many cases occurs naturally, by growing new strands, but the use of special cosmetic procedures for healing will also be important.
Hair structure
Before you try to apply procedures such as painting, curling, combing, you need to find out what a person’s hair consists of.
The hair has a structure similar to a tree, that is, it is a trunk, in our case a rod, and a root. The root is located under the skin, in other words, under the dermis, and ends in the hair follicle, and the shaft is respectively located on the surface of the skin. The hair follicle contains a hair follicle - it has the name of a follicle, it also contains sebaceous glands. They are responsible for shine and elasticity. In the case of a small secretion of secretion from the sebaceous glands, the hair loses its vitality and looks dull. Also, a strong secretion is not welcome, in this case the hair quickly becomes dirty and oily.
We all feel a touch to the hair, torn hair gives a signal to the brain about pain, and even at the moment of fear or cold, the hair stands on end. For all these functions, the nerve endings located in the root of the hair bulb are responsible.
Human Hair: Chemical Composition
Keratin protein is found in the hair 79%.
Water - 15%.
Lipids - 6%.
Based on the fact that the hair consists mainly of keratin, and, as you know, keratin is a protein, consists of amino acids, is enriched with trace elements and vitamins, its connection is a chain of transverse bridges of amino acid precipitation. Thanks to them, the hair becomes dense, elastic and elastic. In addition to all of the above, hair curls contain from 4% fatty substances such as cholesterol. Melanin is found in every body in different proportions and is responsible for pigmentation. Hair color depends on the chemical composition. The darker the hair, the more carbon and less oxygen in it, in light curls the opposite is true.
The cuticle consists of plates of small thickness, and they come one after another. Tightly fits the cerebral cortex to provide protection. Young hair has approximately 10 layers, but it gradually shrinks due to wear. The upper layer of the cuticle is coated with a lipid layer. It includes not only fatty acids, but also wax esters. It is very sensitive to the sun's rays, and frequent and long-term exposure to the scorching rays of the sun will lead to its destruction.
While we are wetting our hair, the cuticle flakes are raised from getting wet, and combing wet hair is not recommended to prevent damage. In the case when you need to comb them, you need to use conditioners, oils or gels that glue the flakes and keep them from damage.
Hair is a reflection of what we eat, remember this when you want something not very useful. In addition, the environment also affects curls.
Now we know what elements hair consists of, this will simplify our care and care for them.
Hair growth principle
Hair growth in each person is individual and proceeds in a cyclic form. One cycle lasts several years, followed by a rest of three months. During this period, the old hair follicles die off, this leads to its loss, but new young ones grow in this place.
What does the hair on the head consist of and what are the main phases observed during loss:
- Anagenic - is the most active of all. In this phase, the formation and structure of the hair occurs.
- Catagenic - is a transition phase. In other words, the hair dies away, and lasts up to three months.
- Telogen - the final phase and calm. At this stage, the old hair falls out, making way for the new. There are cases that at this stage, old curls fall out, and new ones can not break through, since there may be a disease of the skin, which leads to loss of the bulb.
Some facts about the hair growth process
- No one can determine the exact amount of hair on a person’s head. The history of mankind only knows that approximately one hundred thousand grows in one cycle of a shift.
- The hair in an adult and a child is different in density. The older the person, the denser they are with him. You can look at the figure the hair of an adult and a child, and determine the density with the naked eye.
- One hair can grow up to a meter in length, then comes the resting stage, which can last up to three months, later new follicles appear.
- About 90% of a person’s hair can be in a growth stage at a time, and the remaining 10% can be in a resting stage.
Hair and their properties
Elastic and strong are considered healthy curls. When stretching such a hair for one fifth of its entire length, it will not tear, and then return to its original state. By strength, this type of hair is equated to aluminum, which allows them to withstand loads.
The article is devoted to the question of what human hair consists of; let's also look at why curls quickly absorb water. Human hair is so arranged that it has the ability to absorb not only water, but also absorb water vapor, glycerin, animal and vegetable fats. Such substances as mineral oils, petroleum jelly are not absorbed, they remain on the surface. These properties are taken into account in the manufacture of therapeutic masks and various hair care products. The ability of hair to absorb water can be explained by many important properties for them. For example, as we already know, curls lengthen during wetting, or during humidity in the environment. Hair can swell, absorbing about 10 to 25 percent of the water. Increased volume is an indicator of absorption capacity.
Hair structure and variety
It is worth noting that the structure and variety are interconnected. Before disassembling what the hair consists of in relation to the variety, it is necessary to disassemble which main types are distinguished:
- Fluffy hair.
- Long.
- Bristly.
Classified by fat level:
- Oily hair - they are characterized by the activity of the sebaceous glands. A greasy shine was revealed on the scalp, equated to quick contamination and have an unkempt appearance in a short period of time.
- Dry - they are characterized by low activity of the sebaceous glands. Dryness was found on the scalp, the ends and the hair shaft itself quickly break down.
- Normal hair - look healthy, have a soft shaft, elastic. The skin condition is normal.
Transitional hair type, in shape resembles:
- Direct.
- Wavy.
- Kinky.
The structure of each of them practically does not differ, the main difference is the property of the follicle. You know what hair consists of, and therefore, you should know that we are not able to change its root structure, complete structure and, of course, the human scalp. All of the above characteristic properties are embedded in each genetically, so the external influence is powerless. The only thing that can be corrected with proper care is the level of oily skin of the scalp and curls, hair loss and the disappearance of follicles will also be reduced.
What hair consists of
That part of the hair on the human head, which is located on the upper part of the skin, is called the shaft, and which is hidden under the skin - the root. At the end of the root there is an extension, this is a fleecy bulb, where the main process of human hair growth occurs. Nutrition provides the follicle.
The core has a three-layer structure. The first layer is the core of the hair, keratinized cells are located in it. The second layer - the cortical substance, is responsible for the color of the hair covering. And the third layer is the cuticle, it consists of keratinized cells, which are superimposed on one another.
What hair and nails are made of
The nail consists of a nail plate, the basis of which is keratin. In other words, it is a protein that is present in the skin, and hair is already formed from it. In nails and hair, keratin density is based on the presence of a large amount of sulfur. The amount of sulfur in the body can vary not only because of its presence, but also indulge in a hereditary line. Due to this, for many people, the nail plate is denser and the nails from this become strong.
Shine and elasticity of the nail plate gives a layer of fat and water. The nail has the ability, like hair, to absorb water, thereby increasing the thickness of the nail plate. Therefore, with frequent contact with water, the hair becomes thicker and softer. Health with a nail gives the content of trace elements in it, such as chromium, phosphorus, zinc. Remember that with diets, the growth of nails slows down and with all this, blood circulation and metabolism are disturbed.
Substances responsible for the nutrition of human hair roots
Nutrition is also important for hair roots, four amino acids are responsible for it:
Cystine - supplies sulfur to the hair, it contributes to the formation of keratin. When eating vegetables, milk, meat, you can be sure of the abundance of cystine in the root of the hair.
Histidine - for the body as an antistress, helps renew keratinized tissues. Contained in foods such as soy, cheese, peanuts.
Tyrosine - ensures the normal functioning of the thyroid gland, protects hair from brittleness and loss, is responsible for the color of hair and skin. Contained in food: almond, sesame seeds, avocado.
Lysine - is necessary for the growth and restoration of the integument of tissues, is responsible for healthy curls of hair. Does not accumulate in the body. Contained in products: lentils, soybeans, sprouted wheat grains, fish and meat protein.
Proper nutrition will give your hair a healthy and luxurious look.