Not many people are aware that their hair is dead and that it could become a delicate thing to sell their hair for money. Really, if you have been careless with your hair, here is something that you should know.
Your hair is one of the most fascinating parts of the human body, yet many people don’t fully understand it. Beyond its role in defining appearance, your hair has unique properties and quirks that might surprise you.
Here are some intriguing facts about your hair that you probably didn’t know:
1. Your Hair Is Dead
Yes! you read right. The part of your hair you can see is actually made up of dead keratinised cells. The living part of your hair is the follicle, which lies beneath the scalp.
This is why you don’t feel pain when your hair is cut—it’s already dead!
2. Hair Is Extremely Strong
You see, a single strand of your hair can support up to 100 grams of weight. Collectively, the hair on your head could potentially support the weight of two adult elephants!
The strength of your hair comes from keratin, the protein that also forms nails and animal hooves.
3. Hair Grows Faster Than You Think
It may appear unbelievable to someone who is not experiencing hair growth to hesr that hair grows about 0.5 inches (1.25 cm) per month on average, or around 6 inches (15 cm) per year.
If you hair is not growing at this rate, factors like genetics, diet, and overall health may be affect ing growth rates.
4. Your Hair Is Unique To You
Really, just like your eyes and your fingerprints, your hair is also unique. Its shape, texture, and growth patterns vary from person to person, making it a distinctive feature.
Even identical twins have slightly different hair patterns!
5. Hair Has A Lifespan
Each strand of hair goes through three stages of growth:
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- Anagen (Growth Phase): Lasts 2-7 years and determines hair length.
- Catagen (Transition Phase): Lasts 2-3 weeks as hair stops growing.
- Telogen (Resting Phase): Lasts 3-4 months before the hair falls out.
On average, you lose 50-100 hairs per day, which is completely normal.
6. Hair Can Reveal Your Health
Your hair reflects your overall health.
Nutritional deficiencies, stress, or medical conditions can cause hair thinning, dullness, or breakage.
A strand of hair can also reveal traces of drugs, toxins, or minerals in your body.
7. Hair Is Mostly Water
Your hair Hair is made up of 25-30% water.
As a result, keeping yourself hydrated can improve your hair’s elasticity and overall health.
Apply more water, but do it with the right knowledge.
8. Hair Colour Is Determined By Pigments
Natural hair colour comes from two types of melanin:
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- Eumelanin: Determines black or brown shades.
- Pheomelanin: Determines red or blonde shades.
As you age, melanin production decreases, resulting in grey or white hair. To lower the speed at which grey is showing up, eating foods that are rich in melanin could help.
9. Hair Is Affected By Climate
Unfortunately, you may not really know this about your hair?
Your hair behaves differently in various climates.
In humid weather, moisture in the air causes hair to swell and become frizzy.
In dry climates, hair can become brittle and prone to breakage due to lack of moisture. This is the reason it is advisable to moisturise your hair in dry climate.
10. Your Hair Can Stretch
Here is another amazing thing you probably don’t know about your hair.
Healthy hair can stretch up to 30% of its length when wet and return to its original shape when dry. This is why moisturising your hair well also helps it grow and keep its length.
Have You Read: 8 Effective Ways To Grow Hair Edges
However if your hair doesn’t bounce back, it may be a sign of damage or lack of elasticity.
11. Hair Protects You
The primary function of hair is protection. Scalp hair shields your head from UV rays and helps regulate body temperature. Imagine if the sun hits your skull directly.
Eyelashes and eyebrows keep dirt and sweat out of your eyes, while body hair offers sensory feedback.
12. Cutting Hair Doesn’t Make It Grow Faster
It’s a common myth that trimming your hair makes it grow faster. In reality, hair growth occurs at the follicle, not the ends.
Regular trims, however, can prevent split ends, making your hair appear healthier and fuller.
13. Hair Comes In Different Textures
Hair texture (straight, wavy, curly, coily) is determined by the shape of your hair follicle:
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- Round follicles produce straight hair.
- Oval follicles produce wavy or curly hair.
14. Your Hair Acts as a Thermometer
Hair growth slows in cold weather due to reduced blood circulation in the scalp.
That’s why hair often feels thicker and healthier in warmer months.
However, this means that during this period, you should explore ways of improving blood circulation in the scalp.
One thing you can do is massage your scalp during cold weather.
15. Hair Is Self-Cleaning
If left alone, hair has the ability to clean itself over time due to natural oils produced by the scalp.
However, modern lifestyles and pollution often necessitate regular washing.
16. Your DNA Is In Your Hair
Here is also another thing that you should know about your hair.
The root of the hair, which is the part that’s inside your scalp (or the follicle), has living cells. These cells contain your DNA, which holds the instructions for how your body is built (1). This is one of the rasons people warn against selling your hair. Imagin if a criminal bought your hair and then robbed a bank, leaving behind a strand of your hair.
See Natural Hair Growth: How To Use Water, Oil To Grow Hair
Basically, the hair has a root attached (like when a hair is pulled out, not just cut), scientists can extract DNA from those cells.
Also, even if a hair strand doesn’t have a root, it contains mitochondrial DNA in the hair shaft.
This type of DNA is passed down from your mother and can still help scientists identify someone or their family connections.
Conclusion
Your hair is more than just a part of your appearance; it’s a complex and fascinating aspect of your biology.
By understanding how it works and taking care of it with proper nutrition, hydration, and grooming, you can ensure your hair stays strong and healthy for years to come.