Hair Facts

The coloration and pattern of hair, amount of hair, and texture of hair varies from person to person and race to race. The human body averages five million hairs, of which 100,000 to 150,000 are on the scalp. We lose on an average 15 to 100 hairs per day. The average rate of growth of hair is about ½ inch a month. Every single strand of hair on human head is genetically programmed and designed to a life cycle that includes growth, stabilization, aging and shedding.

Hair Components

• Keratin
  
  The main component of hair is keratin. It is a protein that makes up nails and the outer layer of our skin. The visible part out of the skin is known as strand or hair shaft. Cuticle is the outermost protective layer. It is thin and colorless. Cortex is the thickest middle layer providing strength and defining color of hair.
  
  
• Melanin
  
  Melanin from pigment cell is responsible for the coloration of hair. Eumelanin, a kind of melanin that dyes hair black to brown and pheomelanin, an iron rich pigment, dyes hair yellow-blond to black. Darkness of hair depends on the density and number of pigment cells.

Hair Growth Stages:

Hair growth stages or cycle has three phases.

• Anagen is the active phase. It lasts about 1000 days at a rate of 1cm per month.
• Catagen is the transition phase which lasts for few weeks.
• Telogen is the last and the resting phase. It lasts about 100 days and hair starts to shed after this cycle.