Human Hair Structure And Its Care
Any woman who appreciates good looks and great hairstyles also
recognizes the merit in taking good care of it. It surely makes
taking good care of hair a lot easier and purposeful, if one
understands the hair structure, its characteristics, the
condition of the scalp it grows on, etc.
The structure of hair and its growth Hair is made of strong
elastic strands of protein called keratin and in chemical terms
is composed of oxygen, iron, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, carbon
and phosphorus. The exact proportions of these chemical elements
vary with sex, age, type and color of hair.
The sources of hair are very small tiny pockets in our skin and
scalp known as follicles. These follicles are not evenly spread
on the scalp but are found together in groups of two to five
each. Every follicle follows a life cycle of its own producing
six inches of hair a year for as long as four years before it
falls out then starts all over again after a short period.
The basal tip of the hair in the scalp is known as papilla which
is a small out-growth of the skin shaped like a doorknob and
lying at the tip of the follicle. The papilla contains the blood
vessels to supply nourishment to the hair.
During the active period the new cell growth pushes the older
part of the hair away from the papilla until the hair falls out.
It is the pattern of cell growth at the papilla which determines
whether hair grow straight wavy or curly.
The growth pattern usually becomes uneven during the adolescence
when the hair growth is at its peak. It declines as we grow
older. The cell growth pattern can change otherwise also due to
illness, drugs, pregnancy, etc. Though hair strands look as
singular fibers, each hair is constructed in three different
layers: the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla.
The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair which provides
protection to the inner cortex layer. It is made up of
flattened, hard, horny cells. When the cuticle breaks and
dislodges at the end of the hair, the result is split ends.
Improper care and frequent use of harsh chemicals on hair damage
the cuticle.
The cortex is the second layer. The qualitative properties of
strength, elasticity, pliability, direction and growth pattern,
width and the texture of hair depend on the composition of the
cortex. The cortex is composed of fibers twisted together like a
rope.
It is the cortex which gives the hair its color. The presence of
the four natural pigments black, brown, yellow and red are
logged in the cortex in varying proportions, and the air spaces
in the cortex determine the color and shade of hair. The excess
black and deep brown pigment is what gives oriental women the
dark hair they possess. Lastly, the medulla is the unimportant
innermost layer which is composed of soft keratin. Medulla is
often not present in some hair. Hair that lacks medulla is no
worse than hair that has medulla.
The characteristics of healthy hair It may surprise you, but
till date, no cosmetologist or trichologist has been able to
comprehensively and conclusively describe all the
characteristics of healthy hair.
Some of the most common characteristics of healthy hair quoted
are: 1. Thick and dense. 2. Fine and silky, which means not too
oily or rough. 3. Luster-filled, having a shine and gloss. 4.
Pliable, capable of setting and styling. 5. Full-bodied and not
limp or lank.
While describing the condition of hair, it is important to keep
in mind, the hair growth. Unless the growth is proper and
regular, the hair condition is considered affected.
Regular care of hair Taking care of hair is in fact much the
same as taking care of skin. An effective hair-care discipline
involves cleansing, toning and conditioning routines carried out
with religious regularity. Another important aspect of effective
care is the use of proper hair-care products. Different types of
hair need different hair-care products. The use of wrong
products is detrimental to the hair.
Cleansing is the foremost routine in daily hair care. The
purpose of cleansing is to wash away excess oil on hair and
scalp and clear the hair follicles off the debris of
unexfoliated dead cells. Proper cleansing encourages healthy
hair growth.
After cleansing, the scalp and hair need the toning exercise.
The toning of scalp and hair is achieved by gently massaging the
head. This helps in stimulating and invigorating the blood
circulation required for the healthy growth of hair. The most
important part of hair-care is conditioning. It is a restorative
routine.
If the hair is excessively stripped of moisture or oil due to
harsh cleansing, sun or application of harsh chemicals such as
perm lotions, etc., the conditioning routine aims at restoring
and correcting the imbalance. The kind of conditioning required
depends entirely on the physical condition of the hair.