10 Interesting Facts About Human Hair
Hair is the most fascinating aspect of your overall appearance. How you look significantly depends on your hair volume and hairstyle. Plenty of myths regarding human hair have been passed on from generation to generation. However, they are far from reality.
Some interesting features and details of human hair can bust these myths and prevent individuals from unhealthy hair care practices. This blog will present some basic but fascinating hair facts to enhance your knowledge about taking decent care of your hair.
The Average Person Has 100,000-150,000 Strands of Hair
The number of hair strands present on your scalp determines how dense and thick your hair is. An average human has around 5 million hair follicles all over his body. Around 100,000 of them are supposed to be on the scalp on average.
However, the number goes up to 150,000 based on an individual’s genetics. So, the number of hair you have on your head is anything between 100,000 and 150,000. Some individuals may have an even higher number of hair follicles on their scalps and they have even more hair strands. Having more hair strands on your scalp is bliss because that ensures an attractive hair volume.
On Average, You Shed Around 50-150 Strands of Hair a Day
Most people are unaware of the fact that it’s normal to shed hair daily. This is one of the shocking hair facts to believe. You may be panicking because you find a substantial number of hair strands on your pillow and in the collars of your shirt daily. There’s no logic in assuming that it’s a sign of baldness. It’s scientifically normal.
Scientists and dermatologists have reassured that losing around 50-150 hair strands per day is normal. Some of you may even shed up to 200 hair strands a day based on your dietary routines and other lifestyle factors. However, if the number of hair strands you’re losing daily is too many, it may be a warning sign. In that case, you might consider consulting a professional.
Hair Is The Second-Fastest Growing Tissue In The Body After Bone Marrow
Bone marrow tissues in the human body are the fastest-growing ones and the second position goes to the hair tissues. An adult human body reportedly produces around 35 metres of hair fibre on the scalp. For some people, the number may be even greater if their genetic traits are favorable.
A Healthy Hair Strand Can Stretch An Additional 30% When It’s Wet
Have you ever wondered why your hair strands appear longer while dressing them right after a shower? There’s a scientific reason behind it. Scientists say that a healthy hair strand can stretch up to an extra 30% when it’s wet.
There’s even a test named the wet-stretch test to determine the condition of wet hair strands. In this test, hair strands are rinsed and stretched to test the presence of protein in them. If a stretched hair strand stretches back to its normal state, it’s a healthy strand. If it doesn’t, protein is deficient in it.
A New Hair Begins To Grow As Soon As It Is Plucked From Its Follicle
If you pluck ar old hair strands from its follicle, the generation of a new strand will start almost immediately. When a strand is plucked out, the particular follicle gets damaged temporarily, but it grows a new bulb within a short while. A new strand grows from that bulb within 3-4 days.
At Different Times, 90% of Hair Is Growing, While the Other 10% Is Resting
Hair experts suggest that around 90% of the hair strands on your scalp are in the anagen phase, which is the growth phase for hair. The rest are in the telogen phase. The anagen phase and the telogen phase come cyclically.
The hair strands that are in the telogen phase eventually fall out and new strands grow in their places. At times, the percentage of hair in the telogen phase goes higher than normal and you may lose a heavy volume of hair in that case.
A Single Hair Has a Lifespan of 5 Years
It’s one of the most stunning hair facts that a single hair strand remains on your scalp for 5 years. Yes, that’s the average lifespan of a single hair strand. Genetics and other factors have a huge role to play in the lifespan of the hair threads of an individual. People with poor genetics may suffer due to shorter lifespans of their hair threads.
Anyway, people with good genetic qualities may have hair strands growing for 7 years or even more on their scalps.
A Strand of Hair Is Stronger Than a Copper Wire With The Same Diameter
If the aforementioned hair facts have already bent your mind, there’s more to it. Can you believe that a hair strand is firmer than a copper wire with the same diameter? Yes, that’s true. Scientists affirmed that the tensile strength of a hair strand is intense. Moreover, it’s not a hair fact male or a hair fact female in specific. This fact is true irrespective of gender, age, and other factors.
Goosebumps happen when the muscle for each hair strand contracts
The tiny muscles present in the hair follicles are called Arrector Pili and they contract upright when we get scared or sense cold. That’s when we feel goosebumps. Next time when you feel goosebumps, try to feel the muscles under your hair follicles contract and you can sense that easily.
Hair is made up of mostly keratin, the same substance that makes up most of the horses’ hooves, mane, and tail
Keratin, a significant protein variant, is the main substance of human hair. Scientists have proved that a single hair strand consists of 95% of Keratin. Wonderfully, it’s the particular substance that is also present in the hooves, mane, and tail of a horse.
Wrapping Up
This blog has presented some amazing facts about hair and we hope that these facts bust some of the vividly-spread myths about human hair. Each of the facts presented in this blog has a scientific basis and they’re approved by several scientific studies. Hopefully, we have helped you discover a lot about hair and this will help you take better care of your hair.