Hair Facts

Here are some helpful hair facts from the Clairol experts:

• There are close to 100,000 hairs on an average adult head.
• On a baby's head, there are about 2,800 follicles per square inch; by age 25 this number falls to 1,500, and to 635 by age 50.
• Each follicle grows about 20 new hair strands in a lifetime. Each strand grows for several years until it falls out.
• Most people lose between 100 to 150 hair strands per day.
• On average, your hair grows about inch per month.

Hair Types: Straight, Wavy or Curly

Ever wondered why you were born with straight hair, curls or hair that's somewhere in between? Your hair type is all genetics, meaning that you inherited it from your parents, just like your eye colour and skin tone.

Your hair type is determined by:

• The direction in which each strand of hair grows out of its follicle.
• The shape of the follicle itself, which determines the shape the strand of hair takes as it forms.

What do follicles look like for each hair type?

• Straight hair: The follicle is almost round and grows nearly perpendicular to the scalp.
• Wavy hair: The follicle is shaped like a kidney and grows at a slight angle to the scalp.
• Curly hair: The follicle has an elongated oval shape and grows at a sharp angle to the scalp.

Parts of the Hair

Your hair is made up of three layers:

The Outside Layer: the Cuticle

• Consists of flat, overlapping scale-like structures.
• Contains natural keratin protein and shields your hair's inside layers from damage.
• Determines the condition of your hair

The Middle Layer: the Cortex

• Consists of spindle-shaped cells aligned along the fiber.
• Contains natural keratin protein and lies right under the cuticle.
• Accounts for 70%-90% of the your hair's bulk and provides remarkable strength.
• Houses your hair's colour pigment.

The Core Layer: the Medulla

• Consists of a central core of diffuse, elongated cells.
• Exists only in some strands of hair.