Hair 101

The more you know about your hair, the better you can care for it! Your hair has two separate parts: the root and the shaft. The root is the part of the hair located just under the skin surface. The hair follicle houses the entire hair root. The papilla is where all of the action takes place; it is a rich blood and nerve supply that nourishes the hair shaft and produces hair cells. The bulb is a white sack located on the lower part of the hair that covers the papilla.

The hair shaft is what is grows out of the hair follicle and is what we consider to be hair. It has three parts; the cuticle, cortex and medulla.

The outer layer of your hair shaft is called the cuticle, which holds your hair together. The cells or scales that make up the cuticle layer overlap similarly to the scales on a fish or the shingles on a roof. In healthy hair, the cuticle scales lay flat. In damaged hair, the scales may be missing or broken. (

The cuticle layer is your hair's armor; it protects the heart, or the cortex, the layer beneath the cuticle. It is made of long, molecular chains of amino acids (protein) and is the largest section of your hair.

Chemical straighteners must penetrate through the cuticle to access the cortex, where shape and color changes take place.

Hair is made of dead keratin (protein) cells that are pushed up through the scalp at an average rate of about one-half inch per month for six inches of hair growth each year.

Keep your hair healthy by eating well, frequent conditioning and gentle treatment.

About The Author

Nicole Elizabeth Smith, the author of "Healthy Black Hair" (2003), is a freelance health and beauty writer and a graduate of Michigan State University. She and her son Zack live in Michigan. Currently, she is beauty editor for www.myhairbook.com.

nicole@myhairbook.com

---

Common Treatments For Hair Loss In Women

Much has been said and written about modern day hair loss treatments but this tends to relate almost exclusively to men. Do these same treatments offer solutions... Read More

Hair Loss In Women - The Role of DHT & Sebum

Hair Loss In Women - The Role of DHT & Sebum - According to some estimates, Hair loss in women affects one in four women in the... Read More

Laser Hair Removal Tips

So you have decided to immerse yourself in the fantasy of luxurious beauty that is going to define you as you go through the laser hair removal... Read More

Alopecia Areata and Hair loss: What Does Aloe Vera Have to Do with It

A disease of unknown cause in which well-defined bald patches occur, usually on the head and other hairy parts of the body. The condition typically clears without... Read More

Laser Hair Removal

There are many different techniques to remove unwanted hair. Some of these include waxing, shaving, coils, electrolysis and laser. Although each has its advantages and disadvantages, they... Read More

Painless Hair Removal

Laser hair removal is rapidly growing to be the most popular quick painless hair removal treatment of all time. This is largely because of the immense benefits... Read More

Pubic Hair Shave Decision

Whether you are a guy or a girl, shaving your pubic hair is a option, but one should consider it seriously before actually doing it. Shaving pubic... Read More

Permanent Hair Removal Is It Right For You?

It's an endless cycle - you shave, you wax, you pluck. The hair grows back and you shave, you wax and you pluck again. And again. With... Read More

Hair Loss and Its Effects

There is nothing about hair loss that is okay. In fact, there is nothing about it that is good. Of course there are many types of hair... Read More

A Better Understanding Of Laser Hair Removal In 5 Minutes

Men and women from all walks of life are turning in increasing numbers to laser to remove unwanted hair from their bodies. The most popular areas are... Read More

Herbal Hair Loss Remedies For External Use

In a separate article in this series we looked at some of the most popular herbal hair loss remedies for ingestion. Here we'll expand that theme to... Read More

Herbal Hair Loss Remedies That Offer Hope

Herbs hold an obvious appeal for many people because they support the body's natural healing mechanisms to target the cause of the problem, as opposed to merely... Read More

Treatment Options Available To Hair Loss Sufferers

The hair loss treatments outlined here cannot provide definitive cures for all hair loss conditions, but they do represent regimes that many sufferers have found useful. In... Read More

Do You Know These Hair Coloring Secrets?

Coloring your hair is perhaps the quickest and most dramatic way to change your look.There are two types of hair dyes: permanent and semi- permanent, with variations... Read More

Laser Hair Removal: Am I a Good Candidate? What Do I Need to Know?

How Laser Hair Removal worksA laser emits an invisible beam that penetrates the skin around the hair. Because of the dark pigments in the hair, the energy... Read More

Hair Loss: Know The Cause, Know The Cure

Don't you envy those young men in the streets with full heads of hair? Hair has always been considered a man's crowning glory, while hair loss has... Read More

Do You Know About These Remedies for Hair Loss?

Millions of the people worldwide suffer from hair loss and this is the reason why hair loss remedies are a billion dollar industry.The answer to the million-dollar... Read More

Latest Techniques Deliver Painless Hair Transplants

The recent development of improved hair transplant techniques ensures that patients can now benefit from pain-free surgery. Unlike the older techniques that could be painful and cause... Read More

What Is Normal About Hair Loss?

It is important to note that shedding of hairs is a natural process with anything from 100 to 300 hairs randomly shed each day. In this article... Read More

Permanent Hair Removal Treatment

If you are getting 'harried' by unwanted hair, if you are desperately seeking solutions for liberation from the vicious cycles of waxing and shaving, if like enlightened... Read More

The Causes of Hair Loss

Very few people, especially those suffering from alopecia, or balding, know that Julius Cesear and Napolean both dealt with hair loss. Yes, it's a fact; balding is... Read More

Do Traditional Hair Loss Remedies Have Any Relevance Today?

Could it be possible that our ancestors got it right with some of their traditional hair loss remedies? Folklore tells us they certainly went to great lengths... Read More

Laser Hair Removal Frequently Asked Questions

There is such excitement in this cutting edge technology for laser hair removal. In order to decide if you want to use laser hair removal, you can... Read More

Hair Loss Treatments

The desire to avoid hair loss is not confined to our time. In ancient Egypt, men used to rub fat from crocodiles, snakes, lions, and other animals... Read More

Hair Loss - The Reasons

General: Hair is constantly going through cycles of growth, resting, shedding. When hairs that are lost are not replaced, or when more hair follicles go into the... Read More

Natural Hair Loss Remedies

Fact: There is no sure-fire way to prevent all hair loss. However, some methods that have been used work on some people. Here are some suggestions... Read More