Things worth knowing about hair

We do something with our hair every day - we wash and style it and get it cut or let it grow. But have you ever taken a closer look at your hair? How is hair actually structured? How does it grow? And why does hair loss occur?

The hair is divided into the hair root and the visible part - the hair shaft. The hair shaft is located outside of the scalp. It is also divided into the roots, lengths and tips. The hair root is the part of the hair that is located in the scalp.

The hair root is responsible for supplying the hair. New hair is also created here. The hair root is embedded in a fold of skin, the so-called hair follicle, which anchors the hair in the skin. It ensures that important nutrients are absorbed. The sebaceous gland that protects the hair from weather effects is also located here. 

Each of your hairs has the same main components - the cuticle, the cortex and the medulla. 

The cuticle layer consists of five to ten layers of shingle stacked cells that are arranged scale-like around the hair. They form the outer layer of the hair and are described as resembling pine cones. With healthy hair, the plates fit closely to the hair shaft and allow the hair to shine. Over the course of time, and depending on how much strain we put on the hair due to heating and styling, the scales flake off and become fragile. The hair then appears dull.

The cortex is made of keratin and determines how elastic and tear-resistant the hair is. The cortex makes up the main constituent of the hair and surrounds the medulla.

Incidentally, our hairs protect our scalp every day. They protect it against UV radiation and infrared light, against heat and cold and against moisture from rain for example.

It is important that the hair is supplied with enough nutrients, so that the hair can grow in a healthy and strong manner. Diets and physical or mental stress can mean, however, that the supply of nutrients is insufficient. The possible consequences of this can be poor hair growth and premature hair loss. Here, you can find out more about the causes of hair loss in young women.