Hair is more than just a bunch of strands that stick up out of your head – it’s a personal statement, an emotional indicator and even a way to communicate information about oneself. The color, shape and texture of your hair can reveal a lot about your personality, worldview and socioeconomic status. However, it can also be a target for negative stereotypes (bleached blondes are dumb and gullible, redheads are sexy and snobby, lice is a sign of dirty hair). It’s important to examine the impact of these stereotypes and make sure you are not falling into them.
Hair comes from a small, hollow opening in your skin called a follicle (floo-CEL). A follicle gets nutrients from blood vessels that run underneath it. New hair cells grow, then die and harden – this process is called keratinization. The keratin forms a long, thread-like filament that grows out of the follicle and out through the skin’s surface as your hair.
Your follicles are located deep in the dermis layer of your skin. They are surrounded by nerves that transmit sensory information to your brain. This information helps you touch, feel and see your hair. The follicles also contain glands that produce lipid-rich sebum oil which moisturizes your scalp and hair.
The proteins found in hair are unique to each person. This makes them a great tool for law enforcement and other professionals to use in forensics. The protein composition of hair also reveals a lot about an individual’s health and nutrition.
People usually touch their hair to express emotions or convey information. They can touch it if they are feeling nervous, excited, embarrassed or insecure. They can pat it if they are happy or sad, twist it or pull it if they are anxious or stressed and compulsively brush it or comb it if they are bored or restless.
Your hair can be made up of many different materials, but the best and strongest material is a tough protein called keratin. The keratin in your hair protects the more delicate inner structures, like the cortex and medulla.
The tensile strength of your hair is comparable to that of steel. It can stretch quite a bit before it starts to break. Hair is also composed of fatty acids, which help it to retain moisture and give it a lustrous shine.
Hair is a symbol of personal identity for most people. For this reason, it is often used to indicate a person’s gender, race, social status and religion. This can lead to the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes.
If you want your hair to look its best, make sure it is well hydrated and nourished with regular use of a high quality shampoo. You should also avoid over-washing, as this can cause dryness and brittleness. When selecting a shampoo, be sure to read the label to ensure that it contains the right ingredients to meet your needs. Our testers said that this shampoo’s combination of hydrating and strengthening ingredients helped their hair to be shinier and fuller-looking after just one month of regular use.