
Healthy Hair and Maintenance
How you style your hair says a lot about your personality. If you want your style to stand out, start with healthy hair care, because healthy hair makes everyone look good.
You don’t need to make a trip to the salon to consult a hair care expert. If you understand the structure of your hair, you can style your hair however you want. Check out this article to learn all about hair health, hair ingredients, and hair care.
Hair grows from under the skin
Hair is one of the hallmarks of mammals (yes, even whales have some). It spreads all over the body and is almost everywhere; the only places where no hair grows on the body surface are the soles of the feet, palms and lips.
It’s part of the dermis (the body system that includes your skin, nails, and hair), and your hair grows from the bottom layer of your skin: the dermis .
The part of the hair that grows in the dermis is called the “hair follicle,” and the part visible above the epidermis (the top layer of the skin) is called the “hair shaft.”
Your hair grows from follicles, hollow tubes in the dermal tissue that receive blood and nutrients from blood vessels . At the base of the follicle is the bulb, the living part of the hair. The cells of the hair follicle bulb grow and divide, eventually forming the hair shaft.
When the cells at the base of the hair follicle die, they leave behind a tough protein called cutin (keratin), a process called keratinization. As new cells develop in the hair follicle bulb, this protein is pushed through the hair follicle to the outside. Keratinocytes build up in layers and push out of the skin to form the hair shaft.
People often define hair as a dead body; this is certainly the case for palpable hair. In fact, your hair is made from the protein of the dead cells in the hair follicle, so you can get a haircut without pain.
The hair shaft consists of three layers of cutin, the innermost layer is called the medulla, the middle and thickest layer is called the cortex, and the outer layer is the epidermis. The outermost part is composed of thin scale-like cutin overlapping like rubble.
As strands of hair leave the follicle and cross the cuticle, they pass glands in the skin called sebaceous glands that secrete sebum, an oil that conditions and softens each strand of hair.
During puberty, overactive sebaceous glands can make hair look greasy; as we age, the glands slow down oil production, sometimes making hair appear drier.
The Life Cycle of Healthy Hair
Hair follicles grow hair at a very noticeable rate. Your hair can grow 6 inches (15 cm) per year, and the only thing in your body that can grow faster than your hair is your bone marrow .
Hair growth has a certain life cycle, so each hair follicle is active at a different time. There are three stages in the life cycle of hair: growth stage, transition stage and resting stage, which are called growth stage, degenerative stage and resting stage of hair respectively.
Most of the hair on your head is in the growth phase, which is the growth phase. During hair growth, the cells inside the hair follicle bulb divide rapidly and push the old hair up and out of the follicle.
Anagen hair grows about 1 cm every 28 days. This active growth phase can last up to six years, depending on the individual. People with naturally shorter hair also have shorter anagen phases, while people with long hair have longer anagen phases.
Next comes the transition phase. The catagen phase is the period in the hair life cycle when it stops growing. This is the shortest phase and lasts about two to three weeks.
Hair in the degenerative period is called clubbing. The follicular bulb at the base of the follicle hardens and attaches to the root of the hair shaft, forming a hard white tissue. You can see this clubbing on recently lost hair.
The hair you find on your brush, comb or pillow is in the final stage of its life cycle: telogen. During telogen, hair follicles that are actively growing hair stop. During this stage, the hair falls out, which means the clubs are pushed out of the follicle by new hairs that grow in the same place.
The resting period lasts approximately 100 days. In a normal day, about 25 to 100 telogen hairs will fall out. When you comb your hair with your fingers, you will find that a few hairs fall out, or when you wash your hair and massage your scalp, it will also loosen the telogen hair.
Take good care of your hair, no matter what stage of its life cycle it is in; short, limp hair means it’s growing, and even-length hair means it’s transitioning from catagen to telogen. Be gentle when you’re brushing or styling your hair, as you don’t want to pull out growing hair.
Hair Texture and Color: What You Were Born to Do
Many people use hair products and tools to get their hair the way they want. But you’re born with a natural hairstyle, and it depends on the shape of your follicles and the pigment in your hair.
The shape of the hair follicle shapes your hair and the way it grows, it creates its unique look and texture. If you look at a cross-section of hair under a microscope, you can see the shape of the hair follicle.
Round follicles produce straight hair, some oval or egg-shaped follicles produce straight hair, while wavy hair comes from large-diameter oval follicles, and band-shaped follicles create curls.
It has a lot to do with your race.
People of African descent have ribbon-shaped follicles, which can make hair curly; Asians have more round follicles, which can produce straight hair; Caucasians usually have oval follicles, which can grow straight or wavy hair .
As for the color of hair, it is most related to melanin. Melanin, which builds up in the cortex of the hair shaft, is the same pigment used in skin cells (called melanocytes) to determine skin color.
A large amount of melanin in the cortex makes the hair black. The less melanin you have, the lighter your hair will be. Gray hair occurs when melanin no longer accumulates in the cortex with age.
There’s more than one way to describe all hair colors and textures. Hair grows in different layers, with varying degrees of straight and curly, or different shades of color. You can see these changes by looking at the hair of your parents or siblings. No two people’s hair is the same. So you can be proud of the unique look and style of your hair.
your hair, skin and nails
There is no doubt that your hair, skin and nails are all part of the same body system (the integumentary system). Since they are made of the same material (keratin), they have many similarities, such as:
- Cutin in hair is like fingernails and toenails , the protein that makes hair and nails tough and strong.
- Hair grows out of the skin, as do nails. The folds of the cuticle at the ends of your fingers and toes push the layer of keratinized skin cells to the surface to form your fingernails and toenails.
- Skin cells called keratinocytes also produce keratin, which helps make the skin a protective barrier.
- Just like cutting your hair doesn’t hurt, cutting your nails doesn’t hurt because your hair or nails don’t have nerve endings.
- Your hair color and skin tone are determined by the same pigment, called melanin.
How to Have Healthy Hair
A healthy lifestyle is the best way to help your hair look great, and from your grooming to your diet, there are many ways to keep your hair happy. You might as well start with good hygiene habits, starting with keeping your hair clean.
- wash your hair often
Shampoo and condition your hair regularly, say every two days. Washing your hair with shampoo removes the oil and dirt that can make your hair look dull. Conditioner adds natural softness and shine to hair.
- comb hair gently
Remember to brush your hair gently after shampooing to avoid tangles or tangles. To detangle tangles, start at the bottom and work your way up, this will reduce pulling on growing hair.
- regular haircut
Get regular trims from a professional hairstylist to keep your hair looking beautiful and soft. When the ends of the hair are damaged, they start to fray and deteriorate all the way down the hair shaft. A haircut can trim those starting split ends and prevent the damage from spreading.
- A healthy diet for hair
When it comes to diet, there are certain foods that can help your hair grow more beautiful. Daily intake of the following essential nutrients is advisable :
- Iron: You need iron in your diet to maintain blood flow to your hair follicles. Get iron in lean red meat, spinach, and iron-fortified cereals or muesli.
- Vitamin C: This powerful antioxidant supports collagen production . Collagen is important for skin, and it also helps strengthen hair. Vitamin C can be found in bell peppers, citrus fruits and berries.
- Vitamin A: If you want long, naturally shiny hair, get plenty of vitamin A in your diet. Sweet potatoes, carrots, and spinach are all rich in vitamin A. This carotenoid supports sebum production and is your body’s natural conditioner. Vitamin A has also been shown to promote thicker, fuller hair growth.
- Omega-3 fatty acids : These healthy fats help keep hair shiny and full, and this nutrient can be found in fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and avocados.
- Biotin: This B vitamin helps your body produce natural cuticles. And if it is seriously lacking, it may cause hair loss (if there is a lack of other B vitamins at the same time, including riboflavin, folic acid and vitamin B12, etc.). However, while biotin is commonly found in hair growth supplements, there are currently no clinical studies to prove that very high doses are beneficial in healthy individuals. Beef, eggs, and salmon are common sources of biotin.
take care of your hair
The concept of good habits and proper diet is never out of date, it is the first step in healthy hair care. You can maintain the beauty of your hair with regular haircuts and good hygiene. A little heat protectant can be used before styling with a blow dryer or curling iron. You should also supplement your diet with a holistic approach to taking care of all your body’s needs to maintain your natural beauty.
You should be confident that your hair-healthy lifestyle will provide you with “hair moments” for years to come.
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