About

Human hair is made up of keratinized cells. That is, cells that have gone through a process of change whereby the cells lose their organelles – their nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes etc. The cells are stretched and flattened, hardened and cemented together as they travel from the base of the hair follicle up the hair shaft. Once we see the hair above the scalp, the hair is fully formed and keratinized, and the cells are said to be dead. Hair has several purposes: it protects the scalp from harmful UV rays, senses air and movement on the skin, and, perhaps most importantly, it functions as a attractant to a sexual partner, much like the feathers on the tail of a peacock. This is why hair loss solutions are so popular today, as people strive to maintain their youthful attractiveness. An important characteristic about hair is its water content. Before cells begin to keratinize, they are composed of about 70% water, or sometimes even more. By the time cells are fully keratinized in the hair shaft, the hair contains only about 10% water. Moisture in the hair shaft can vary depending on the humidity of the climate one lives in. So in a very humid climate, moisture content in hair can rise to as much as 30%. It is important to note that dry hair is due more to climate then it is to the nature of a person’s hair.