WHAT IS YOUR HAIR MADE OF?!

When talking about hair, it is important to know that it is made up of two separate structures:

 

• Hair follicles - the living part of the hair
• Hair shafts - the hair that we actually see

 

Fun fact: we are born with all the follicles we'll ever have. Follicles do not continue to grow throughout your life, however, their density decreases as we age, which is why your hair starts getting thinner as you get older. An average scalp has between 100,000 – 150,000 hairs, of which about 50 are lost and replaced per day. Amazingly, it takes around 4 years for your entire head of hair to be replaced with new hair. The hair shaft itself is made up of three layers of keratin, an extremely resistant fibrous protein, built from cells similar to those of the skin:

 

• MEDULLA. This is the innermost layer, which you can imagine as an open space. The medulla is not always present, especially in thinner hair.

 

• CORTEX. The middle layer gives the hair strength and flexibility, making up the majority of the hair shaft. It also contains the pigmenting cells that are responsible for giving hair color.

 

• CUTICLE. The outermost layer is formed by overlapping scales (similar to roof shingles) that protect the inner layers from damage. When in good shape, your cuticles lie tightly together, making your hair look shiny and smooth. However, in damaged hair, the cuticle tends to open up and make the hair rough and brittle. This is why most hair care products are designed to fight damage by smoothening out the cuticle’s structure.

Although your hair can easily be damaged, it is also much stronger than you think. Its structure is held together by two types of chemical bonds - hydrogen and disulfide – which are actually the strongest naturally occurring bonds in nature! Due to this special structure, healthy hair can stretch up to 30% of its length and swell up to 20% of its diameter. Hair is so strong that a single hair can withstand the strain of 100 grams (3.5 ounces)! That means an average head of hair could easily hold 10-15 tons - if only the scalp was strong enough!

 

 

WHY DOES YOUR HAIR LOOK THE WAY IT DOES?

Here’s how different factors lead to people having different kinds of hair, whether it be thin, thick, curly or straight:

 

• SHAPE. The shape of the hair follicle directly determines the shape of your hair. Circular follicles result in straight hair, while strands of curly hair are flat. The cross-sectional shape of hair also determines how shiny it is. Straighter hair is shinier because it allows sebum to travel down the hair more easily.

 

• COLOR. Hair color is the pigmentation of hair follicles caused by two different types of melanin: eumelaninand pheomelanin. If more eumelanin is present, the color of the hair is darker, and if more pheomelanin is present, the hair is lighter. Levels of melanin can vary over time, causing a person's hair color to change. With increasing age, a lack of melanin injected into the hair causes hair to become gray or white.

 

• NUMBER OF HAIRS & DIAMETER. Finer hair has a smaller diameter of hair fibers, which makes it more prone to getting greasy. Interestingly, people with fine hair don’t actually have less hair – in fact, they have more hairs, just smaller fibers.

 

• HAIR GROWTH AND LOSS. When growing, your hair goes through three different phases: the growth phase (“anagen”), the transitional phase (“catagen”) and the resting phase (“telogen”). During the growth phase, which lasts between 2-6 years, your hair grows longer, before it eventually stops growing during the transitional phase, which lasts around 2 weeks. Finally, your hair falls out in the resting phase, before the entire growth cycle starts over. Luckily, all the follicles on your head cycle through these phases independently of one another. Just imagine: if all follicles were synchronized, all your hairs would fall out at the same time! Some people have difficulty growing their hair beyond a certain length as their anagen phase is naturally shorter. A shortened anagen phase can also be the result of a disruption in the hairs’ growth phase, typically caused by genetics, illness or poor nutrition. The result? Too many hairs enter the telogen phase at the same time, which will cause you to experience hair loss, thinning and growth issues.

 

SO WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

Regularly shampooing your hair is a great way to prevent scalp problems like dandruff and leave your hair feeling more manageable. Just remember: most shampoos today are loaded with toxic chemical ingredients like SLS and parabens, that can be too harsh on your scalp and damage your cuticle in the long run - especially if you wash your hair too often. Conditioners on the other hand are necessary to reduce frizz and enhance the shininess and smoothness of your hair by sealing the cuticle. Most mainstream conditioners add silicones to their formulas in order to create the temporary illusion of healthy, smooth hair. However, the shine you get from silicones is a fake shine from the plastic and, since silicones are tricky to wash out, they build up layer by layer with every use, making your hair brittle and dry. When looking for the ideal hair care products, have a close look at the ingredients: Are you able to pronounce the ingredient list or is the product full of chemicals?

 

Your best bet will always be to ditch the toxins and look for hair care products like the ViTA hair care duo that are certified toxin-free by the EWG. Since Mother Nature knows best, hydrating and cleaning your hair with plant-based ingredients like neem, coconut, jojoba oil, argan oil and aloe, is not only better for your health and the environment, but will also get you better results in the long-term.