odds & ends item from JUNE-JULY 2007 ISSUE
Marvels of the Human BodyHair today, gone tomorrow!
Amazing Hair Facts!
- Hair is the second-fastest growing tissue in the body, other than bone marrow.
- 35 meters of hair fiber is produced every day on the average adult scalp.
- The average scalp has 100,000 hairs. Redheads have the least at 80,000; brown and black-haired persons have about 100,000; and blondes have the most at 120,000.
- 90% of scalp hairs are growing and 10% are “resting” at any given time.
- It is normal to lose 100 hairs per day from the scalp.
- You must lose over 50% of your scalp hairs before it is apparent.
- Many drugs can cause hair loss.
- Thyroid imbalance and iron deficiency are reversible causes for hair loss.
- Over 50% of men have male pattern hair loss by age 50.
- Forty percent of women by the time they reach menopause will have female pattern (hereditary) hair loss.
Source: MCT
Source: dermatology.org
What is found all over your body except on the bottom of your feet, the palms of your hands and your lips? If you guessed hair—you are correct. When most think of hair, they only think about the hair on their head. While some hair is obvious, like arm hair, leg hair, eyebrows, and of course the hair on your head, other hair is harder to see, like the hair on your cheeks.
Source: MCT
So what is hair’s purpose? It all depends on what part of the body it is located. Eyelashes help protect your eyes from dust and also limit the amount of light that enters the eye. Your eyebrows help protect your eyes from sweat on your forehead. And the hair on your scalp helps keep your head warm and acts as a cushion for your skull.
Where does hair come from? Under your skin, fibrous protein cells band together to form keratin (also called hair root). The hair root is located in a small tube in your skin called a follicle. When hair begins to grow, it comes from the root, out of the follicle and through the skin. You are only able to see it once it reaches the surface of the skin. At the end of follicles are tiny blood vessels that feed the root so it will keep growing. Once the hair is past the skin, the cells in it are dead. That means that all the hair you see on your body is made up of dead cells. This is why you feel no pain when you have your hair cut, unless the hairdresser pulls your hair!
Also attached to the follicle is the sebaceous gland (also called the oil gland). This gland produces oil, which makes your hair shiny and somewhat water-resistant. On average, you will lose 50 to 100 strands of hair a day! However, you have more than 100,000 strands of hair on your head, and over 50% of your scalp hair must be lost before it becomes noticeable to anyone.
Does your hair have a lifespan? Yes, your hair grows for about 2 to 6 years. When it falls out, the follicle rests for a few months and a new hair begins growing from the same follicle.
So, the next time you wash and comb your hair for Sabbath services, think of God’s awesome creation of hair; and remember He knows each hair on our heads.