![\"hair](\"https:\/\/www.boldbarber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/hair-structure.jpg\")
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As we said, the outer part of the hair is the cuticle<\/strong>. This consists of thin, flat cells that overlap one another like fish scales. These scales can be several layers thick, which is why the cuticle is responsible for the hair\u2019s flexibility. The cuticle is transparent, allowing the color of the cortex to be visible.<\/p>\n After the cuticle comes the cortex<\/strong>, which contains keratin and melanin in rod-like cells. This is a highly structured and organized layer which is responsible for the hair\u2019s mechanical strength and water uptake. The main bulk of the cortex is long fibers that are twisted together like a rope. The cortex contains melanin, which colors the fiber. This color is based on the number, distribution, and type of melanin granules. For that reason, we can say that the cortex determines the color of the hair.<\/p>\n There are two kinds of pigments in the cortex:<\/p>\n Finally, the middle part of the hair is the medulla<\/strong>. This is the soft area at the center of the strand.<\/p>\n The human head has hundreds of thousands of follicles, which are the pore-like structures within the scalp. The hair begins to grow in the hair follicle from the papilla. This is the only living part of the hair. The hair that is visible on the surface has no biochemical activity and is therefore considered to be dead.<\/p>\n So, hair is mostly made up of dead cells. As the new cells grow, the older cells die and are forced through the follicle towards the scalp. These dead cells are compressed to form a protein called keratin<\/strong>. The hair shaft which is seen above the skin is the keratin. We should mention that each hair consists of keratin, water, and a binding agent that holds the keratin and the water together.<\/p>\n The base of the bulb of the hair contains the cells that are responsible for producing the hair shaft.<\/strong> Each hair follicle also includes a sebaceous gland. This gland is responsible for producing the oil that lubricates the hair. The surrounding muscles called arrector pili muscles, are what cause the hair to stand up. These muscles also create goosebumps!<\/p>\n Each hair follicle produces many hairs during the human lifetime. Human hair grows, stops growing, falls out, and then starts to grow again. Of course, there can be several factors that affect this process of renewal. This is what happens when the hair doesn\u2019t grow back (sometimes resulting in baldness). One human hair grows for 1 to 8 years and can grow 12\u201342 in. (30\u2013106 cm), if it isn\u2019t cut.<\/p>\n In general, there are three stages of hair growth: anagen, catagen, and telogen:<\/p>\n When it comes to the shape of the hair, the shape of the follicle affects the shape of the cortex but it is the shape of the fiber that affects how straight or curly the hair is<\/strong>. For example, people with round hair fibers have straight hair while people with oval or irregularly-shaped fibers will have wavy or curly hair.<\/p>\n\n
![\"hair](\"https:\/\/www.boldbarber.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/hair-structure-2.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nHair Growth<\/h2>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\nHair Type and Shape<\/h2>\n