Do you think you know a lot about hair? Think again, my friend. Today’s blog post is about ten interesting and fun facts on hair that will blow your mind (and hair hehe…). Grab a smoothie or some tea, and enjoy the read!
1. Hair is mostly made out of Keratin.
Keratin is the same protein that we find in our outer layer of skin and our fingernails, and also surprisingly what constitutes animals’ hooves, claws and feathers. Who knew that we have so much in common with our animal friends?
2. Hair may grow quicker in warm climates.
Heat stimulates circulation in the body (including in the scalp) and encourages hair growth. Though this is the case, genetics and diet also play a role in our hair growth - obviously!
3. A wet strand of hair can stretch up to 30% of its normal length.
Have you ever been disappointed when you realized that your recently cut wet hair seemed longer? Then discovered it suddenly shrunk when the hairstylist blow-dried it? Don't worry it's not just you - this happens because water stretches hair to be longer than it naturally is!
4. All hair that we can see is dead.
The only hair that is not dead is the hair that is still inside the epidermis of our scalp - how weird is that? This is so surprising since we often focus on the hair that's on the outside, when we should very much consider that what we put inside our bodies directly affects the hair that we can see!
5. Black is the most common hair color and red is the most rare.
1% of the world's population has natural red hair and the second most rare hair color is blonde (2% of the world's population). Dark hair colors are the most common with black being the most common. Embrace your natural hair, no matter what color it is!
6. Hair contains important information that is used as forensic evidence in trials.
Scary fact: hair contains information on what your bloodstream has contained in the past. Scientists can know what you ate and drank as well as the environment that you lived in from only a tiny strand of hair!
7. Each strand of hair can support up to 100 grams of weight.
To put this into perspective, let’s use a mental image. If every strand of your hair can support 100g, and people have on average 100 000 to 150 000 strands of hair on their scalp, your entire head can support the equivalent of two elephants - yikes!!
8. Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in the body.
The fastest is the bone marrow.
9. Blow drying alters the shape of the hair by changing their hydrogen bonds.
Water also changes the hydrogen bonds, which makes our hair flatter when we take a shower. This may explain why some women hate humidity – the water in the air changes the silkiness, as well as structure of the hair causing some hair to become frizzy or puffy.
10. Cutting your hair does not influence how fast it will grow.
This is an unfortunate fact because many of us have been told the opposite and have attempted to cut it too often. However, it is important to remember that split ends will stop our hair from growing, which means that there is no other option than to cut them when they arise.
How surprising are these ten fun facts? Let us know in the comments which ones were the most astonishing to you, and please share any other cool facts that you may know about hair. We would love to learn more!
