What is Hair?
HAIR- Anatomy Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis, or skin. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and fine vellus hair. Most common interest in hair is focused on hair growth, hair types and hair care, but hair is also an important biomaterial primarily composed of protein, notably keratin
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Sebaceous Glands produce Sebum/Dandruff due to bacterial infections Hair Papilla is destroyed with Laser Hair Removal thus cutting off nutrition Hair Shaft is the ‘dead’ hair that grows beyond the epidermis Arrector Pili causes hair to stand or ‘Goosebumps’
What is inside the Hair Shaft?
• Cuticles are responsible for holding in moisture and protecting the hair from external damages. Hair used in Hair Skins at Berkowits are all Cuticle Intact except Filament Hair Skin. • Cortex contains melanin and is responsible for the hair color. Coloring damages hair as it must permeate cuticle to reach cortex and hence makes the cuticle damaged. • Medulla is the innermost layer and the exact function is unknown.
How does hair grow?
• Anagen is the stage where the hair shaft exists. Catagen is the phase where the growth has stopped and the hair shaft will be shed.Telogen is the phase where no hair shaft exists. • Hair grows in stages. From the Growth Stage (Anagen) to the Resting Phase (Telogen). • Laser Hair Removal can target only hair that are in the Anagen phase as it needs melanin to work which is why it needs multiple sessions. • Minoxidil and other ‘vaso-dilators’ work by making more hair enter the growth/Anagen phase.
Hair Texture As the hair follicle shape determines curl pattern, the hair follicle size determines thickness. As the circumference of the hair follicle expands, so does the thickness of the hair follicle. This causes hair volume to be thin, normal or thick.
Fine hair has a small circumference; coarse hair has the largest circumference. Which is why they are smoother. Coarse hair has a more open cuticle, causing it to be the most porous.- Which is why they are more rough. Fine hair strands have a thin, smooth consistency, whereas coarse hair possesses a harder, wiry consistency. Medium hair strands are neither fine nor coarse and fall in the middle of the two consistencies.
Bigger the area, the more effective will be the Laser Treatment. Hence it works better on coarse hair than vellus hair.
Hair Texture
• Indian Hair are mostly 2A or with a Body Wave. And Indian curly is 2C or 3A • Chinese Hair are extremely straight. • African Americans may have hair from 1 to 4C It is easier to do Hair Transplant on straight hair as the hair follicles are in the same direction.
How Hair Looks when Zoomed
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