How much do you know about your hair? Test your hair trivia with these questions… then see if you can stump your friends and family!
Q: Hair grows everywhere on the human body — except for two places. Do you know what they are?
A: Hair does not grow on the palms of the hands and on the soles of the feet. Other parts of the body may seem hairless, but actually have hair so fine it’s nearly invisible.
Q: What is hair made of?
A: Hair is made of keratin — the same protein in fingernails and toenails.
Q: Is your hair alive or dead?
A: Hair is dead! Keratin is produced in hair follicles that are in the outer layer of skin. As the follicles produce new cells, the old cells are pushed out and through the surface. The hair you see is actually a chain of dead keratin cells.
Every follicle has a life cycle that can last anywhere between two and six years. The first phase (anagen) is the time of active hair growth. It’s the longest part of the cycle, lasting most of the two to six years. The second phase (catagen) is the transitional phase and lasts only a few weeks. The third phase (telogen) is the resting phase. After a few months, the hair is shed and the growing cycle begins again. The life cycle of a hair follicle can be influenced by age, health, and lots of other factors.
Q: How fast does your hair grow?
A: Hair grows an average of six inches per year. However, as people age, the rate of hair growth slows down.
Q: How many hairs are on a person’s head?
A: There are anywhere between a hundred thousand and a hundred and fifty thousand hairs on an adult’s head. At any time, about ninety percent of all follicles are producing/growing hair.
Q: How many hairs does a person lose every day?
A: A person loses up to one hundred hairs per day. So don’t worry if you see a few stray hairs on the pillow, in the shower, or on your hairbrush. You’ve got plenty more.