Hair is an amazing thing. It comes in a plethora of beautiful colours and shades, and everybody’s hair is unique in its own way, be it the type, the thickness, the cut or of course the colour. You can use it as a tool to make a statement, or change it according to your mood. For most of us, styling our hair is a key part of our morning routine! As hair is something we simply love and spend all day every day obsessing over, we thought we’d share a few mind-blowing facts with you:

By the time us girls reach the age of just 65, we’ve likely spent around seven full months looking after our hair, be that washing it, drying it, having it cut coloured or styled, brushing it, and all the rest! The most common hair colour in the world is black, with brown coming in second place. The rarest hair colour is, unsurprisingly, red with just 1% of the world’s population having this unique colour. More shockingly, only 2% of the population is naturally blonde! Every hair on your head has a lifespan of around 5 years, and as soon as one hair leaves your scalp, a new follicle will begin to grow almost immediately. On average, you lose between 40 and 150 strands of hair every single day – so don’t worry if you think you lose an abnormal amount of hair, it happens to everyone! The scientific term for those pesky split ends is “trichoptilosis”, and unfortunately, there is no way to fix them. The only way to rid yourselves of those broken strands is to have a trim, so why not book yourselves in for a cut at our hairdressers in Barnstaple today? A common myth is that all of your hair is always growing; however, it is thought that only around 90% of the hairs on your head will be growing at one time, whilst the other 10% are resting. When your hair is wet, it is very elastic. In fact, whilst damp, your hair can stretch up to 30% of its original length if it’s in good, healthy condition. On average, each person as somewhere between 100,000 and 150,000 strands of hair on their head. Each strand contains information about almost everything that’s ever been in your bloodstream, including drugs. This is why hair is often used as forensic evidence! The practical purpose of your hair is, surprisingly, not just to make you look fabulous, but is to keep your head warm. As there is little to no so fat surrounding our scalp, the hairs act as an alternative layer of insulation – a little bit like a hat! Your hair grows an average of 0.3-0.5mm a day; sometimes it grows quicker and sometimes slower, although it grows such a small length each day that it is unlikely you’ll notice the additional mms. It is thought that hair grows faster during the summer, when you’re sleeping and between the ages of 16 and 24. Supposedly the more zinc and copper in your hair strands, the more intelligent you are. Many tests have been conducted to prove this theory, generally showing that it was linked to a higher IQ. Hair can grow almost anywhere on the body, the only exclusions are the eyelids, lips, palms and the soles of your feet. Xie Quiping holds the world record for the longest ever hair at 5.69m long. She has been growing her hair since the age of 13 and is now 48. Hair follicles are formed just five months after conception, which is why babies are usually born with hair. In modern day, around 75% of people in the UK and USA have artificially dyed hair, from highlights and lowlights to all over colour! Hairstyles such as buns, braids and ponytails can put stress and pressure on the hair, causing more strands to fall then if your hair is worn naturally down. Brushing your hair too much can also cause additional hair loss, so try to stick to 2-3 times a day and no more!

Do you know any other mind-blowing hair facts? We’d love to hear from you in the salon or via our social media channels!