Hair. Head hair, body hair, fake hair. Hair has a lot of personality and everyone has a certain relation to it. But how much do you actually know about human hair?

We have put together a list of 45 facts about hair that will give you more insight into this very interesting part of human life and of style.

Science and biology of hair

Your hair is made mostly from keratin, which is the same protein of which animals’ horns, hooves, claws, beaks and feathers are made.

There are two types of hair pigment that are responsible for all natural hair colors. These are Eumelanin and pheeomelanin. Eumelanin pigment is the predominant pigment in in dark-blond, brown, and black hair, while pheomelanin is dominant in red hair. Little pigmentation in the hair strand usually results in blond hair.

On average, a person has between 100 000 and 150 000 strands of hair on their head.

Wet hair, if it is healthy, can stretch an additional 30% of its length.

Hair absorbs oil from water, which helps it stay strong.

One single hair strand has a thickness of 0.02 – 0.04 mm / 0.0007 – 0.01 in.

Heat stimulates circulation, which encourages hair growth, so people who live in warm climates grow hair faster.

Your hair grows faster when you are sleeping.

Once your hair leaves the epidermis of your scalp, there is nothing you can do to it to make it healthier or stronger – you can only style it to make it look better. This is why you should always follow treatments that influence the way your hair will grow and not just the one that is grown out already.

Hair is one of the most used types of forensic evidence, as it contains information about every element that has ever been in your system.

The only thing specialists can’t tell just by analyzing someone’s hair is the owner’s sex.

The most common hair color is black. The rarest is red. Only 1% of the world’s population has natural red hair. On the second place of the least popular hair color, with 2% of the world’s population having it is blond hair.

The highest population of redheads in the world is in Scotland, with 13% of Scots having red hair.

Blond people have the most hair strands and redheads have the fewest.

According to a group of scientists, redheads require 20% more anesthetic before surgery than blonds or people with dark hair.

If you were wondering what the chemical components of hair are, you will be pleased to find it that hair is made from 50% carbon, 21% oxygen, 17% nitrogen, 6% hydrogen, 5% sulphur. Hair can contain more elements (up to 14) and sometimes it even contains traces of gold.

Your hair follicles are responsible for the goosebumps you feel when you are cold or scared. These are contracting and therefore cause the hair and its surrounding skin to bunch up.

When you are anticipating sex, your hair grows faster.

The technical term for split ends is “trichoptilosis”.

Balding is visible only when one loses at least 50% of the hairs on their head.

A single hair has a life of about five years.

Hair follicles have their own muscles, nerves and blood supply.

At any moment, 90% of the hair on your head is growing, while 10% is resting.

People have so much hair on their heads because this acts as a layer of thermally insulating protection for our heads, as these lack the fat that we have on every other body part.

You lose between 40 and 150 strands of hair per day. Unless you are bald.

40% of women have female pattern hair loss by the time they reach menopause, while 50% of men have pattern hair loss by the age of 50.

Straight hair has round hair fibers, while on the other hand, wavy or curly hair has generally irregular and oval shaped hair fibers.

Human facial hair grows faster than any other hair on the body.

If an average man would never shave, his beard would grow to 9,1 m / 30 feet.

The disorder where you pull out your hair, eyelashes or eyebrows is called trichotillomania and is more common in women than in men.

A group of physicists and astronomers have calculated how strong Rapunzel’s hair would have been. The answer: 2750 kg / 5 401.3 lbs or 45 men.

Hair culture

The first hair dye was invented in 1907 by French chemist Eugène Schueller, who was the founder of L’Oréal.

In 1950, around 7% of American women dyed their hair. Today, that number has mounted to 75%.

The first hair products dedicated to African-American people were created by Madam CJ Walker, who was the first black woman to become a millionaire.

The average man spends 5 months of his entire life shaving.

By the age of 65, the average woman will have spent 7 months of her life doing her hair.

The world’s longest ear hair belonged to a man from India and measured 25 cm / 9.8 in.

The longest hair in the world recorded by the Guinness World Records belongs to Xie Qiuping from China and measures 5,627 m / 18 ft and 5.4 in. It was measured on 8 May 2004.

In ancient Greece, blond hair was associated with prostitutes.

Also in ancient Greece, people thought that redheads would turn into vampires once they died.

In 1705, Peter the Great of Russia created a beard tax, as the beard was seen as a status symbol.

Once, a lock of Elvis Presley’s hair was sold at an auction for $115 000.

Eco-friendly groups that protect nature use human hair to clean up oil spills.

In Europe, most people wash their hair three times a week. Just 25% of Europeans was their hair daily. In North America, 80% of the population washes their hair twice a day; while in Japan 90% of the population does this.

Each strand of hair can hold up to 100 grams. This means that your entire head hair can hold the equivalent of two elephants. Don’t try this at home!

As you can see, human hair is fascinating and there is a lot to learn about it. Every detail of the human body is a complex mechanism that has an interesting science; This idea can be applied to your style as well: every detail is complex and matters very much. And, just like in the case of style, your hair has one extra power: to shape yourself and culture.

Fraquoh and Franchomme

Further reading:

Choosing your haircut according to your face shape

A guide to the different men’s hair styling products

How to maintain your bleached hair in the summer

P.S. We want to hear from you! Which of the facts did you find most interesting? What is your relation to (your) hair? Share your feedback, questions or thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!