Facts about hair - did you know this?

Human head hair grows at a rate of about 1.25 centimeters, or 0.5 inches, per month.

Hair is what is called a biological polymer. That means that more than 90% of its dry weight is made up from keratins, a kind of protein. The remaining 10% are, under normal conditions, made up of water.

A single strand of hair can hold a weight of 100 grams (the same as 3.5oz). A head of hair combined could support 12 tons, making it the same strength as kevlar or aluminium. This is if the hair is dry. Wet hair though, is very fragile.

Today it is most common among men to keep their short. It has not always been like that. Before the 1st World War long hair and beards were the more common kind, but in the thrench warfare during the war men were exposed to flea infestation and lice. Therefore orders were given to cut all hair very short. This then became somewhat of the norm also after peace had arrived.

Grey hair as we age is not actually gray, but colorless, caused by a loss of pigmentation.

There is a difference in the cross-section shape of hair from different parts of the world. European hair is oval to round in cross-section, while Asian hair tends to be round. African hair in turn is flat when you look at a cross-section of it. This allows African hair to attain its frizzly shape and form.

When hair leaves its root it is actually dead. If not, it would hurt quite a lot when you visit your haidresser and he or she goes to work with the scissors.

Everyone looses an average of 40 to 100 strands of hair per day, even on a good hair day.

On the average head you will find more than 100000, that is one hundred thousand, strands of hair.