Each person has a complex, unique genetic makeup resulting in their own individual rate of hair growth, hair size, texture, and shape.

There are, however, some general differences in the type of hair fibers for people of different ethnic descent; diverse or mixed ethnic heritage will likely produce “combination hair.”

You can alter the appearance of hair fibers through chemical and heat processes, although these changes come with the price of damage.  You cannot, however, change the type of hair your naturally produce.

No product will make your hair grow in thicker, straighter, or curlier.

Hair cross-section, chemical composition, follicle density and shape, and oil production and distribution along a hair shaft are all significant factors in the appearance and behavior of hair in its natural state.

The Hair Follicle

Hair is composed primarily of hard keratin, a protein made of long chains of amino acids held together by extraordinarily strong sulfide bonds, which give hair its structural resilience.  The hair follicle is the production-site of hair.

Hair Follicle Shape & Hair Cross-Section

Deep inside the hair follicle, where cells are joined to the hair fiber at its root, the hair is soft and pliable; the shape of the follicle acts as a mold for the creation of the hair fiber.  The cells conform to the shape of the follicle – either spiral, circular or oval –  and as they are squeezed together and keratinized, chemical bonds form, holding the fiber into the shape of the hair follicle.

Proper nutrition ensures the follicle has the correct building blocks with which to create hair fibers.  Exercise and massaging the scalp helps increase the supply of blood and nutrients to the follicles, increasing the rate and quality of hair production.

Strong Hair: It’s Chemistry!

The (sulfur) chemical bonds that fuse the molecular composition of a hair fiber maintain its structural integrity and strength, contributing to the prolonged healthy physical appearance of each hair.  African hair tends to have a lower ratio of low-sulfur proteins to high-sulfur proteins than observed in Asian or Caucasian hair types.  This may contribute to people of African descent having more delicate hair that is more susceptible breakage.

A Thick Head of Hair: It’s a Numbers Game…

• Asian Hair Follicle Density:

  The density of Asian hair on the scalp (the number of follicles per unit area on the skin) is generally the lowest of the three groups; at the low end of the spectrum, Asian scalp hair density may be as low as 90,000 follicles and rarely exceeds 120,000 follicles per scalp.

• Caucasian Hair Follicle Density:

  Hair follicle densities among Caucasians range from 100,000 to 150,000 follicles per scalp, and density is generally correlated to hair color.  Red haired people typically have the fewest follicles per scalp, whereas blondes have the most, and brown-haired people have a follicle-hair density somewhere in the middle.

• African Hair Follicle Density:

  The scalp density range of those of African descent is similar to that of Caucasians.

Besides ethnicity, other influencing factors include age, and hormone levels.

Hair Texture: Size (and Shape) Matter

• Asian Hair Shape & Cross-Section:

  People of Asian descent have, on average, the thickest and most coarse hair compared to people of Caucasian and African descent.  Asian hair tends to be straight and circular in cross-section.

• Caucasian Hair Shape & Cross-Section:

  Caucasian hair is quite variable in its appearance, with straight, wavy, or curly hair all being rather common.  The fiber can be circular or oval-shaped in cross section, and each hair fiber is generally thinner (less coarse) than Asian hair.

• African Hair Shape & Cross-Section:

  People of African descent frequently have very tightly coiled or spiral hair.  On average, a cross section of African hair is elliptical (oval) to the point of being almost flat, and ribbon-like in some cases.  This profile results in a length of hair that alternates between thick and thin.  This in turn means that there is more strength in and rigidity to the hair fiber in the areas of greatest cross section, but the hair is much more delicate and pliable across the narrow section.  The alternating thick and thin hair fiber produces hair that naturally coils along its length.

Now that you know why you’ve got the hair you have, be kind to your locks and make the most of them!