EVERYONE'S HAIR IS DIFFERENT
   
From person to person there can be a great variety in hair. Take, for example, all the color tones, from white blond to deep black, and all variations in appearance, from straight to curly and thin to full. There are thousands of different combinations. Hair structure, hair color and hair count are all genetically predetermined in every person and are also closely linked to each other.

A person has 85,000 to 140,000 strands of hair, depending upon hair structure and color. Normally, about 30 to 100 of these are lost per day. Blondes have considerably more hair, for example, than those with dark hair (on average about 140,000 for blondes and 100,000 for brunettes). However, light hair is often finer and more delicate. No one has to settle, though, with what Mother Nature has given them. This is because, of course, hair is the only part of the body that can be painlessly changed, into virtually anything one desires…

       
The Structure of Hair
   
There are two different components to hair: the hair shaft, which protrudes from the skin, and the roots, which lay under the surface.

The hair shaft is primarily composed of three layers. The outer layer, called the cuticle, is particularly important because of its protective function. Just like roof tiles, several layers of overlapping cells lay on top of one another to form a smooth surface. Diverse inner and outer influences can lead to the roughening of the cuticle. This coarse surface causes hair to look dull and unhealthy. A single hair consists mainly of keratin fibers. Keratins are the protein rich molecules responsible for the structure and elasticity of hair.

Also under the scalp is the oil-producing sebaceous gland, which is responsible for keeping hair supple. Sometimes this gland produces too much or too little oil, whereby hair becomes either stringy or dry and brittle.
   
    

The Details
   
The core of the hair is called the cortex (1), which makes up 80 percent of hair. It consists of tiny fibrils that are twisted together to give the longer fibers more stability. The natural hair color pigments are stored here.

The cuticle (2) is comprised of a layer of dead cells that overlap each other like roof tiles in several layers. The condition of this layer determines the appearance of the hair: if these cells lay closely on top of each other, the hair shines and is supple, however if they stick out, hair appears dull and gets easily snagged.

Occasionally, medulla cells containing air pockets are found inside of hair shaft. These form the medullary canal (3). In the transfer of these cells into cortex or cuticle cells, lipids (fat substances) are released. Fine double layers of lipids are then formed, between which protein and moisture are bound in the hair.

Hair consists of 80% protein, 10-15% water, 5-10% pigments, minerals and lipids. The proteins create keratin. The cortex and cuticle are formed from solid keratin fiber, and the binding material is formed from amorphous keratin, which fills in the spaces inside the cortex and cuticle. The amorphous keratin holds the fibrous structure together and keeps it elastic.
   

Hair Growth
   
Hair (1) develops and grows inside the hair follicle. Nutrients are absorbed through a growth center called the dermal papilla. Through cell division, so-called matrix cells constantly produce new hair material. These press upward and gradually out of the skin as a visible hair. Hair grows about 1- 1.5 cm per month. After a three to seven year growth period, the papilla dies and the hair root shrinks and degenerates. The hair then falls out and makes room for a new hair, which sprouts from the newly regenerated papilla. Hair growth is kept even because the whole scalp is never in the same phase at the same time. A hair loss of between 60 to 100 hairs a day is completely normal.

The erector pili muscle (2) is a relic of our hair past. It was what caused the skin to tense and fur to stand erect, either to conserve heat in the cold or to scare off enemies in the face of danger. The sebaceous glands excrete sebum, which is an oily secretion that ensures the elasticity of skin and hair.
   

Whether Blond or Brown…Hair Color
   
Natural hair color is determined by the melanin content (i.e., the number of melanin cells) of the hair. Generally, dark haired people possess more melanin than light haired people.

Two different types of melanin are responsible for color variations in hair: eumelanin is the black-brown pigment, which essentially determines the color intensity of hair. Phaeomelanin is the red pigment which creates light blonds, blondes and redheads. Its structure is much finer and smaller than eumelanin.

Grey hairs are produced when melanin production decreases in the root. When this occurs, melanin is replaced with tiny air pockets that migrate up the hair shaft, causing the hair to appear gray or white. When the first gray hairs start to appear is also genetically determined. Many people view graying as a sign of aging, but it has much more to do with genetics.

The sheen of a color has actually nothing to do with color pigment, but rather with the colorless cuticle layer on the hair’s surface, which surrounds the fibrous layer (i.e. cortex, which contains the color pigments) like tiny pinecones. When these stand outward, light is sporadically interrupted and hair appears dull. When these lay flat, color is luminous.

Thanks to modern coloration products, no one has to accept gray hair or their given hair color any longer. There is a huge selection of products that provide many possibilities for changing one’s natural hair color. This can be achieved in many different ways (see colorations section).

The Right Nourishment: Fresh Vitamins for your Hair
   
Healthy hair grows from a healthy scalp. “Health” refers to choosing the right diet and being unaffected by internal or external influences such as illness, medicine, radiation, etc.

A critical factor in having beautiful hair is nutrition and, in particular, a good supply of essential vitamins and minerals. A Boston University study determined that specific changes in diet can contribute to strengthening roots and revitalizing hair.

       
Our Recommendation
   
Optimally, you should make sure to get a good supply of vitamin C (75 mg per day), biotin (100 mg per day), iron (15 mg per day), zinc (15 mg per day) and folic acid (300 mg per day).

By using a nutrition chart, it is easy to determine which foods contain such nutrients and in which concentrations. The best suppliers are leafy greens, fruit, milk, soy, whole grain products, fish and poultry.

A strict and balanced diet is your best guarantee for healthy, beautiful hair!