What is hair made of

by thebeautybrains on April 18, 2006

Hair is primarily made of a special type of protein called “keratin.” Keratin is the same tough, water insoluble material that damagedhairshaft.jpgfingernails and animal horns and hooves are made of. Hair also contains natural oils (lipids) and water. These hair “ingredients” are arranged in 3 primary structures: the cuticle (which is the outermost, shingle-like layer); the cortex (the inside of the hair consisting of bundles of protein filaments; and the medula (a soft spongy-like core in the center of the cortex.)

We’ll talk more about hair in future posts but the Beauty Brains are still trying to figure out how much our readers really want to know. So tell us, do you want to know more?

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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

huda October 26, 2007 at 3:25 pm

if hair is made of dead cells, how come there is healthy hair and damaged hair?

Jane Smith October 26, 2007 at 10:33 pm

I would like to see a close up of what a hair looks like if you split it up the cuticle – while still on the head. Why does this cause damage to other hairs around it?

Left Brain October 29, 2007 at 6:49 am

Hair is not really made of dead cells but rather, dead protein.

Healthy hair is just marketing words that don’t really mean anything. They are often a substitute for descriptions like shiny, soft, or easy to manage hair. But the hair itself is not “healthy”.

Damaged hair refers to hair that has split ends, looks dull or breaks easily. It is damaged because it doesn’t look and feel good. But this isn’t because of how healthy it is. It is related to how often it is washed, combed, styled, and colored.

Hair is more like the fabric on a blouse. Marketing people would call a new blouse “healthy” and an old, worn-out blouse damaged.

Damaged hair can help damage the ones around it because the fibers get more tangled and will snag on the comb or brush. This is what really causes the damage.

Dan November 6, 2008 at 12:57 pm

With regards to the chemistry of curling hair, when hair gets a “perm”, is it the cuticle or the cortex in which the disulfide bonds between keratin molecules are broken and remade.

Brucy Reedie November 14, 2008 at 3:17 pm

how does hair come out thin and dry. Also why does it break and why is it thick, straight, or curly? Please answer as soon as possible (this is for extra credit)

lauren November 17, 2008 at 7:55 pm

OMG!!!!! It is totally made of dead skin cells!

arianna April 15, 2010 at 5:16 am

November 7,2001 at 3:00 am.

surinder singh March 4, 2011 at 7:10 am

when u say hair,fingernails,horn are made of same proteins(keratin) but spots on nails shows many disease ,how can it be accepted

john April 2, 2011 at 6:37 pm

thanks for the help i found my answer

sabrinia March 6, 2013 at 5:32 pm

is a bkt good for your hair

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