The Multifaceted Roles of Hair Fiber in Humans and Other Mammals
The typical human has about 2 million hair follicles with around 1 million on the head (of which about 100,000 are big terminal hair follicles…
Tag: Hair
What is the oldest known human hair?
Research has fascinatingly uncoiled the trail to the oldest known human hair, with a landmark discovery in Gladysvale cave, South Africa. Researchers have found fossil…
What is hair fiber made of?
The primary component of hair fiber is keratin, a type of protein, which consists of long chains (polymers) of amino acids. The keratin in hair…
Should you brush your hair 100 times a day?
The need to brush long hair 100 times a day is a beauty myth that seems to be very persistent. Perhaps you’ve heard it from…
From Ancient Ritual to Modern Essential: The Fascinating Evolution of Shampoo
The history of shampoo is a fascinating journey that originates from ancient times and evolves into the scientifically-formulated products we’re familiar with today. Shampoos are…
Mushrooms: An Untapped Potential in Hair Cosmetics
Mushrooms, a type of fungi, are classified within the advanced phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. They are characterized by having a stem (or stipe), a cap…
There’s Something Fishy about Hair Follicle Evolution
Despite their dissimilarities, hair and fish scales – both integral vertebrate appendages – share a striking correlation in their evolutionary journey. At the core of…
Unraveling the Evolutionary Kinship Between Feathers and Hair
Introduction: The integumentary structures of birds and mammals have intrigued evolutionary biologists for years. A significant query involves the evolutionary relationship between feathers in birds…