If we are to mention hair, we first should know what hair is. Here is short anatomy of hair:
- Hair contains keratin and a stiff protein. Keratin protein plays a significant role to make hair strong.
- Each hair is anchored into the skin by a hair follicle. In this way, hair can stay on the skin.
- The foundation of the hair follicle is the hair bulb, and the hair bulb is formed by living cells that divide and proliferate.
- The cell in the hair bulb is nourished by the blood vessels, and blood vessels also carry hormones that affect the improvement and the shape of the hair.
Furthermore, having hair on both scalp and the entire body is important. As humans created clothing and various techniques to keep themselves warm, the need for body hair has decreased drastically, nevertheless, the hair on the head still serves as a major source of heat insulation, cooling, and protection. The function of hair in other places is debatable. While hats and coats are still essential for outdoor activities in cold weather to avoid frostbite and hypothermia, the hair on the human body does help to control the inside temperature. When the body becomes too cold, the arrector pili muscles found connected to hair follicles contract, forcing the hair in these follicles to contract as well.
Then, you may now ask what the exact number of hairs in the human body is. Of course, the answer is easy to know thanks to scientific experiments and technology. There are around 5 million hair follicles throughout your body. You are born with all of your hair follicles and they do not grow more as you mature.
Now, the turn is yours again, and if you ask how many hairs you have on the scalp, the answer to this question is also easy to give.
The quick answer is that you are born with approximately 100,000 scalp hair follicles, however, this number fluctuates depending on your natural hair color. Blondes have 150,000 hairs on average, while redheads have 90,000. Those with dark or brown hair have 110,000 to 100,000 hairs on average.
As you may understand, there is an approximate number for you to know, nevertheless, it does not mean that every individual will be born with these numbers. So, there may be more and more hair in your scalp or on your entire body or there may be less than those average numbers.
To sum up, our body hair serves a variety of purposes. It aids in our ability to protect ourselves from the weather, regulate our body temperature, and perceive sensations. On the other hand, we can style it and have control over our appearance. Furthermore, despite the fact that humans appear to be hairless in comparison to our ape cousins, the density of hair follicles on our skin is the same as that of an ape our size. The fine hairs that cover our body, which has replaced the larger hairs seen on our close relatives, are regarded to be an evolutionary remnant from our hairy predecessors. Thus, the average number we still have is roughly 100.000, but we cannot know that there will be a change in the future.
How many new hairs grow in a day?
There is no exact answer, but your hair will continue to grow continuously. People shed about 100 hairs each day in general, but they are all quickly restored by fresh hair growth. You can see all the tiny, thin hair in the earliest phases of growing if you hold your hair up and stare in the reflection. It also differs from one patient to the next, since nutrient and mineral intake differs from one to person. Depending on the transit of nutrients and minerals into the bloodstream and to the hair follicle, hair grows in proportion to the amount of food consumed.
How many hairs does a man lose a day?
Both males and females have some hair loss. A person loses between 50 and 100 follicles every day on average.
Hair sheds as part of its natural cycle, so seeing hairs in the bath or on a comb is usually not cause for alarm.
However, if a person finds significant pieces of hair falling out or bald places, he or she should consult a doctor or specialist. This excessive shedding could be caused by stress or another health problem.
It is critical to understand that shedding is not synonymous with permanent hair loss. Following the resolution of the underlying problem, the hair should return to its previous thickness.
References:
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-many-hairs-on-a-human-head
