Things to know about hair
The importance of hair is deeply rooted in history. Hair was already a status symbol in ancient Egypt, and the first remedy for hair loss was available. Hair does not have any essential function, but since it can strongly influence our appearance it is of great importance for most people.
Human hair consists of the hair shaft, hair root and hair bulb.
The hair shaft is what we refer to as the actual hair. As soon as the hair grows out of the scape it is covered with a thin protective greasy film by the sebaceous glands. The hair looks dry and dull if this greasy film is lacking or impaired.
It is interesting that number of scalp hairs depends on the hair colour. Blond-haired people have approx. 140,000 hairs, brown-haired people approx. 100,000 hairs and red-haired people approx. 85,000 hairs. Hair loss and hair regeneration roughly balance each other.
A hair grows approximately one centimetre per month. If you would count all hairs together, this would result in a hair growth of 30 metres per day.
The hair colour, structure and growth of hair are primarily determined by hormones and genetics.
Our individual hair colour is determined by the amount of embedded pigments, especially melanin. Grey hair emerges when the production of melanin diminishes. If someone is born with a congenital deficiency of melanin, the hair remains white. This phenomenon is also known as albinism.
Balanced diet: power for the hair
It is a popular saying that “true beauty comes from within”. And that’s correct, because the cells of the hair roots also need nutrients. In addition to minerals, vitamins and trace elements, proteins are also necessary since they are components of hair.
The protein keratin is the basic substance of hair and nails. It is required for the construction of cell structures. A healthy hair structure stands for strength and resilience.
In order to form keratin, the body requires the amino acid L-cysteine, which is in turn formed from L-methionine.
The common horsetail is among the world’s oldest plants. In ancient times, Arabs and Greeks appreciated this plant. Today horsetail is cultivated as a vegetable in Asia. Tiny crystals of silicic acid, which give the cells walls their strength, are characteristic of horsetail.
B complex vitamins contribute to the energy metabolism of cells. Biotin, which together with zinc is important for the preservation of hair, is to be particularly mentioned among the vitamins of the B group. The vital trace element copper supports hair pigmentation (hair colour).
So we can helpfully support our beauty from within by means of a balanced and healthy diet with the proper nutrients.