| Hair Structures |
| Karen Marie Shelton |
| Revised Date: 01/17/07 - Original Publication Date: 6/23/00 |
Introduction
Hair exists both above the surface of the skin and below it.
Hair can be categories by its detailed structure and by two key
divisions or groups. Hair can be classified as that part
that resides about the skin and that part that resides below the
skin.
Hair Shaft
The part of hair that sticks out from the skin is called the Hair
Shaft.
Hair Root
The part of hair that resides below the surface of the skin is
call the hair root.
Hair Follicles
The hair follicle is a tiny opening in the skin that
looks like a small tube. The follicle surround the
hair root. No many how many hairs a human has,
their hair has its own follicle.
At the base of the follicle is what is defined as the papilla
which is embedded deep in the dermal layer of the skin. The papilla
is deep in the dermal layer of the skin and is feed by blood vessels
and a network of nerves.
The hair bulb is positioned right above the papilla
and and fits over the papilla as tightly as a glove.
While the hair bulb is wide at the base it taper
gradually narrowing as it approaches the actual surface
of the skin.
Hair Papilla
The papilla which is nourished by the
blood vessels in turn nourishes the hair bulb.
The average growth rate of hair follicles on the
scalp is .04 cm per day |