Have you ever thought about WHY there is no pain whatsoever associated with a getting a haircut, when you are essentially severing a piece of YOURSELF?
Well it turns out, the answer is quite simple. Your hair is made up of protein cells called Keratin. These cells are basically dead, which ultimately lends to the fact that your hair is also dead. If this is the case, then how does hair grow at all? That which is dead can accomplish nothing.
The answer lies in the hair follicle, which resides in your scalp. However, for more on that topic, feel free to read Natural Hair Growth.
The structure of a strand of hair consists of 3 layers. These are: outer cuticle, cortex and medulla.
The medulla lies at the heart of the hair shaft, and surprisingly enough, it is not always present. This inner layer is the only part of a hair strand that is not at all affected by hair products.
The layer surrounding the medulla is known as the cortex. Whether your natural hair is red, black or blonde, this is affected by the color pigment found in the cortex. Obviously, if we can change the color of our hair, so we can safely assume that the this layer is definitely affected by hair products. Aside from hair dye, the cortex is also changed by hair straightening, hair perms and such.
I suppose the most important part of our natural hair structure, at least to us visual beings, would be the cuticle. This is the outermost layer, that which we can see. It is composed of tiny, dead cells which overlap each other like roof shingles, or scales. The condition and state of this outer layer is what determines the look and feel of your natural hair. Hopefully, these “scales” are lying flat and close to one another in order to reflect light and appear healthy and shiny. However, if these scales are sticking up and out here and there, your hair will fail to reflect light and will look dull. It will also snag more easily and become difficult to manage.
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