Why is everyone’s hair different?

We know everyone’s hair is different, it’s part of what makes us who we are! Whether it’s thick and wavy or thin and straight; there’s a reason your hair is how it is and we’re going to find out why.

  • What gives hair its colour?

Hair colour is completely dependent on the types of pigment you have in your body. There are two types of pigment: melanin and carotene.

Melanin is dark brown and carotene is a reddish-yellow and all hair colour is determined by the amount you have of each[1]. So, you can thank your parents if you don’t like your natural colouring because it’s all part of your genes!

Obviously, the more melanin your hair has, the darker your hair is going to be[2]. You might have been blonde when you were a baby but as you grow, the amount of melanin your body produces changes.

When you get older and your hair starts going grey, that’s when your body is making much less melanin and starts losing its colour.

  • What makes my hair curly?

How curly or straight your hair is again, down to genetics but researchers still aren’t 100% sure what it is about your body that makes it this way.

There are some theories[3] though so take a read and cast your vote!

-          Shape of the hair follicle.

-          Number of twists (during growth).

-          Hormones and medication.

-          Hair bulb’s position in the follicle.

-          Humidity.

  • What dictates hairs’ thickness?

The thickness of your hair is completely relevant to the size of your individual hair follicles. Larger hair follicles produce thicker strands of hair and those with smaller hair follicles tend to have thinner hair.

Hair can also seem thicker if you have more hair. If you have more hair follicles on your scalp (or any other body part) then more hair will grow[4].

Heredity plays a big part in how your hair grows and if it is on your body and you want to get rid of it, there are a lot of different options available to you.

Shaving is an option but if you have thick, dark hair, it can come back quicker and thicker each time you shave. This tends not to be as much of a problem for those with thinner and lighter hair, as the appearance and feel tends to be less harsh.

The same applies for depilatory creams - the reason for this is the root of the hair isn’t as affected as when you wax.

The most effective and long-lasting type of hair removal is waxing. It removes all of the hairs from their roots and the results can last for up to 28 days[5] – again, depending on your hair type and the body part you are focusing on.

Veet Suprem Essence Cold Wax Strip features the Easy Grip tab which helps you to develop your own expert technique to remove hair from the roots in one go!

 

 

[1] http://www.scienceiq.com/facts/whatgiveshairitscolor.cfm

[2] https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/for-kids/about-hair/what-gives-hair-its-color

[3] http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102074149

[4] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10594724