Are you one of those people that wants to grow your hair long or make it more healthy? This is something that's important to many of us but we aren't aware of the makeup of a single hair and what that has to do with the health and length retention. It's very important to understand the structure of hair in order to make sure you do what it takes to keep in the best shape.

There are two main parts to a strand of hair: the part you see (hair shaft) and the part you don't see (hair root). The hair root does the behind-the-scenes work that you don't see going on and produces what comes out of your scalp. It's very important because it can make the difference in whether or not you see what you want to see (health and length) instead of what you don't want to see (dry scalp, brittle strands, thin hair). The hair shaft is considered to be the end result and it's up to you at that point to take care of what has been bestowed upon its owner.

Now it's time to talk about what you see and how it's affected by manipulation of all kinds. The part you see has 3 main parts. You can think of this as a 3 ring bull's eye. The outermost layer is called the cuticle. It's the barrier that protects the inner structure of hair as it lies against the cortex. It's most similar to the shingles on the roof of a home. It's also responsible for creating the silky, smooth, shiny appearance of healthy hair.

If you wanna know what it feels like, just run a single strand of hair between your fingernails and pull downward. Next, do the same but in the opposite direction. You will feel that it feels rougher but that is because you are going against the grain. In order to keep hair healthy as possible, you will want to make sure the cuticle layer stays compact and closed. When you wash your hair, the cuticle opens up and expands. This is the perfect time to apply protein conditioners to rebuild the cuticle layer.

The middle layer of the hair is called the cortex. This is an important part of the hair structure because it also contains important information about the natural hair color and the elasticity of the hair. The innermost layer of the hair is called the medulla. This layer is normally not involved in salon services.

Many salons services will affect the structure of hair, depending on what they are and to what extent. Oxidation hair colors, permanent waving solutions, and chemical relaxers must alkaline pH in oder to penetrate the cuticle layer, because a high pH swells the cuticle causing it to lift and expose the cortex. The changes involved in oxidation hair coloring, wet setting, thermal styling, permanent waving, and chemical hair relaxing all take place within the cortex.

As fascinating as hair styling may be, hair services need to be based on a thorough understanding of the growth, structure, and composition of hair. It's the only way to know why hair grows and why it falls out, what creates natural hair color and texture, and how to spot an unhealthy scalp. So when it comes to understanding the structure of hair, it's important to know part of the hair you will be affecting and how. The healthier the playground, the happier the hair.