20 Facts about Body Hair

20 interesting facts about body hair

Love it or hate it, hair is a part of our lives. We spend a lifetime trying to hide it, remove it, replace it, cut it, shape it, colour it, and make it luscious and strong..Head hair is one of our main character-showing choices

However you feel about human hair, here are 20 facts that might surprise you.

1. Women keep their hair much longer

Women generally keep their hair longer, not because they go to the hairdresser less often, but simply because it has a longer lifespan. A strand of female hair usually lives much longer than a strand male hair.

2. We lose about a hundred hairs a day

Noticing a few stray hairs in your hairbrush shouldn't cause concern. On average, we lose 50 to 100 hairs a day without even realizing it! Consult a healthcare professional if you seem to be losing an excessive amount of hair.

3. We have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs

Don't try to count the number of hairs on your head...you'll be there all day! In fact, we have, on average, between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on our heads. How much hair you have also depends on your hair colour. A person with blonde hair will probably have more hair than a brunette or redhead. Why? Because fair hair is thinner than dark hair.

4. Nasal hair filters the air

Nasal hair has a bad reputation. However, it plays an essential role. In addition to filtering the air by blocking pollutants and allergens, nasal hair warms and humidifies air before it goes further into the respiratory system. If that’s not enough to persuade you to keep your nasal hair intact, pulling out nose hairs can also lead to a Staphylococcus aureus infection. This bacterium lives in the nose area.

5. Water, hair’s best friend

Do you ever feel your hair is longer when you get out of the shower or pool? You’re absolutely right! Wet hair is up to 30% longer than dry hair. Hair that has been soaked in water is also heavier. Its weight increases by 12% to 18%.

6. Men and women have the same amount of hair

Women and men have approximately five million hair follicles, small cavities from which hair grows. There are three types of hair follicles: terminal, sebaceous, and lanuginous. Terminal follicles produce the most visible hair on the body, whereas tiny hairs grow from sebaceous follicles. In women, lanuginous follicles often only grow fuzz, while they produce very visible hair in men. These are the most common type of follicle in the human body.

7. Eyebrows: your body’s gutters

Eyebrows aren’t just for aesthetic purposes. They play an important role in protecting eyesight. Like a gutter, they keep sweat, drips, and particles away from your eyes. Your eyebrows also help you communicate and be recognized by others.

8. Lashes: your body’s blinds

Lashes are the last line of defence for the eyes. They prevent particles, sweat, and dust from entering these essential organs. When you squint, these hairs act as blinds, dimming the sun's rays when you’re outside.

9. Your hair is mostly dead!

The part of your hair that you can see is actually made up of dead cells. That's why you don't feel anything when you go to the hairdresser or shave. However, inside each follicle, your hair is still alive. Your hair only “dies” when exposed to daylight.

10. Head hair grows faster than body hair

Your body hair generally grows slower than the hair on your head. While body hair tends to grow only 0.6 to 1.25 cm per month, head hair can grow up to 2 cm per month. However, head hair renews itself more slowly than body hair, so new body hair appears much more quickly.

11. Mites live on your hair

You may not see them, but microscopic mites called Demodex folliculorum may be living inside your hair follicles. Feeding on dead skin, these mites are usually harmless, although they can sometimes cause skin problems, like irritation, if there are too many of them.

12. Hair helps regulate body temperature

Your hair helps keep your body at the right temperature. When you get goose bumps, your hair rises to create a layer of warm air next to your skin. On the other hand, when it’s too hot, your hair stops sweat from evaporating too quickly, which keeps you cool.

13. Hair, skin and, eye colour have something in common

What do hair, skin, and eyes have in common? Melanin! In fact, this pigment determines the colour of your hair, skin, and even eyes. The more eumelanin (type of melanin) a person has, the darker their hair will be. Blondes have low levels of eumelanin. Redheads have a high concentration of pheomelanin, a pigment that tends to give hair a reddish color.

14. Just like feathers

More than 90% of of hair fibres are made of keratin. In fact, this protein is found in skin, hair, nails, and...birds. Bird feathers and beaks are made of beta keratin.

15. Hidden strength

Your hair is stronger than you think. Hair is capable of supporting up to ten million times its own weight. A single hair can lift between 5 and 10 grams. All the hair on your head could theoretically withstand a weight of... 10 tons!

16. Intimate hair with a purpose

A 2017 study revealed that about one in four people have injured themselves while shaving their pubic hair. Although not considered aesthetically pleasing by some, this hair does have an important function. It reduces your risk of getting an STI. How? By acting as a barrier to bacteria and viruses that are harmful to the body. In fact, according to one study, people who remove all of this hair have a higher risk of contracting an STI than those who leave it au naturel. Howevere, intimate hair removal - as well as underarm and back hair removal - has become so popular, so please have it done professionally, preferably by Steve! 

17. The outside temperature affects hair growth

Temperature plays a major role in hair growth. Hair tends to grow faster during summer. When you'r e hot, blood circulation speeds up, which encourages hair follicles to produce hair more quickly. The sun‘s UV rays also increase keratin production. Conversely, hairs are thinner in summer and therefore less visible.

18. Hormones and hair

Male hormones directly influence hair growth. High levels of androgens, for example, stimulate the growth of thick, dark body hair, while high levels of testosterone promote the growth of underarm hair. Women suffering from hirsutism often have higher than normal androgen levels.

19. Baldness in men... and women!

Baldness is not an exclusively male complaint! While one third of men start losing their hair by the age of 30, about 2-5 % of women suffer from the same problem. By age 70, 80% of men and 40% of women suffer from baldness. In men, fluctuating testosterone levels cause hair loss, while in women, genes play an important role.

20. 90% of your hair is growing

Throughout its life cycle, your hair goes through three phases: the anagen phase, the catagen phase, and the telogen phase. Hair grows during the anagen phase. During the catagen phase, hair rests. The telogen phase marks the end of the life cycle before hair eventually falls out.On average, 90% of your hair is in the anagen, or growth, phase.

I hope some of those facts were interesting!

Of course, if you can't stand sorting it out yourslf, we will happily do it for you here with Steve's expert permanent laser hair removal, waxing and trimming treatments. He offers hair removal, trimming and tidying from bushy eyebrows to hairy toes, and everything inbetween. For example, his 'Fab 'Facial Four' includes waxing the ears, nostrils, eyebrows and beard line in one treatment for a professional styled finish. You can also enjoy a traditional wet shave and mini facial treatment here in the suite.