Human hair is very diverse, it comes in different colors and textures. But did you know that hair also has various functional purposes? For example, hair can:
protect us from environmental influences, including ultraviolet radiation, dust and debris
help regulate temperature, as less hair density than other animals allows sweat to evaporate, which helps us stay cool
help recognize sensations due to the fact that our hair follicles are surrounded by nerve endings
play an important psychological role in how we perceive or identify ourselves.
Have you ever wondered how many hairs are on your head? Answer: There are from 80,000 to 120,000 hairs on the human head. Read on to learn more interesting facts about human hair.
Average indicators
The amount of hair on each person’s head may vary. However, the average person has about 100,000 hairs on their head at any one time.
The amount of hair on the head may also depend on the color of the hair. Some estimates include:
| Hair color | Number of hairs |
| white | 150 000 |
| brown | 110 000 |
| black | 100 000 |
| red | 90 000 |
Per square inch
Now that we know how many hairs you have on your head, how many hairs are there per square inch? This is called hair density.
In one old study, hair density was calculated in 50 participants. They found that on average there are 800 to 1,290 hairs per square inch (124-200 hairs per square centimeter).
Hair follicles
A hair follicle is a small sac in the skin from which hair grows. There are approximately 100,000 hair follicles on your head. As you can see, this corresponds to the average amount of hair on the head.
Hair follicles go through various stages, including:
- Growth. Hair growth occurs inside the hair follicle. Between 85 and 90 percent of hair is in the growth stage during a certain period.
- Transition. At this stage, the hair has stopped growing but is still in the hair follicle.
- Peace. At this time, the hair falls out of the follicle.
Sometimes this cycle can be broken. For example, less hair may grow than is lost. This can lead to thinning hair or hair loss.
Interesting facts
Want to know more interesting information about hair? Below are some interesting facts.
- On average, hair grows about 6 inches per year. That’s about 1/2 an inch per month.
- Men’s hair grows faster than women’s.
- Every day you lose from 50 to 100 hairs. Depending on how you take care of your hair, you may lose more.
- Hair color is determined by genetics. Black or brown hair is most common. About 90 percent of people in the world have this hair color.
- With age, hair can turn gray or even white. In fact, after age 30, the likelihood of going gray increases by about 10 to 20 percent every decade.
- Hair is actually stronger than you think. For example, one hair can support a load of 3.5 ounces – almost 1/4 pound.
- Water can affect some properties of the hair. For example, wet hair can weigh 12 to 18 percent more. Wet hair can also stretch 30 percent longer without damage.
- There are about 5 million hair follicles throughout the body. You are born with all hair follicles, and their number does not increase with age.
- There are very few parts of the body that do not have hair. These include the palms of the hands, soles of the feet and the red part of the lips.
Results
The hair on our body performs many functions. They help protect us from external influences, regulate body temperature and perceive sensations.
The amount of hair on each person’s head may vary. On average, there are about 100,000 hairs and the same number of hair follicles on the human head.
