Splitting Hairs: Growth, Loss, and Change

In This Chapter

Looking inside a hair follicle

Feeling the difference: Comparing hair types

Seeing how hair changes as you age
Not all hair is the same. Some people have thick, some thin;
some is beautifully blonde, some is a glossy black; some is
shiny, some is dull. Depending upon where hair is on your body,
some grows long and some short, some is straight and some curly.
Knowing more about the characteristics of hair and what type of
hair you have is particularly important when your hair thins and
falls out because coverage and the appearance of fullness in a bald-
ing person critically depends upon the characteristics of the hair
and skin color.
Although understanding some of the factors that contribute to hair
loss can’t necessarily help prevent the loss, understanding the fun-
damental relationships between hair and skin color, hair density,
bulk, and other characteristics can help you maximize the fullness
you can achieve as well as guide you in your replacement options.
In this chapter, we explain the parts of a single follicle and hair
shaft, how hair grows, the different hair types, what causes those
differences, and some factors that can slow its growth, including
age and ethnicity. We share all this with you to arm you with the
knowledge you need to assess your own hair situation and investi-
gate the options available to you to deal with it — whether you’re
thinking about replacement or transplantation or just creative
hairstyling.