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What regulates hair growth?

  • 16-01-2010 5:48pm
    #1
    TangyZizzle
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,292 ✭✭✭


    I tried googling this, but wasn't entirely sure WHAT to google.. Im not even sure if Im posting this in the appropreiate(sp?) forum :o

    So the title of this thread is my question in a nutshell, what in the human body regulates the length that body hair grows to?
    Hair on people's heads seems like it would grow forever and ever if taken care of properly, yet the hair on let's say, the underarm or chest, only seems to grow to a set length before it.. dies? or just detaches itself from the hair follicle.

    So please, your insights :)


Comments

  • #2
    GLaDOS
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 23,238 Mod ✭✭✭✭GLaDOS


    I'd assume it's hormones, possible testosterone as that'd be related to "manly hair" so to speak (chest, beard etc)

    Cake, and grief counseling, will be available at the conclusion of the test



  • #3
    adamski8
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,503 ✭✭✭adamski8


    TangyZizzle wrote: »
    Hair on people's heads seems like it would grow forever and ever if taken care of properly
    Well I think you'll find its quite common for people to become bald when they get older! Most people's head hair will thin at the least.

    My recommendation is to look at a human biology book and look at sections on the skin.
    The skin is where you'd want to concentrate your search id say as thats where all hair is made! just a quick google this seems like a good enough start:
    http://dermatology.about.com/cs/hairanatomy/a/hairbiology.htm

    This probably is more of what your after:
    http://www.keratin.com/aa/aa018.shtml

    Also maybe look up baldness as im sure there has been alot of research as to what causes it and hence hoe hair growth is regulated


  • #4
    Kevster
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,980 ✭✭✭Kevster


    Hair certainly would'nt grow forever. You must remember that hair is non-living - the only living part of a strand of hair is the root, where keratin (protein) is continually added. Eventually a point would be reached where the hair strand is so long that it just falls out. This will depend on the exact structure of the hair strand itself (i.e. how the keratin proteins are arranged in the strand) but also on how well you've taken care of the strand. If you dry your hair roughly with a towel after each shower, then your hair will become damaged and fall out.

    Asian, negro, and caucasian hair-types are different too - I mean, the way that keratin is arranged in the hair strand for each race is different. In general, Asian hair is straight, negro hair is extremely curly, and caucasian hair is in-between.

    Kevin


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