What is Hair Made of?

Every hair on your head is made of keratin, the same protein that makes up your nails. Hair grows from follicles, which are very small, pinpoint areas on your head, or wherever else your hair is. Each follicle contains one hair root, which is the part of the hair that is either dead, or is still living. The part of the hair you can see, which is above the root, is dead. Ever tried tugging on your hair a bit? Doesn’t hurt much, does it? That’s because it is dead.

This part is called a hair shaft, the part which can grow. The average growth for a minor’s hair is 2 centimeters a month. About 85 percent of the hair on a kid’s head is growing. When it is done growing, it goes into its resting phase of life. Once in resting, it eventually dies and falls out. The remaining 15 percent of your hair is usually in the resting stage.