The Origin of Hair

The Origin of Hair

"Hello there, my name is Harriet." I am a strand of hair. I have been around since the beginning of time. I serve a very important part in human life. In the beginning, I played an extremely important part in the survival of humans. I like to think I am still important to humans today, perhaps not for survival, but for protection. I protect your head from heat, cold, and injury. I am also a form of adornment. Lets face it, if you are having a "bad hair" day, you don't feel very good about yourself. So I not only protect your head but I also adorn you and make you look and feel beautiful, sometimes...

Throughout history, I have been of significant social importance. I have been a symbol of power and wisdom. Some cultures forbid cutting me while others shave all hair off their bodies including the head. Other cultures believe that a woman's immortal spirit is located in her hair and therefore should not be cut or exposed for the world to see. And who can forget Samson, whose hair made him strong. (Until Delilah decided to give him a haircut.) So you see, I am important. With that said, let me tell you about myself. In order to get a clear understanding of hair, you need to know how I develop and grow and the "stuff" of which I am made.

In this module, you will gain a basic understanding of the structure of the hair. You will learn how it develops, what it is made of, and the chemical composition of the hair. You will also be provided some experiments to perform and puzzles just for fun.

In this module you will cover the following topics:

Structures of the Hair
Layers of the Hair
Chemical Composition of the Hair

References

Milady's Standard Text of Cosmetology Delmar a Division of Thomason Learning Clifton Park, New York 2003

Salon Fundamentals Pivot Point International Chicago, Illinois 2002

Related Websites

http://www.discoverschool.com/

http://www.exploratorium.edu/

http://www.hairboutique.com/

http://www.pantene.com/