An Educated Look into the Causes of Thinning Hair.
To properly understand hair loss , you must first understand the anatomy of hair and the intricate systems that all must work together in harmony to produce new, healthy, long living hair.
SKIN
The largest organ of your body. It’s an immune organ designed to protect the body. Skin acts as a giant ventilation grid for the body and must be able to breathe for the body to remain healthy.EPIDERMIS
The outermost layer of the skin that contains the hair follicle opening. This opening needs to be kept clear and protected through daily hygiene.STRATUM CORNEUM
The outermost layer of the epidermis. A layer of dead skin cells that are designed to exfoliate and to provide a protective barrier to the internal body. Excess oil and product build-up here can cause hair follicles to be blocked.DERMIS
The layer of the skin lying immediately under the epidermis; the true skin. It consist of two layers, papillary and reticular. The corium dermis is composed of fibrous connective tissue made of collagen and elastin and contains numerous capillaries, lymphatics, and nerve endings. In it are hair follicles and their smooth muscle fibres, sebaceous glands and sweat glands, and their ducts.HYPODERMIS
The hypodermis houses the hair follicles themselves as well as their smooth muscle fibres, sebaceous and sweat glands, and fat cells.HAIR FOLLICLES
The sophisticated receptacles in the scalp from which hair grow. Rapid cellular activity within follicles makes the follicle sensitive to internal and external changes in its environment. They are found in the hypodermis.HAIR BULB
The Hair Bulb is the bulbous expansion at the base of a hair from which the hair shaft develops. It provides a womb like environment where the hair cells, through protein and carbohydrate synthesis, are produced.SENSORY NERVE FIBER
Afferent nerve; a nerve carrying sensations from sensing organs to the brain.HAIR PAPILLA
A projection of the corium that extends into the hair bulb at the bottom of a hair follicle. It contains capillaries through which a hair receives nourishment. The papilla is the manufacturing plant of the hair. It’s at this level the keratin structure of hair is in a cellular state (as new cells are produced, older, dying cells are pushed up and become a keratinized fibre that we see).CAPILLARIES
Hair-like minute blood vessels, which connects the arteries and veins to the papilla. Capillaries carry oxygen and nutrients from your blood as well as carry toxins away from the follicle.SEBACEOUS GLAND & SEBUM
A hormone regulated, oil-secreting gland in the skin. The sebaceous gland secrets sebum, a fatty material that lubricates the follicle and skin. It is believed that they supply necessary nutrients and elements for hair growth and possibly carry toxins and pollutants into the follicle. Over, or under, production of hormones can form sebaceous plugs comprised of follicular debris.The sebaceous gland also sends sebum into the hair follicle which is the place where the Demodex Folliculorum, a microscopic organism that infests the hair follicle and feeds on sebum, can live.
This mite lives and dies in the follicle promoting follicle deterioration, hair miniaturization and hair loss . It is covered in sebum, which fools immune system in to not recognizing the mite.
ARRECTOR PILI MUSCLE
A small fan-shaped smooth muscle located at the base of each hair that contract when the body surface is chilled or stimulated, thus erecting the hair, compressing the oil gland above each muscle, and producing the appearance of goose bumps.The muscle gives support to the hair follicle and direction to the hair shaft. The Arrector Pili Muscle is what makes your hair stand on end when you’re frightened or excited.
