Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: neilep on 28/10/2006 20:26:32

Title: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 28/10/2006 20:26:32
Dearest Members with superior knowledge of hirsute matters than I !!

Why does the colour of hair determine how much hair you have ?...ie: Blondes have more hair than people with black hair !!

Or it may be the other way around..I can't recall...

but why does hair colour have an effect on how much of it a person has ?
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: iko on 28/10/2006 21:01:58
Hair, hair, hair...
Hair, hair, hair...
I formally protest for all these 'hairy' topics
on behalf of the Wimpy Bald People Party (WBPP).
Sincerely yours,
(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fit.life.dada.net%2Fcgi-bin%2Fsn_media%2Fimage%2Fprint.cgi%3Fid%3D79855%26amp%3Bview%3Dhalfcol&hash=6bc14627235ee8b642ad5623baca4429)
http://it.life.dada.net/cgi-bin/sn_media/image/print.cgi?id=79855&view=halfcol
ikod 
WBPP Senior Member
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 28/10/2006 21:30:51
LOL !...I ususally shave mine off Iko so that I too can enjoy bald head love !!...but wifey wont let me this time !...

I might just do it anyway !!

Be proud to be bald....good for you sir .
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: ukmicky on 29/10/2006 02:49:10
I think i read somewhere once but could be wrong its because dark hair requires more energy to be produced , in other words the available energy on tap for the growth of each hair is limited and shared between the growth of the hair and the production of melanin the chemical which colours our hair (and skin). the blonder the hair the less melanin is required so more energy can go into growth process.

Which is also why our grey hair tends to be thicker and courser than the rest of our hair with colour as all the energy available to the follicle with grey hair is no longer being shared between the two processes and is all available for growth, producing thicker coarser hair.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 29/10/2006 16:57:27
Wooo !...Thank you MIchael, sounds perfectly reasonable  and logical to me......THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: Karen W. on 29/10/2006 23:17:31
 WOW! I did not know that! I have always had light brown hair unless I colored it. I did that once or twice , red as I recall and almost burgandy once... I almost had a heart attack as I am not into pinkish hair!! Thought I would have to hide for a while, BUt luckily it toned down and my family was very sweet and told me oh mama it is so pretty! YIKES!My ywo year old boy kept saying whilst he stroked it mommie so bootiful, Kids are so sweet!!

Hey, What does that mean for me, My hair has thinned alot over the years and has always been fine and fly away Now it is kinda light brown with red highlights and sme highlights may be just a tad grey!So is my hair color a factor in my thining hair?
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: rosy on 30/10/2006 00:17:27
I think there are correlations between hair thickness and hair number as well, people with fine hair tending to have more hairs to the inch.. and I think that tied in with hair colour too, but I forget in what way.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: Karen W. on 30/10/2006 09:16:24
 Thats really interesting, I had no idea that any of this had bearing on thickness or thinness of ones hair Etc.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: Gaia on 31/10/2006 12:55:35
Blond hair has the thinnest individual hair strands and has the most number of hair strands per area than other colours. Way back in school, to teach us to use micrometers, we had to measure the thickness of our hair strands. They did this every year. I'm a blond and the teacher said that it was the 'finest' strand that they'd ever measured.

Oh, and the forum's spell checker is American!
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: nexusparanoia on 02/11/2006 03:36:32
The shaft of the hair where the color is determined is around the middle ring.  In blonde hair, or white, it is empty, or very close to empty.  Because it does not have the gene or genetic material to provide a visable color, it is not as thick as a brown or black haired person would have.

Air-head?  Indeed!

Well, the answer youre asking has the answer of "Quality and quantity".  The greater the quality (thicker), the less quantity you need, but visa versa.

Hair is used to insulate the body.  The arrector pili muscles contract to stand up hair.  if the hair has nothing in it (which provides color) it is not as thick, and you therefore need more.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 02/11/2006 13:20:09
THANK YOU Rosy & Gaia. You're answers are very interesting and appreciated with gratitude.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 02/11/2006 13:22:15
THANK YOU nexusparanoia (hey !..I'm not out to get you...except to seek your answers)

Fascinating and gratefully received.
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: moonfire on 02/11/2006 13:53:51
I have brownish red hair...what does that mean...oh, it is a bottle!  I forgot...I think I have medium brown hair...and it is very thick
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: Karen W. on 02/11/2006 14:10:38
Mine was some thicker when I was younger, but as I have aged it has become pretty thin!
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 02/11/2006 17:55:26
I hate my hair...I am thinking of shaving it off again !!

I also shave my other bits too !!..anybody care to admit to that also ?  [;D]
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: neilep on 02/11/2006 18:25:47
LOL....TOO much info methinks !!! (https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fbestsmileys.com%2Flol%2F4.gif&hash=dc0017defb1737ae43c0ff6efcb35b2a)
Title: Re: Colour of hair , determines amount of hair ..why ?
Post by: Carolyn on 02/11/2006 18:45:47
I want stud muffin to shave his, but he won't.   [:-'(]
Me luffs bald and shiny heads.

Carolyn