• Question: How does hair grow on your head?

    Asked by to Rosie, Kate on 14 Mar 2014. This question was also asked by katiehm1d5, .
    • Photo: Rosie Coates

      Rosie Coates answered on 14 Mar 2014:

      Hair grows because of the presence of hair follicles on our skin. The hair follicle contains the machinery needed for hair growth. The root of the hair is supplied with oxygen and nutrients by the blood vessel of something called the papilla. This blood vessel allows cells in the hair root to grow and these become compacted together to produce a hair. Other cells supply the hair with a pigment called melanin which gives it it’s colour.

      Hair on your head grows for anywhere from 2 to 7 years at a rate of about 1 cm per month…

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