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If you have been keeping up with our blogs, we mainly have been focusing on how our analyzers help your skin. We also have hair analyzers that assist in diagnosing hair conditions and the makeup of your hair. Hair analyzers are useful for salons and stylists so that they can advise different hairstyles and products that are going to be perfect for your specific type of hair.

At Pro|Gen Probe, we believe everyone should be in the know when it comes to their hair and skin. Our hair analyzers are able to highly magnify your hair and scalp and tell the density, keratin amount, hair loss, and other information you should know about your lovely locks. To start with the basics, we need to know the makeup of hair, just as you do the layers of skin. In this post, we will be going over your hair and the anatomy of it.

Learn All About Hair Analysis Here!

As we learned in a previous post, your hair grows out of follicles which are located within your skin, in the dermis, and hypodermis to be exact. The hair is said to have two parts that are divided into the root and shaft.

The Root

The root is the part of the hair that is attached to the skin, the epidermis, which is also called the scalp. There is a pocket-like structure which is the follicle of the hair, and this is situated around the root of the hair. The base of the root is in the shape of a bulb. Different types of fibers and blood vessels or capillaries invade this area of the root. These capillaries are what nourish the bulb and keep it thriving. Cells within the center of the bulb actually split into two different sections. These cells move up the root and will die, creating a strong hair shaft. This is how the hair stays securely in place on your scalp, even after activities such as brushing.

The Hair Shaft

This is the part of the hair that you actually see every day. Blood is passed through the hair shaft, which is how your hair is able to remain healthy. The blood flow supplies the hair with important nutrients. Your hair also contains amino acids, mineral salts, and vitamins. The shaft of the hair is enveloped by a gland that produces natural lubricant for your hair. This part of the hair is also full of a high percentage of protein. The hair shaft is broken up into three sections: Cuticle, medulla, and cortex.

Cuticle - This is the outermost layer of the hair shaft. This layer is thin and contains scale-like cells that overlap the strand; these cells protect the hair from damage and protect the inner workings of the strand. The cuticle also possesses the nutrients to continue hair growth. The cuticle is responsible for the luster and shine your hair gives off on any given day. If your cuticle is unhealthy or damaged, this causes hair to look unhealthy, dry, and lifeless.

Medulla - This is the deepest layer of the hair. This layer consists of round like cells and is only present on thick hairs. This layer may not be seen but still needs to be protected because it is the most fragile. If you have mainly blonde and thin hair you may possibly not even have this layer. This is more prominent in people with more density and thickness to their hair in general.

Cortex - The layer of hair is sandwiched in between the cuticle and medulla and is the thickest layer of hair. This layer is necessary because this is where your hair color and pigmentation come from. Melanin, just like in the skin, is present in hair. There are two types of melanin that can be located in this layer of the hair:

Eumelanin- forms black and brown color

Pheomelanin- forms yellow, blonde, and red colors.

If you have grey hair, that means this layer of hair lacks melanin to produce color. When you go to a stylist for all over color, highlights, ombre, or other color treatments, this is how your hair retains that color for weeks if not months at a time.

Not only does this layer contain pigment but keratin additionally. Keratin is a huge part of your hair strand as a whole with containing over 75 percent of this protein. Keratin helps protect your hair from common elements, such as water. If your hair tends to feel heavy, this is also where that sensation is coming from.

This is the scientific and chemical makeup of your hair, with our hair analyzers, we can detect so many different and unique things about your hair with its video streaming and 5-megapixel images. The hair analyzer can take a closer look at your cuticles to determine if your hair has the proper nutrients. Your stylist will be able to suggest a keratin treatment based on facts instead of guessing. Learn more about our amazing products and check back for our next blog all about hair conditions you may have.