WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AS HAIRDRESSERS WE UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE OF HAIR AND SKIN

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2. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT AS HAIRDRESSERS WE UNDERSTAND THE STRUCTURE OF HAIR AND SKIN? Every client that comes to your salon are different, with a unique combination of hair and scalp conditions. Just like a doctor, It is your professional responsibility to assess, ask questions and listen to the clients needs. To recognise any problems you need to have a good understanding of the hair and skin structure.

3. HAIR STRUCTURE A cross section of a hair shaft. Three main parts of the hair, cuticle, cortex and medulla. Set up much like a pencil.

4. CUTICLE The outer layer of the hair consisting of colourless, overlapping cells, much like tiles on a roof. These cells run from root to tip, so by running your fingers along the hair shaft you will feel how porous the hair is.   The paint on the outside of a pencil.

5. SMOOTH CUTICLE

6. Hair with a split end

7. CORTEX The middle and largest layer. All chemical work is carried out in the hair e.g. colouring Colour pigments in the cortex give hair its natural colour. Melanin gives brown and black hair colour. Pheomelanin gives red and yellow hair colour. The wooden section of the pencil.

8. MEDULLA The central space of the hair. It serves no useful purpose, and is not always present,especially in very fine hair. The lead in a pencil.

9. THE SKIN The skin is the outer covering of the body. It is a complex and important organ. Made of different layers and containing many parts such as oil and sweat glands. The five main functions of the skin are protection, temperature control, secretion, excretion and sensation.

10. EPIDERMIS The outermost layer of the skin it has several layers. The top part is known as the horny layer. Which is constantly being worn away and replaced by underlying tissue.

11. DERMIS The lower part of the skin. The thickest layer of the skin. The hair follicle is formed here. The skin receives its nutrient supply here. The organs of touch are here such as cold, heat and pain.

12. SEBACEOUS GLANDS These are situated in the skin. They produce oil, or sebum, into the follicle and on to the hair and skin surface. Sebum prevents the hair and skin from drying out. Sebum is slightly acidic around pH 5.5. It forms an anti-bacterial covering for the skin.

13. Oil or sebum Why do we need it? Sebum helps to prevent the skin and hair from drying By retaining moisture it helps the hair and skin to stay pliable. Acid or alkali? Sebum is slightly acid – about pH 5.5 – and forms a protective anti-bacterial covering for the skin.

14. SWEAT GLAND These lie beside each of the hair follicles. The end of these ducts can be seen on the skins surface known as sweat pores. Sweat is mainly water with salt. Evaporation of sweat cools the skin down. Sweat glands protect the body by helping maintain the normal temperature.

15. ARRECTOR PILI MUSCLE This is attached at one end of the hair follicle and the other to tissue in the epidermis. When contracted it pulls the hair and follicle upright. Upright hairs trap a warm layer of air around the skin.

16. BLOOD SUPPLY Blood is food for the hair. Which is why medication can affect how are hair behaves, as any medication goes straight to our blood stream.

17. HAIR SHAFT As new hair cells develop the lowest part of the hair is shaped into the hair bulb. The cells continue to shape the form as they push along the follicle until they appear at the surface of the skin as hair fibres.

18. HAIR FOLLICLE Hair grows from a thin, tube-like space in the skin, known as the hair follicle.

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20. RECAP TEST Why do we need to understand the hair and skin structure? What are the three layers of a hair shaft? Briefly describe each layer. Name three of the main functions of the skin? Name the two layers of skin.