Twenty fun hair facts for kids

1. We are born with about 5 million hair follicles and we don’t form new hair follicles as we age. 
2. The average person has between 100,000 to 150,000 strands of hair. 
3. Hair grows between 0.3 and 0.5 millimeters per day (about 1 cm or half an inch a month).
4. The normal growth cycle of a single strand of hair can last anywhere from two to six years.  
5. Hair growth actually cycles between growing and resting phases before finally falling out and being replaced by newer thinner versions which start the growth cycle all over again.  At any given time 90% of your hair is growing and 10% is resting.
6. Men’s hair grows faster than women’s.
7. Hair has about 65-95% of its weight in proteins.
8. Chemically, about 80% of human hair is formed by keratin.
9. On average, a person loses around 50 – 150 hairs per day.
10. Healthy hair can stretch up to 70% before it breaks.
11. Hair is the second fastest growing tissue in the body after bone marrow.
12. Hair grows quicker in warmer climates.
13. Hair contains information about everything that has ever been in your bloodstream – including drugs.
14. The hair of men and women is identical in structure. 
15. Our hair acts as an insulating protection for our heads – since our head does not have the insulating fat layer the rest of our body has. 
16. 80% of Americans wash their hair twice a day.
17. Each strand of hair can support up to 100 grams of weight.
18. At one time, hair was used as jewelry.  Brooches, pendants and watch fobs were made with hair either as a fashion statement or to pay homage to loved ones. 
19. Women used to dye their hair blonde using pigeon dung. 
20. The most common hair color in the world is black, while the rarest is red. 

Scientific Resource We Found Useful:

Hair fiber characteristics and methods to evaluate hair physical and mechanical properties.  Velasco, Maria Valéria Robles, et al. Brazilian Journal of pharmaceutical sciences 45.1 (2009): 153-162.