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hair
(redirected from Human hair)

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.01 sec.
hair (hār) pilus; a threadlike structure, especially the specialized epidermal structure composed of keratin and developing from a papilla sunk in the dermis, produced only by mammals and characteristic of that group of animals. Also, the aggregate of such hairs.hair´y
Enlarge picture
Hair in longitudinal section (A), and in cross section (B), showing the surrounding root and dermal sheaths.

bamboo hair  trichorrhexis nodosa.
beaded hair  hair marked with alternate swellings and constrictions, as in monilethrix.
burrowing hair  one that grows horizontally beneath the surface of the skin.
club hair  one whose root is surrounded by a bulbous enlargement composed of keratinized cells, preliminary to normal loss of the hair from the follicle.
ingrown hair  one that emerges from the skin but curves and reenters it.
lanugo hair  lanugo.
resting hair  see telogen.
sensory hairs  hairlike projections on the cells of sensory epithelium.
taste hairs  clumps of microvilli that form short hairlike processes projecting into the lumen of a taste pore from the peripheral ends of the taste cells.
Enlarge picture
Taste hairs protruding from the pore of a taste bud.
terminal hair  the coarse hair on various areas of the body during adult years.
twisted hair  one which at spaced intervals is twisted through an axis of 180 degrees, being abnormally flattened at the site of twisting.
vellus hair  vellus (1).

hair (hâr)
n.
1. Any of the cylindrical, keratinized, often pigmented filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal.
2. A growth of such filaments, as that forming the coat of an animal or covering the scalp of a human.
3. One of the fine hairlike processes of a sensory cell.
click for a larger image
hair

hair
Etymology: AS, haer
a filament of keratin consisting of a root and a shaft formed in a specialized follicle in the epidermis. There are three stages of hair development: anagen, the active growing stage; catagen, a short interlude between the growth and resting phases; and telogen, the resting (club) stage before shedding. Scalp hair grows at an average rate of 1 mm every 3 days, body and eyebrow hair at a much slower rate. Hair plucking does not stop hair growth. See also hirsutism, lanugo.

hair
1. a threadlike keratinized epidermal structure developing from a follicle sunk in the dermis, produced only by mammals and characteristic of that group of animals. Also, the aggregate of such hairs.
2. various other threadlike structures.

auditory h's
hairlike attachments of the epithelial cells of the inner ear.
awn hair
in cats, a short thick, bristly hair underneath the top coat.
hair beds
coat hairs occur in groups of about three primary follicles and a variable number of secondary follicles.
burrowing hair
one that grows horizontally in the skin.
hair cells
sensory neuroepithelial cells which have hair-like processes; found in organ of Corti, ampullary crests and utricle and saccule of the inner ear.
club hair
a hair whose root is surrounded by a bulbous enlargement composed of keratinized cells, preliminary to normal loss of the hair from the follicle.
hair coat
see coat (1).
cover hair
see guard hair (below).
hair follicle
one of the tubular invaginations of the epidermis enclosing the hair roots and from which the hairs grow.
Enlarge picture
Longitudinal section of hair follicle. By permission from Smith BP, Large Animal Internal Medicine, Mosby, 2001
hair follicle unit
hair granuloma
granuloma in the esophageal wall caused by swallowed hairs acting as foreign bodies.
hair growth cycle
a period of growth, called anagen, is followed by a transitional stage, called catagen, and then a period of inactivity in the hair follicle, called telogen, lasting until the cycle starts again. The duration of each stage varies with the species, anatomical location, genetic influence, and a variety of environmental and physiological factors.
guard hair
the coarse, stiff and often longer and more prominent hairs in a haircoat with an undercoat. For example, the darkly colored, outer hairs of a German shepherd dog. Called also primary hair, master hair, cover hair.
ingrown hair
one that has curved and re-entered the skin.
lanugo hair
the fine hair on the body of the fetus.
master hair
see guard hair (above).
primary hair
see guard hair (above).
ringed hair
see thrix annulata.
secondary hair
finer and growing from a more superficial follicle than a guard hair; forms the undercoat.
sensory h's
hairlike projections on the surface of sensory epithelial cells.
sinus hair
the vibrissae or whiskers located on the muzzle and face of many species has an endothelium-lined blood sinus between the inner and outer layers of the dermal portion of the follicle with a rich nerve supply. This structure serves to increase sensory perception.
specialized hair
includes auditory, guard, sensory, tactile, taste, tylotrich hairs (see this list).
hair streams
the hairs in the coat of animals are inclined in one or other direction so that collectively they create streams that meet at vortices or cowlicks.
tactile h's
hairs particularly sensitive to touch.
taste h's
short hairlike processes projecting freely into the lumen of the pit of a taste bud from the peripheral ends of the taste cells.
tipped hair
one with a different, usually darker, color at the tip; seen in Chinchilla cats.
tylotrich hair
special hairs that act as rapid-adapting mechanoreceptors; large, primary follicles with a ring of neurovascular tissue around them. Always associated with a tylotrich pad, a local area of epidermal thickening with a layer of highly vascular and well-innervated connective tissue below.

hair
Dermatology A threadlike epidermal appendage consisting of keratinized dead cells that extrudes from a dividing basal layer. Related terms are Anagen hair, Bamboo hair, Bayonet hair, Bundled hair, Catagen hair, Corkscrew hair, Green hair, Paintbrush hair, Pubic hair, Ringed hair, See-through hair, Telogen hair, Terminal hair, Vellus hair, Whisker hair

Patient discussion about Human hair.

Q. What medications cause hair loss? I have RA, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, allergies and depression for which I take medication. Which of these cause hair loss?

A. any one of them can, you need to ask your pharmacist about it

Q. Wigs after chemotherapy – where do I start? I ‘m 55 years old woman, and was diagnosed with colon cancer. After the operation (that went well, thankfully), I’m going to start chemotherapy soon. I was told that there’s a good chance I’ll loss my hair. I know it may sound captious, but my hair is very important for me. I was told a wig is a useful option. Does anyone have any tips?

A. I had hair loss due to another illness but found a new life with wigs and great hats! I had the opportunity to be anyone I wanted to be! A great wig can be found online at a big wig web site. I have dozens and enjoy all they offer! If you loose your hair, it will come back, but take advantage of all the fun wigs available! Laugh with your friends and they will laugh with you, not at you! You are in control of this part of your experience, blessings!

Q. Can I catch pneumonia, if I go outside with wet hair? My Mother used to tell me when I was a kid that if I go outside with wet hair, I will catch pneumonia. Is this true?

A. IF YOUR WET WATER REMOVES MORE HEAT FROM THE BODY FASTER THAN WHEN YOUR DRY ALSO CONSIDER THAT HEAT RISES WE LOSE MOST OF THE TOP OF OUR HEADS WHEN YOU ADD WATER YOU DRAMATICLY LOWER YOUR TEMPERATURE ON YOUR HEAD AND ALSO CONSIDER THAT IF YOUR MOVING FROM A COLD PLACE TO A WARM PLACE SEVERAL TIMES A DAY LIKE A FREEZER ON A HOT SUMMER DAY OR INDOORS TO OUT DOORS IN THE WINTER TIME 20 MINUTE INTERVALS I WILL SAY YES YOU CAN CATCH COLD AN GET THE SNIFFLES, COUGH AND OR SORE THROUGHT BUT I DO AGREE THAT YOU WON'T NECISARLY GET PENOMNIA FROM JUST WET HAIR ALONE THERES MANY MORE FACTORS FOR THAT.

Read more or ask a question about Human hair


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