Cuticle (hair)

The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft.[1] It is formed from dead cells, overlapping in layers, which form scales that gives the hair shaft strength and provide protection for it.[2][3] Although the cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, it does not give the hair its color because it has no melanin, which is the pigment responsible; the color of a person's hair depends on what type of melanin they have, which is found in the cortex.[4]

References

  1. James, William; Berger, Timothy; Elston, Dirk (2005) Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology (10th ed.). Saunders. Page 8. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.
  2. "Hair!". Worsleyschool.net. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
  3. "Hair". British Medical Association Complete Family Health Encyclopedia. Dorling Kindersley Limited. 1990.
  4. "Hair biology - hair fiber". Keratin.com. Retrieved 2013-08-18.
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