beauty

26 facts about body hair that will amaze you.

Let’s be honest, a lot of us spend a great deal of time and money trying to eliminate our body hair. Waxing, shaving, plucking and lasers are all used to rid ourselves of the unwanted fuzz. We might battle with our hair at times but today, we’re giving it a much-needed shout out. Hairs? You’re actually pretty damn impressive…

1. Hair is commonly used for DNA analysis and can tell a great deal of information about a person such as genetics, lifestyle, drug use and diet. The only thing that can’t be determined via DNA is gender as male and female hair is identical.

Related:Does laser hair removal work on darker skin?

2. Hair can grow anywhere on the body except palms, soles of your feet, mucous menbrances, eyelids and lips.

3. Your hair is actually dead. (Post continues after gallery.)

4. Hair follicles are formed by the time a unborn baby is in their fifth month of gestation.

5. Blonde people have the most hair follicles.

You spend so much time removing it but your body hair actually serves a purpose. Image: istock
ADVERTISEMENT

6. Sex makes your hair grow faster.

7. Body hair has a lifespan of six months whereas the hair on your head has a lifespan of five years.

8. Body hair has muscle cells in it which enables it to stand on end.

Related: Wearing this clothing item is your ticket to being successful. Apparently.

9. The average person sheds about 100-150 hairs per day.

10. Tiny mites called demodex live in the eyelashes of approximately 50 per cent of people. They are generally harmless but can sometimes cause irritation and redness.

11. Hair can contain traces of gold.

Miley Cyrus is out and proud with her pit hair. Image: Instagram

12. Body hair can actually pull hormones to the surface of the skin when you're trying to attract a member of the opposite sex to release pheromones.

13. According to a 1996 study, the more body hair you have, the more intelligent you are.

ADVERTISEMENT

14. Body hair helps to regulate your body temperature.

Related: Always wanted to be a beauty vlogger? Enter our competition for your chance.

15. 90 per cent of people shave their pubes.

16. Melanesian people come from New Guniea and the Pacific Islands. Their hair is blonde and curly and they have dark skin. Malanesian genes are completely different to blonde-haired people of European descent.

18. Your hair colour can actually give you a predisposition to some genetic conditions.

Redheads have a lower pain threshold. Image: istock
ADVERTISEMENT

 

17. Redhead people are more sensitive to pain. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that often, redhead people require 20 per cent more pain relief than people of other hair colours.

18. The Guiness world record holder for the world's longest hair had tresses of over four metres long.

Related: Study suggests the contraceptive pill can affect parts of your brain.

19. Balding men have a higher risk of developing heart disease.

20. If a man goes bald, his hair follicle isn't dead, it's dormant. If he lived long enough, his hair would start to grow again.

Bald men have a higher risk of heart disease. Image: istock
ADVERTISEMENT

 

21. There are two kinds of hair; terminal hair and vellus hair. Terminal hair is thick and long like beard hair and public hair (yep the hair on your face is the same as the hair on your balls guys) and vellus hair is thin and whisky, like the hair on you forearms.

22. Prior to birth, infants are covered in a fine layer of hair called lanugo. It helps keep them warm. Premature babies are often born with their lanugo in tact which appears like a fine fuzz.

Related: Why does a woman’s hair thin out as she ages?

23. Redheads never develop grey hair. Instead as they age, their hair appears blonder before turning white.

24. Grey hair is actually an optical illusion of coloured hair mixed with white hair. (Post continues after gallery.)

25. The average Australian will begin to see grey hair around the age of 34.

26. Hair is mostly made from keratin. That's the same substance as animal horns, hooves and claws.

Related: This is how often you should be replacing your toothbrush.

What's your stance on body hair. For or against?