Hair Anatomy 101 [Understanding Your Scalp]

The Caribbean Secrets Cosmetics Blog is dedicated to educating our community about hair care tips, techniques, and history that will help maximize your curly hair's potential. Your curly hair deserves growth, more definition, and moisture throughout the day. We feel that having healthy hair is important and is vital to the productivity in our communities around the world because when your hair looks good you will be more confident and perform better in everything you do. We want to be apart of your journey. Our aim is to give your hair-care regimen an extra boost because we value you and your curly hair. We hope that this helps!

Hair Anatomy 101

Do you understand your hair structure and anatomy? Learning about hair and scalp structure is an important step in your hair care journey that many people overlook. Understanding your scalp and hair structure will help you find answers to any hair issues you may be currently experiencing. This knowledge will also empower you to differentiate between true and false claims on the internet.

Your Scalp

Now, let's observe the scalp. For those who don't know, your scalp is the skin on your head and the epicenter of all hair growth on your head. The functionality of the scalp closely resembles the skin. However, the scalp possesses larger oil glands and produces sebum oil. When properly maintained, the scalp will produce quality hair stands. Your scalp possesses a flexible network of connective tissues and nourishing blood vessels that move and carry nutrients throughout your head and hair strands. When growing out your hair it is imperative to stimulate these blood vessels by gently massaging and manipulating it daily. We recommend massaging your scalp with Caribbean Secrets Cosmetics Pure Unrefined Haitian Black Castor Oil to stimulate maximum hair growth. 

Our scalp is divided into three layers: Epidermis, Dermis, and Subcutaneous Layer

Epidermis (Outermost Layer)

The epidermis (refer to the diagram above) is the top layer of the scalp that we have the most interaction with when applying products to our head. 

The epidermis is made up of many dead, hardened cells and is the layer that we have the most interaction with in regards to product application. The epidermis shed cells on a daily basis similar to the skin cells of our body.

***Bonus Tip: It is important to stay hydrated to help fight skin and scalp dryness. This is because water that is housed within your body slowly migrates upward to your skin and scalp to provide moisture and hydration. If you are dehydrated your body will supply little moisture to your epidermis leaving your scalp and skin dry, causing your scalp to rely solely on external moisturizing products to hydrate your scalp. This can cause many scalp issues such as dandruff or dermatitis.

Dermis (Middle Layer)

The dermis (refer to the diagram above) is the middle layer of the scalp which contains a vast amount of collagen proteins that strengthen and support the scalp. The dermis is the thickest part of the scalp and is where the hair follicle is located. The hair follicle is the root of each hair strand. The dermis contains a rich vascular network which is essential for the growth and strength of our hair strands.

***Bonus: Did you know that the reason why there are many different hair types is because your genes and ethnicity determines the shape of your hair follicle? For example, Asian people tend to have a perfectly round hair follicle which makes their hair straight. People of European decent have oval-shaped follicles which creates straight to curly hair. While people of African decent have a kidney/oval shaped hair follicle which makes our hair tighter and curlier than other ethnicities.

Subcutaneous Layer (Bottom Layer)

The subcutaneous layer is the bottom layer of the scalp which houses a combination of fatty tissues, connective tissues and larger blood vessels. This layer of the scalp provides a natural padding that acts like an insulator to help regulate you body's temperature and help protect your skull against impact.

Key Takeaways:
Your scalp is the epicenter of all hair growth and is divided into 3 major parts: the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer. Each layer plays a vital roll in you hair's health and growth. The epidermis is the topmost layer of the scalp that we have the most interaction with in regards to product application. The dermis is the middle layer where your hair follicles are located. The subcutaneous layer is the bottom layer of the scalp which helps regulate your body's temperature and helps protect your skull against impact.

We hope that this blog has helped you gain a better understanding of the functionality of your scalp! Please use this information at your discretion to better approach your hair care journey.

Stay sexy and always remember. . . 

"The deeper the secret, the better the beauty."