Publisher's Synopsis
Remember looking at your hair in the mirror this morning? There is a lot that you don't know about something that is so familiar. Although hair is dead, it keeps on growing. In fact, continuously growing hair on our head is a uniquely human characteristic. All mammals have fur, but fur is not quite the same as hair. Do you know what hair is made of? Or how fast it grows? Or to what length it grows? Women and men have straight, wavy or curly hair on their head, but what gives hair these different qualities? Most of the people in the world have black or very dark brown hair. So, where did redheads and blondes come from? Have you ever wondered if bald men are really more virile? And, why does the hair of US Presidents turn gray during their term of office? Beards and moustaches are facial hair, worn long or not. The shaving industry has come up with five rows of vibrating steel blades, a long way since cavemen plucked their beard hairs out by clasping seashells. Hair is our most visible natural feature. Clean is important, but you don't wash your favorite sweater as often as you wash your hair. To groom, beautify and show off our crowning glory, we use some of the harshest chemicals on earth as well as heat equivalent to oven roasting temperatures to literally bend our hair out of shape, or into shape, in the latest hairstyle. The hair care industry makes tons of money on our daily chore. But, do you know why we have hair? This book is all about the hair on your head.
