Hair

Hair growth is natural to many animals, and us humans are no exception. Our entire bodies, except for a few areas, such as the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, lips and nipples, have a covering to a greater or lesser degree.

The most luxuriant growth is found on the head. We create elaborate hairstyles, which change with the fashions, to be a thing of beauty. Or so we think. When we look at a picture of an earlier hairstyle we might consider it ridiculous, but it wasn't to the people who wore it, of course.

To cater to our obsession with styling our hair, we can find a salon in almost any part of the country where they will create whatever hairstyle we desire - for a price, of course. But short-haired, long-haired, colored, highlighted, permed, curled, straightened, or whatever - it's all been done before and will cycle around again as the mood changes, which it inevitably will.

Not only are we obsessed with what we have, but we are equally obsessed with our hair loss. Baldness, or alopecia, is a concern to most middle-aged men and some women. We are willing to spend whatever it takes to turn back the clock and retain our crowning glory - even if it means hair replacement in the form of a transplant. But all too often the effort is to little avail, and nature wins.

Many people do not suffer from extreme hair loss as they grow older. But they most likely will experience their hair turning grey. This is probably more acceptable to our pride, but still we try to turn back time by adding color and dye to bring back the appearance of youth.

...the tops of our heads is where most of our hair lies...

While the tops of our heads is where most of our hair lies, other parts of the body have some too, most notably the area covering the genitals, under the armpits, the legs, the arms, and predominantly in men, the chest area. Men also grow facial hair, which is often shaved to retain a clean appearance. But many cultures prefer a bearded male face. Some women too have a problem with unwanted facial growth and struggle with methods of discreet hair removal.

Different cultures down the ages have treated body hair in different ways. The ancient Egyptians liked a smooth, hairless body, as did the ancient Greeks. It was probably the Romans who developed differing hairstyles for men and women, and who created what was essentially the barber shop.

Today, hair care is a major world industry. One with specialized tools, utilizing special chemicals and adapted techniques to cater to increasing demand. We spend billions on hair products just to look good, and beauty as we recognise it comes in all styles and colors. We transplant it, replace it, restore it, style it, cut it, shape it, extend it, color it, straighten it, curl it, pluck it - in short, if we can do it, we will do it!