Relation Between Ethnicity and Hair Types

Our hairs aren’t created equally; race and ethnicity affect your hair type. In general, each ethnic tend to have more types and variations. Why is it important to know the relation between your hair type and ethnicity? Hair is a unique organ system that is related to the climates we are born into. For instance, the Africans and Australian Aborigins have dark skin to protect them against sun burns and intense sunlight, and their curly hairs are efficient heat exchanger while offering some shade from the burning sunlight.

Even so, there are no explanations for the relatively lower density, straight hair of Asians or the high hair density of most Northern Europeans.

Caucasian hair

They have the highest hair density on their scalp. A typical Caucasian may have two hundred hairs for each square centimeter. An adult Caucasian may have more than a hundred thousand follicles with thicker hairs. (We usually have five million follicles around the body that produce finer hairs.) Caucasian hair usually appears thick because it is harder to see through to their scalp than on Africans and Asians.

Asian hair

They have less scalp hairs than most Caucasians, with around 150 hairs for each square centimeter. Most Asian adult scalps contain about 80,000 follicles. Their hairs tend to have lower density and straight. Visually, it does not cover the head like the wavy or curly hair of Caucasians. However some Asians have the thickest and coarsest hairs, which can compensate for their lower hair density. Usually straight Asian hair just does not cover the scalp well, and it is compounded with their lower hair densities.

African/Australoid hair

Africans/Australoids have the lowest hair density, usually less than 130 hairs per square centimeter. They may have 60,000 follicles on their scalp.

Some Africans have fine hairs, while some is far kinkier than others. Their hair may stick together and despite low density they may seem to have more hair. Africans usually have a darker scalp skin which obscures their lower hair density.