Apart from the soles of your feet, and your eyelids, palms and lips, your entire body is covered in minute hair follicles. The part of the hair that is responsible for the growth of your hair, lies beneath the skin. This is called the hair follicle. Right next to this hair follicle, is a tiny oil gland, which helps to keep the hair shaft lubricated and soft, as it grows up and out of the hair follicle. This is actually the part of the hair that is alive, because when it pops out of your skin, it is dead, and only being pushed up, to keep it growing, by a process of cell division that is occurring beneath the skin.

The part of the hair that you see is called the hair cuticle, which is the outside of the hair shaft. The hair cuticle is covered with a tiny layer of oil, which is provided by the tiny oil gland that lies next to the hair follicle. This layer of oil protects your hair from the elements, and helps to keep it flexible. If your diet doesn't contain the right fat, then this will result in dry, brittle, easily breakable hair. This means that you will have to supply conditioner regularly, as the hair will have been dry from when it emerged from the hair follicle. Because most people consume the wrong fats in their diets, dry, brittle hair is such a problem for many people.

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