A healthy bulb is round and its diameter is decidedly wider than that of the hair shaft. Each hair is surrounded by many nerve endings. The hair shaft has a diameter of around 70-100 μm and is composed of three continuous layers called, from the inside out, the medulla, cortex and cuticle.
If you pull a hair out with the follicle (the bulb at the root of the hair), it can potentially grow back, but it depends on the health of the hair follicle. If the follicle remains healthy and undamaged, it can regenerate and produce a new hair.
And remember, if you ever find yourself asking, “Can you squeeze an ingrown hair out?” the answer is a careful no—stick to safer, smarter solutions for your skin's sake.
There's good news however; the bulb is not the root itself. Instead, it's the part of the hair strand that is the closest to the root throughout the growth cycle. When a bulb is present on the end of a hair strand, all it means is that the hair was lost at the root.
The white oily waxy stuff is called sebum, from the Sebaceous gland. It helps lubricate and waterproof the hair. When you're overheated it also helps keeps moisture near your skin as opposed to dripping off with the rest of the water in your sweat.
Myth: A hair falling out with a white bulb attached means it won't grow back. False! If you notice that some of your fallen hairs have a small white lump or bulb at the root, you shouldn't worry. This does not mean that the root of your hair has been removed, or that the follicle is dead.
The black dots are due to remnant of the upper part of the hair root, which remains adherent to the hair-follicle ostium. Hair powder, also known as hair dust, on the other hand, is caused by complete destruction of the hair shaft, leaving a 'sprinkled hair residue' [1].
In most cases, hair that is pulled from the scalp will grow back. However, repeated pulling or excessive pulling can cause scarring and permanent hair loss.
Typically, dead hair follicles lead to a smooth patch of bald skin on the scalp – it typically will not look like general hair thinning. Doctors and hair specialists can get a look at your hair follicles by using a microscope.
Results: The mean length of a scalp hair follicle is 4.16 mm. The infundibulum measures 0.76 mm, the isthmus 0.89 mm, and the inferior portion 2.5 mm. The insertion of the arrector pili muscle is located 1.65 mm deep.
Shave in the direction of hair growth. Rinse the blade after each stroke. Release visible ingrown hairs by inserting a sterile needle under each hair loop and gently lifting the tip that has grown back into the skin. Rinse your skin and apply a cool, wet cloth for a few minutes.
If you pull out a strand of hair, you might notice a bulb or round ball (root) attached to the end of the hair strand. The root is surrounded by nerve fibers that let you feel when your hair moves or you touch your hair. Removing this root doesn't mean your hair won't grow back, because in most cases, it will.
The white bulb indicates that the hair was in the resting (telogen) phase of the hair growth cycle. Normally, about 10-15% of your hair is in this phase, but with telogen effluvium, up to around 70% of your anagen hair (hair that is actively growing) may enter the resting phase and fall out prematurely.
A visible scalp through your hair can be a sign that it's thinning (but not always). The factors that contribute to thinning hair (and thus a visible scalp) include stress, diet, vitamin deficiency and ageing.
Massaging the scalp by adding pressure or rubbing increases the blood flow to the skin's surface. Hair follicles need adequate nutrients to be healthy and grow hair, and it is thought that this increase in blood flow helps promote hair growth by increasing the nutrient flow to the hair follicles.
Club hairs look like regular hairs, but they have a little light-colored or black bulb at the end of the hair strand. Club hairs are normal. When fully formed hairs stop growing, they become a club hair. The club-shaped bulb simply holds the hair in place for a while before it falls out.
The overall result of the study provided evidence that rosemary oil may be effective for certain hair growth. A study from 2022 also found evidence that rosemary oil can aid in hair growth. The study stated that rosemary oil had the same effect as Minoxidil, a hair growth medication, after 6 weeks of use.
This cycle can be divided into three phases: anagen (growth), catagen (transition), and telogen (rest). Anagen growth is the active phase in which the hair follicle takes on its onion-like shape and works to produce the hair fiber.
The white bulb at the end of your hair is essentially a bundle of protein, known as keratin. The role of the white bulb is to help the hair follicle root to the scalp, which then allows the hair to grow until it is shed.
Piedra is a superficial fungal infection of hair shafts, which presents with small nodules stuck-on to the shaft. Black piedra, caused by Piedraia hortae, is characterized by black-colored nodules and is common in the tropics, especially in individuals with long hair and poor scalp hygiene.
Scalp Massage
Massaging your scalp can potentially stimulate hair growth and keep follicles active. In a 2019 study published in the journal Dermatology and Therapy, researchers found that scalp massages produced hair regrowth in many men with pattern hair loss.
Anagen phase
A hair pulled out in this phase will typically have the root sheath attached to it which appears as a clear gel coating the first few mm of the hair from its base; this may be misidentified as the follicle, the root or the sebaceous gland by non-health care professionals.