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.
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.
A white bulb at the end generally indicates that the hair is in the resting phase, and they a new hair has pushed it out (causing it to shed). This is the natural process of hair growth. A new one is simply taking its place.
The white element you see at the end of your hair when you pull it is likely the hair's bulb, also known as the hair follicle. This bulb is the part of the hair that is embedded in the scalp and is responsible for hair growth.
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].
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.
If you notice a tiny bulb at the end of one of your hair strands, you're probably looking at a club hair. Don't stress — club hairs aren't an issue in themselves. 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.
Waxing and plucking can damage the hair follicles, causing new hair growth to be slower and thinner over time. These methods are not considered permanent hair growth, though.
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.
At the base of the hair, the hair root widens to a round hair bulb. The hair papilla, which supplies the hair root with blood, is found inside the bottom of the hair bulb. New hair cells are constantly being made in the hair bulb, close to the papilla.
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 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.
Moles, acne, and ingrown hairs
For hairs that are close to or directly on skin with moles or acne, more tweezing can lead to more inflammation. If the goal of tweezing or plucking facial hair is to make your face cleaner, tweezing can cause the opposite effect.
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.
You might be able to reverse hair loss, or at least slow it. With some conditions, such as patchy hair loss (alopecia areata), hair may regrow without treatment within a year. Treatments for hair loss include medications and surgery.
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.
Every time you pluck a hair from the root, it causes trauma to the follicle, resulting in inflammation. This often leads to a small spot at the sight of removal. Each hair you pluck also leaves an opening for bacteria, and how often do you clean your tweezers?
Constantly pulling out hair can cause scarring, infections and other damage to the skin on your scalp or the area where hair is pulled out. This can permanently affect hair growth.
What is the White Bulb at End of Hair? 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.
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.
So dead hair follicles can look like a smooth, bald patch of skin or like a scar. A trichologist may be able to get a better view of your follicles by using a microscope or other trichological tools.
The prime diagnostic feature of acute alopecia areata is the presence of exclamation mark hairs. These characteristic hairs fracture at their distal end and taper proximally towards the scalp, giving them the appearance of an exclamation mark.