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.
"The white bulb at the end of the hair is keratin (or protein) and is the same keratin that makes up your skin and nails. A white bulb is not indicative of hair loss," said stylist Carrie Capalbo of Salon YOSHIKO. "It's part of the lining of the hair follicles.
Conclusion. White hair tips can occur due to a variety of factors like chemical over-treatment, aging, oxidative stress, vitamin deficiencies, and smoking. By understanding these causes and maintaining proper hair care, you can manage and prevent the whitening of your hair tips.
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.
White pubic hair may result from simple aging, in which the skin produces less melanin as the body ages. However, some conditions, such as fungal infections, lice infestation, or vitiligo, may also result in white pubic hair.
The "white gunk" you might notice in hair follicles is typically sebum, a natural oil produced by your sebaceous glands to protect and hydrate the skin and hair. Sebum, combined with dead skin cells and other debris, can build up around the hair follicle and harden, often looking like a white or yellowish gunk.
Sometimes when we touch our scalp with fingertips, especially in case of oily skin and if we are particularly careful, we might feel some very small sand grains. These are nothing but sebum leftovers, dandruff or “pollution” which lie on the scalp and prevent it from breathing properly.
This white bulb at end of hair is called a club hair, and it essentially is a hair that includes a bit of protein on the end of it that is supposed to root the hair to the scalp. When you lose a club hair, it just means that you have lost a piece of hair that is in the telogen phase of the hair growth cycle.
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].
Telogen (shedding): This is the resting stage of your hair growth cycle. The hair follicle is inactive, and there's a white bulb of keratin at the root (club hair). The bulb of keratin keeps the hair in the follicle until it sheds, which then starts the hair growth cycle over again.
White piedra is a superficial fungal infection of the hair shaft. It can affect people of any age and tends to occur in semitropical regions of the world. Shaving the affected area and completing a short course of a topical antifungal can treat white piedra.
Your hair follicles have pigment cells that make melanin, a chemical that gives your hair its color. As you age, these cells start to die. Without pigment, new hair strands grow in lighter and take on various shades of gray, silver, and eventually white.
Frosted tips refers to a hairstyle in which the hair is cut short and formed into short spikes with hair gel or hair spray. The hair is bleached such that the tips of each spike will be pale blond, usually in contrast to the wearer's main hair color.
Sudden hair shedding or thinning, especially when accompanied by a white bulb at the end of the hair, is often due to a condition called telogen effluvium. The white bulb indicates that the hair was in the resting (telogen) phase of the hair growth cycle.
Dr. Kraleti explains that your hair turns gray or white when the pigment cells in the follicle surrounding the hair die. “When you pluck a hair a new one will grow in its place and because the pigment cells are no longer producing pigment, this new hair will also be white.”
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.
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.
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.
Trichorrhexis Nodsa (nodes) are little white dots that can be present throughout the hair shaft, but in my professional experience is more commonly seen on the ends of the hair. Nodes are thickened/ weak points which break off easily and are generally caused by excessive styling and chemicals.
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.
So, if left untreated, split ends can lead to further breakage and damage, which can cause your hair to appear shorter and thinner over time. By trimming split ends, you can prevent further damage and breakage, which can help to maintain the overall length and thickness of your hair.
You've probably heard that squeezing or picking at a pimple is not a great idea, and the same goes for sebum plugs. By squeezing, you can push the contents deeper into the skin or break the pimple open, which allows the bacteria inside the pimple to spread and any bacteria on your hands to enter the pore.
Sebaceous filaments are thin, threadlike appendages that line your sebaceous (oil) glands. They help move an oily lubricant called sebum from the glands to the surface of your skin.
Not only does your scalp have a plethora of sweat glands, but it also has an abundance of sebaceous (oil) glands, which produce oily sebum. Have you ever scratched your scalp and noticed white, waxy buildup under your nails? That's sebum mixed with dead skin cells.