Mechanical properties vary among different ethnicities. Asian hair demonstrates the highest hardness and elastic modulus, followed by Caucasian and African hairs, respectively.
Asian hair has the highest growth rate and is by far the most resilient hair type. African hair generally has a slower growth rate and less tensile strength and breaks more easily than other groups. Caucasian hair is somewhere in between the two.
Asian hair has the highest hardness and elasticity. It is resistant to stretching and can withstand a traction force of 60 to 65 grams.
Type 1: Straight hair
Type 1 hair is completely straight; it has no wave or curl pattern. The hair strands can be fine or coarse, and the hair may be thin or thick. Straight hair is the strongest, which means it resists damage well but can be difficult to curl or add waves to.
H. Harris, publishing in the British Journal of Dermatology in 1947, wrote Native Americans have the least body hair, Han Chinese people and black people have little body hair, white people have more body hair than black people and Ainu have the most body hair.
Total and free testosterone concentrations were lower in non-Hispanic blacks than in non-Hispanic whites; Mexican-Americans had the highest concentrations (total testosterone versus non-Hispanic white P=0.077).
Genetics (which controls ethnicity) is the number one cause of hair loss. Certain races have higher rates of hair loss compared to others. Caucasians have the highest rates out of all the ethnic groups. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Native American Indians, Inuits, and Chinese have the lowest rates.
Asian hair is by far the thickest of all hair types – 80 - 120 µm in diameter. Because of its extra diameter, it is also the strongest, and most resistant to damage.
Type 1A: The rarest hair type, this one is very straight and fine with a “wispy” appearance. It's very difficult to get it to hold a curl. Type 1B: Though still straight, this type has a medium (rather than fine) texture and a little more volume.
Asian hair follicles are round, usually very straight, and strong. While not as dense as its counterparts, the hair is less likely to experience hair loss or breakage. Asian hair is also the fastest growing, at over half an inch per month.
Skin barrier function is reportedly stronger in darker skin tones (the stratum corneum is the skin barrier). Asian skin is reported to have similarities with Caucasian skin in terms of water loss and has the weakest barrier function.
Caucasians Lose The Most Hair
After Caucasians, people of Afro-Caribbean heritage tended to experience the next highest levels of hair loss, with Asian men having the lowest hair loss rates.
There is no scientific basis to claim that any particular ethnicity or race has "more dominant" genes than others. Genetic diversity exists within and across all human populations. All humans belong to the same species, Homo sapiens, and share the vast majority of their DNA sequence.
Among large populations, the most genetically unique is sub-Saharan Africans by far. If we get more specific, the Khoisan peoples of Southern Africa hold this title. Read on to find out more!
Hair-graying onset varies with race, with the average age for Caucasians being mid-thirties, that for Asians being late thirties, and that for Africans being mid-forties.
Human and bear hairs are the strongest, exhibiting a plateau-like response followed by higher strain hardening. Javelina hair is at the opposite end of the spectrum by virtue of its cellular structure. Horse, giraffe, and elephant hairs show a quasi-linear hardening.
If the above applies to you, congratulations - you have 4C hair. Although this hair type is the weakest for breakage and dryness, the incredible volume allows for a range of hairstyles that will last for days, as well as holding protective hairstyles for months.
Nature's Rarest Palette: Red Hair Standing at the apex of rarity, natural red hair occurs in just 1-2% of the global population. This striking shade results from a specific genetic variant of the MC1R gene, requiring both parents to pass on the recessive trait.
The rarest eye colors are red and violet, which are primarily found in individuals with albinism. Excluding those affected by albinism, green and gray eyes are considered the most uncommon.
It can lead to hair loss. Hair care practices and styling techniques can lead to fragile hair. African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean hair tends to be fragile.
According to a global study based on 4 characteristics that determine healthy hair – thickness, tensile strength, shine, and smoothness – Indian women have the best hair in the world.
Results: There was no statistically significant difference in skin thickness in white (1.41 +/- 0.01 mm) compared with black (1.39 +/- 0.02 mm) women (P =. 3).
East Asian men (such as those of Chinese and Japanese ancestry) are next on the list of those least likely to experience hair loss. For example, while around half of Caucasian men will experience some degree of androgenetic alopecia, a 2010 study of Chinese men found only about 13% did.
Results: Findings indicated that non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics have accelerated aging, and non-Hispanic Whites have decelerated aging. Racial/ethnic differences were strongly tied to educational attainment. We also observed a significant difference by birthplace for Hispanics.
There is no specific ethnicity that can't grow facial hair, but East Asian individuals, such as Japanese and Chinese, tend to have less facial hair and slower growth rates compared to other ethnicities.