Myself As An Individual

THE HUMAN HAIR

As an individual, you need to take good care of yourself. This involves personal hygiene and good grooming. These are necessary for good health and personal appearance .Your appearance is also very important. This is because it is your appearance that tells people about the kind of person you are.

Personal hygiene and good grooming requires cleanliness of every part of the body including Hair, Eyes, Ears, Teeth, Skin and Legs.

All mammals have hair, a slender, threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis. Each strand of hair is composed of a scleroprotein called keratin and lacks both blood vessels and nerves. Both the color and form of human hair and the shape of the hair follicle serve as reliable determinants of racial and ethnic heredity.

The hair is defined as a slender, threadlike outgrowth of the epidermis. Your hair is one of your greatest assets. Healthy and well groomed hair helps to improve your personal appearance. The condition of your hair depends on factors such as food, heredity and proper care,

Each hair grows from a narrow tube in the skin called the hair follicle. Hair follicle has a tiny oil gland near its base. The gland produces oil that lubricates the hair and softens the skin around it.

HAIR GROWTH

A hair grows upward from the root. Lengthening fibres of keratin-filled dead cells, grouped around the semi hollow medulla, make up the cortex. A living structure called the bulb (visible as a white lump at the end of a plucked hair) surrounds and feeds the root, which lies in a pocket of the epidermis called the follicle. Hair grows fastest when it is short.

FUNCTIONS OF THE HAIR

1. It enhances our appearance
2. It keeps the head warm in cold weather
3. It protects the head.

Types of Hair

Basically we have twotypes of hair

1. Natural Hair
2. Artificial Hair

NATURAL HAIR

1. Dry Hair: This type of hair is dry, dull and unattractive. It can result from an insufficient production of oil from the oil glands, poor food, illness or damage to the hair as a result of improper care.
2. Oily Hair: This occurs when the oil glands are over active and produce more oil than it’s needed.
3. Soft Hair: This type of hair is light and can easily be blown about by the wind.
4. Tough / Coarse Hair: This hair type is thick and can easily break up a comb. It is difficult to comb and manage.
5. Short Hair: Short hair could be invented by some people, others may prefer to wear their hair short.
6. Long Hair: Some people have and wear long hair. This type of hair could result from hereditary, good food and proper care of the hair. Long hair can be kept tidy by plaiting and packing it.

ARTIFICIAL HAIR

These are available as wigs, wool, rubber, hair pieces commonly called attachment etc. This can be planted in with the natural hair

EVALUATION

1. List the two types of hair
2. Explain three types of natural hair.

CARE OF THE HAIR

1. Washing your hair with clean water and shampoo.
2. Rinse well and dry with a clean towel.
3. Apply oil / hair cream to lubricate and aid growth.
4. Plait if necessary.
5. Regular brushing and combing
6. Cut them short when necessary.

REASONS FOR OILING/GREASY THE HAIR

1. To make it soft.
2. To lubricate/ soothe the scalp.
3. To make the hair shine.
4. It helps the hair to grow.
5. It serves as medicine to infected hair.

HAIR INFECTION

1. Dandruff:  This appears as scales on the scalp.

CAUSES OF HAIR DANDRUFF

1. Shedding of dead cells on the surface of scalp. It is the dead cells that forms the scales which you see dropping out when such hair are combed.
2. It could be caused by neglecting the scalps which become infected with bacteria and fungus. It results in a thick scale that causes itching.

TREATMENT

1. Remove the scales as much as possible by brushing or combing the hair vigorously.
2. Wash the hair at least 3 times in a week with anti-dandruff or antiseptic soap.

PREVENTION

Wash the hair regularly and use good hair oil.

• Hair Lice: These are small animals which infect the hair. They are parasites because they live on a person’s hair and suck blood from the scalp. Their bite causes itching.

CAUSES

1. They strive in very dirty hair
2. They are easily spread from one person to another through contact.

TREATMENT

1. Shaving off the hair completely for hair lice. The shavings should be destroyed by burning.
2. Where complete shaving is not possible cut the hair very low. Comb the hair vigorously with a fine comb to loosen the eggs.
3. It is possible to go to a chemist shop and ask for anti-louse ointment. Apply according to direction.

• Ring Worm: This is caused by the growth of fungus between the inner and outer layers of the skin. It shows a central area of the skin surrounded by a ring of small round spots. The affected area is bald without hair.

TREATMENT

1. Shave the hair
2. See a doctor

PREVENTION

1. Always keep the hair clean.
2. Do not use other peoples comb, brush as this could easily transfer such hair infection.
3. Keep all tools used for the hair properly.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. Mention four hair infections
2. List four types of hair and explain them
3. Define Home economics
4. State three importance of home economics
5. State three career opportunities in home economics

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. Another name for artificial hair is called——- (a) bald hair (b) fabric(c) fiber glass (d) attachment.
2. What kind of hair is dull, dry and unattractive? (a) soft hair (b) long hair(c) dry hairs (d) short hair.
3. When the glands are over active and produce more oil it could result to —–type of hair (a) soft hair (b) dry hair (c) greasy hair (d) all the types of hair.
4. Each hair grows from a narrow tube in the skin called hair——- (a) follicle (b) pit (c) root (d) organ.
5. Each Follicle has a tiny ——- near its base (a) pit (b) oil glands (c) scalp (d) follicle.

THEORY

1. List the various types of hair we have
2. Explain any two

READING ASSIGNMENT

Read “The hair” from Home Economics for Junior Secondary Schools, by Elizabeth U. Anyakoha, Pages 8-10