Let me begin this article by talking about King Solomon’s handsome son, Absalom. This prince’s scalp hair was so heavy that he was compelled to chop them off very often. His hair weighed 200 shekels in terms of royal measure. And that’s around 5 pounds, which is quite heavy to carry on the head, isn’t it?
The next interesting fact is that large amounts of hair are sacrificed in Tirupathi, India. This is a very famous pilgrimage center. And these hairs are weighed and then exported all across the globe. That’s how the center makes its money. After all, it is the richest Indian temple for a reason.
Now let’s talk about something more relevant. How much does hair weigh? Many people raise this particular question for many different reasons. Some do it to support their weight loss program. While others are just curious beings. Whatever the reason though, it’s time to find out the correct answers here.
So How Much Does Hair Weigh?
Hair Structure
The most common myth is that your hair is only dead skin. Let me tell you that it’s just a myth. Your hair is actually made of this protein known as keratin.
Each hair on your scalp consists of 3 different layers...
Cuticle – That’s the outer, meaning the first hair layer on your head. And what it does is provide protection. This cuticle layer has an appearance much like a fish.
Also, the softness and dryness of your hair are actually decided by your hair cuticles.Cortex – The next layer is the cortex, which is responsible for the shape and color of your hair. So it’s the cortex that contains your natural hair color.
Medulla – This particular layer is a part of shorter hair lengths. And it’s only visible if your hair type is thick.
Now let me tell you about the three parts of the hair...
Hair Shaft – This is the actual hair length itself.
Hair Root – It’s the portion of your hair underneath your scalp.
Bulb (Dermal Papilla) – That’s where your hair emerges from.
There are living cells present within every hair bulb. These divide multiple times for creating your hair shaft. That means the cells die right about the time when they reach your hair shaft. Even so, those cells continue to receive nourishment in the form of nutrients and hormones with the help of the bulb.
What does this tell you? The simple fact that hair is nothing but a long strand of dead cells. And each strand, as you already know, is extremely lightweight.
The weight of average hair that’s not even longer than just a few inches is 1 milligram. So those that have an average or short length, their hair weighs not more than a few ounces. It’s so lightweight that even the traditional scale finds it very difficult to detect the accurate, consistent weight.
What about thick hair that reaches down to your hips or butt? Obviously, this kind and length of hair are slightly on the heavier side, comparatively speaking of course. May be 5 ounces or slightly more.
As for extremely dense and thick dreadlocks, even these don’t weigh much. Dreads that are as long as 62 feet weigh only around 3 pounds. And 10-feet length dreadlocks weigh only 0.5 pounds.
And to be honest, the weight of your hair only matters or you only take it into consideration if you’re following a weight gain or weight loss plan. That way if you’ve got a top-grade scale with extremely long and thick hair, then you’re bound to take into account the weight of your hair as well.
What About Wet Hair? How Much Does Wet Hair Weigh?
Once more, the weight here is based heavily on the thickness and length of your hair. However, wet hair means the weight of water is also a part of the picture now. Because after a shower or getting wet in the rain, your hair is certainly going to retain all that water.
So it’s only natural for water to stick to your hair, even though in a small amount. But it’s not easy determining the extra weight this water adds to the hair. In the case of thick and long hair, the number maybe 1 or 2 pounds more when your hair is soaking wet.
As for an average or short length, the wetness can add just a few ounces more when completely drenched. In that case, even your skin carries water, which is again a few extra ounces. This is straight after your bath or shower. So if you’re measuring yourself then, that means you have to take the wetness of your hair as well as your skin into account.
A better idea would be to dry yourself completely, body and hair. So you don’t have to include all that extra water weight. Because water weight is difficult to predict and can be too variable. Particularly if your hair length is long. So if you’re on a weight loss or weight gain plan, then it’s best to weigh yourself completely dry for a more precise reading.
How to Increase the Weight of Your Hair?
Needless to say, you can make your hair thicker and even longer. But the process takes time. After all, nothing happens overnight, right? The current beauty and skincare industry is up to the neck with products that claim to get the job done for you. But, more often than not, these products don’t produce the desired results, in terms of thickness and length at least.
Keeping that in mind, why not create your very own home remedy? There are plenty of ways you can increase your hair weight with the help of simple, everyday haircare methods. And along the way, you’re also protecting your scalp and the roots and quality of your hair.
1. Oil Your Hair
The most common oils used are coconut oil, olive oil, and sesame oil. In fact, you can even combine these oils for better, more effective results. Just make sure to do it right.
Combine olive oil (2 teaspoons) and coconut oil (4 teaspoons). Mix them well in a bowl and then heat them lightly. Now you can apply this mixture of oil on your scalp at night. Massage the oils into your hair and scalp for at least 10 minutes. And leave it overnight.
Then the following morning you can wash it off with a herbal shampoo. Follow this practice at least once or twice a week. And you’ll notice thicker, longer hair in just a month’s time.
2. Use A Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner
Make sure to choose shampoos and conditioners that are infused with gentle volumizing ingredients. Such as biotin, collagen, hydrolyzed wheat or rice protein, Vitamin B5, natural oils, and plant extracts. These not only add more volume, but also breathe hydration, strength, moisture, and softness into your hair.
3. Increase Your Daily Protein Intake
Simple fact; consuming enough protein in the day is crucial for hair growth. That’s because your hair follicles mainly consist of protein. So if you don’t eat an adequate amount of protein on a daily basis, then hair dullness, hair loss, and the like are inevitable results.
Did you know that biotin is an ingredient that’s very important for producing the keratin hair protein? No wonder biotin supplements and shampoos and conditioners with biotin are so effectively marketed for promoting hair growth.
As for foods best for increasing hair weight or growth, here’s the list:
Berries
Eggs
Fatty fish
Spinach
Avocados
Sweet potatoes
Seeds like sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, and chia seeds
Nuts
Oysters
Sweet peppers
Beans
Shrimp
Soybeans
And meat of course
Amusing Facts and Details About the Weight of Your Hair
Based on the length of your hair, you can tell the estimated weight. So all you have to do is measure the length of your hair.
If the length is 0.1 meter, then the weight should be around 1 kg. And with every 0.1 meter increase, the weight also increases by 1 kg. Meaning a hair length of 0.5 meters would be approximately 5 kgs.
Now it goes without saying that your head weight as well as hair density can be more accurate. But that’s not the case with hair weight.
What about the lifespan of your hair? Each hair lives from anywhere between 2 and 7 years. Then there’s the surprising fact that there are around 1000,000 hairs on an average person’s scalp. Your hair cylindrical form is around 0.3 millimeters in terms of diameter.
Also, you might find it interesting to know that hair floats on water for ensuring a consistency that’s nearly similar to distilled water. And that’s 0.04 pounds per cubic inch.
That’s About It!
So your hair or anybody else’s hair doesn’t weigh that much. We’ve established that, havent’t we? Even if you have more voluminous, thicker, and/or longer hair, then too your hair isn’t going to weigh more than just 5 ounces.
Just remember that the weight here depends on the length and thickness of your hair. So not every individual’s hair weight is the same. Therefore, getting a more accurate answer may not be that easy.
To make it relatively easier though, simply measure the length of your hair. If the length is 0.1 meter, then the weight is 1 kg. And increase the kg unit by 1 with every 0.1-meter increase. That’s as close as you can get when it comes to weighing your hair.
