Anatomy of the hair.

Whilst on the course we will be doing a lot on the hair, I don't have any hair experience as I've always stuck to makeup. If you are thinking of doing media makeup, hair would be a good qualification to have, as you will use it a lot in the industry. Start from the bottom, get to know the details, I know they can be hard to learn and not always interesting, but with this knowledge it will help you in the future. Anatomy of the hair is something to start on, this should help you get to know the details: 
There's the cuticle, cortex and the medulla. The cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair, the condition of your hair is usually down to the health of the cuticle. The cortex forms the colour of your hair. It is protected by the cuticle and if that is damaged, the cortex will become exposed. The medulla is the central part of the hair.There are 3 stages of hair growth:ANAGEN (act) active growing stage, the follicle reforms and matrix divides to create a new hair.CATAGEN (changing) in between stage, fully grown and starts to separate from the follicle. TELAGEN (tired) hairs begin to fall out naturally and when brushed and new hair begins to grow. 


You will need to carry out a consultation if you do hair, this will include asking questions about what products they use, looking and feeling the texture of the hair and what condition it is in. To help a little more I did some research on it, here's what I found.

Good condition

The hair will have a shine to it, it will have good strength and elasticity.

Poor condition

The hair could have split ends, with low strength and resistance. It could also be quite dry.

Physical hair damage

This can be caused by excessive use of heat. (Styling tools)

Chemical hair damage

Chemical hair damage can be caused from excessive colouring, bleaching, highlighting or perming treatments. Chlorine from swimming can also cause damage.

The weather

Although it may not seem it, too much sunlight can cause damage to your hair.

If you feel someone's hair you should be able to determine if it is fine, medium or coarse. This should help you decide what products you will use on the hair throughout.