Yes, human hair is primarily composed of keratin.
Understanding Keratin in Human Hair
Human hair is a fibrous protein structure, and its main component is a family of proteins called keratins. These are strong, structural proteins that provide hair with its strength and elasticity. Specifically, human hair keratin is made up of a combination of α-keratins (50%–60%) and γ-keratins (20%–30%), along with melanin granules that contribute to hair color. [^1] The unique structure of these keratins, characterized by a high degree of disulfide bonds between polypeptide chains, gives human hair its characteristic resilience and resistance to chemical and physical treatments. [^2] Human hair keratin is composed of 21 amino acids, contributing to its complex structure and properties. [^3]
Numerous studies highlight the importance of keratin in hair structure and function:
- Research extensively explores the relationship between the human hair keratin network and the curvature of hair strands. [^4]
- Human hair keratin's role in its response to oxidative stress, such as UV radiation, has been investigated, focusing on the contribution of polysulfides to both hair strength and antioxidant capacity. [^5]
- The use of human hair keratin in biomedical applications and biomaterials is a growing area of research, including its application in wound healing. [^6, 7, 8]
- Extracted human hair keratin displays excellent biocompatibility, making it a promising material in various biomedical applications. [^9]
- The exploration of human hair keratin's application in transient electronics and biodegradable materials is expanding due to its solution processability. [^10]
- The development of visible light cross-linkable human hair keratin hydrogels demonstrates its versatility and potential for various applications. [^11]
Human hair keratins, although studied extensively since early research, continue to be a focus of current scientific investigation. [^12]
[^1]: Hair Keratin - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
[^2]: Chemically, hair is mainly composed of particular proteins (keratins), hard and stable to usual physical and chemical treatment. This characteristic of keratin protein is a result of the high degree of disulfide bonding between polypeptide chains in the molecules. Human hair keratin is composed of 21 amino acids.
[^3]: Chemically, hair is mainly composed of particular proteins (keratins), hard and stable to usual physical and chemical treatment. This characteristic of keratin protein is a result of the high degree of disulfide bonding between polypeptide chains in the molecules. Human hair keratin is composed of 21 amino acids.
[^4]: Human hair keratin network and curvature
[^5]: Human hair keratin responds to oxidative stress via reactive sulfur ...
[^6]: Recombinant Human Hair Keratin Nanoparticles Accelerate Dermal ...
[^7]: Human hair keratin and its-based biomaterials for biomedical ...
[^8]: Visible light crosslinkable human hair keratin hydrogels - PMC
[^9]: Human hair keratin and its-based biomaterials for biomedical ...
[^10]: Human hair keratin for physically transient resistive switching ...
[^11]: Visible light crosslinkable human hair keratin hydrogels - PMC
[^12]: Human hair keratins
