article_snippet.sent: Each hair follicle [the tiny structure that sprouts hairs] is not just producing a hair fibre, but also has masses of blood vessels, nerves and fat around Each hair follicle [the tiny structure that sprouts hairs].' Hair follicles are also rich in stem cells - cells that never lose the capacity to renew themselves - which help the skin heal. '
article_snippet.sent: If you compared a wound on the outside of a man's arm, where the hair follicles are larger and more numerous, with a wound on the inside of the arm, the one on the outside would heal better, because of the increased stem cells and blood supply, among other factors,' says Professor Tobin.
article_snippet.sent: Similarly, a bald scalp is less able to cope with nicks, cuts and bruising than a hairy one because of the lack of healthy follicles.
article_snippet.sent: As we age, follicles shrink and while people who lose hair will still have some stem cells, people who lose hair healing capacity may be reduced.
article_snippet.sent: us do know bald heads lose more heat, and that when us're cold, us body hair stands on end to trap warm air closer to the surface of the skin.'
article_snippet.sent: Surprisingly, the tip of the nose technically has the most dense patch of hair on the body.
article_snippet.sent: our're born with all our hair follicles - 5 million of all our hair follicles - 5 million of them.
article_snippet.sent: As our grow into adults, the hair on our limbs becomes spaced out, but the tip of the nose the nose stays a relatively similar size, explains Professor Tobin.
article_snippet.sent: As boys and girls go through puberty, some of the light, unpigmented hair on their bodies - called vellus hair - becomes thicker and darker, under the influence of hormones such as testosterone and its derivative dihydrotestosterone, becoming what is known as terminal hair.
article_snippet.sent: As men tend to have higher levels of these hormones, men usually have more terminal hair, and in more areas than a woman, such as the face, abdomen and chest.
article_snippet.sent: Someone with less obvious body hair may have perfectly healthy levels of male hormones, but the receptors in the skin are less responsive to your genes.
article_snippet.sent: Hair follicles need a good blood supply for nutrients and oxygen. '