<P> The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft . It is formed from dead cells , overlapping in layers , which form scales that gives the hair shaft strength and provide protection for it . Although the cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair , it does not give the hair its color because it has no melanin , which is the pigment responsible ; the color of a person 's hair depends on what type of melanin they have , which is found in the cortex . </P>
<P> The hair cuticle is the outermost part of the hair shaft . It is formed from dead cells , overlapping in layers , which form scales that gives the hair shaft strength and provide protection for it . Although the cuticle is the outermost layer of the hair , it does not give the hair its color because it has no melanin , which is the pigment responsible ; the color of a person 's hair depends on what type of melanin they have , which is found in the cortex . </P>
the outer layer of the hair is the
the outer layer of the hair is the
cuticle
cuticle