Recent comments in /f/mildlyinteresting

Peeinyourcompost t1_j1yv3p2 wrote

I can explain this!

The structure of a strand of human hair is a lot like the structure of a steel bridge cable or a fiber optic cable, with a bundle of long fibers encased in an outer cuticle, which under a miscroscope looks sort of like a bunch of flat scales all pointing in the same direction. You can feel these scales if you rub a strand of hair one way, and then the other; the "wrong" way will feel a little squeakier. Split ends occur when that outer cuticle is damaged enough to expose the inner bundle and allow the fibers to spring free.

This particular pattern, which I have seen before, indicates that the cuticle is super worn away and fragile for a substantial length of the strand, which makes me think of a few possibilities: OP has been growing it out for a long time, regularly makes use of heat styling tools or tight hair ties, is involved in surfing/swimming/sports, or has used a color treatment that incorporates a lifting agent that chemically breaks the bonds between the cuticle scales to allow the treatment to penetrate the strand. All lightening agents and most permanent dyes do this, apart from plant-based dyes with no additives, such as pure henna lawsonia.

Tl;dr nope, it's not a bug leg!

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