Your hair cuticle tells pretty much everything about the health of your hair. Your hair cuticle can make or break the health of your hair, literally. But what is it, and why does it play such an important role to the health of your hair? First, some myth-busters, because hair follicle and hair cuticle are not interchangeable terms.

What is the Hair Cuticle?

The hair cuticle is made up of protein-based, flat hair cells that overlap one another like the shingles on a roof or the scales on a fish. Because the cuticle is on the surface, it’s the protective layer of the hair shaft. It’s affected by environmental factors (sun, humidity, water, pollution) as well as hair products that contain harsh chemicals.

Because it is the protective layer, the state of the hair cuticle indicates the state of your hair, in general.

Healthy Cuticle Vs. Damaged Cuticle

Your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture is determined by the structure of your hair cuticle. Some cuticles don’t absorb and maintain moisture easily, while others absorb moisture quickly but don’t retain it for very long.

Hair Follicle vs. Hair Cuticle

You will see the term hair follicle being used for hair cuticles and vice versa, but they aren’t nearly the same thing.  Every hair on your body grows out from a sac-like area at the bottom of your skin’s pores. That hole is known as a hair follicle, and it is there that a unique cluster of hair reproduction cells is located. Hair follicles are where your hair is formed and sprouts from.

The cuticle, however, is part of the anatomy of an actual hair strand. No matter the texture or length of an individual hair, all hair consists of three layers: the outermost cuticle, the inner cortex, and, in some cases, the medulla below the cortex.

What is a Healthy Hair Cuticle?

A healthy hair cuticle is intact. It has few if any shingles missing and guard the hair from mechanical damage and from being over-moisturized or dried out. The cuticle is the gateway to the cortex, and as such, it allows compounds and chemicals into the inner part of the hair shaft.