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How much does hair weigh? Well, that depends on the person, their genetic makeup, and a whole host of other factors.
If you’ve ever thought about how much your hair weighs — I mean, really thought about it — you may have asked yourself the following: If you have thick hair, will it affect your overall weight? Does wet hair weigh more, and how does having long hair affect head pains?
Hair is something we live with every day, and even if you haven’t really thought about how much yours weighs, it’s still an interesting question to ponder. That’s why we made this guide — we’ll answer all of your questions and more below.
How Much Does My Hair Weigh?
The short answer is that the average person’s hair weighs less than half a pound, unless it’s very long and thick. The exact weight varies depending on multiple factors, but even the thickest hair won’t weigh more than a pound or two.
Although hair weight varies, it doesn’t vary by much from person to person. For every individual, hair density and coarseness are individual genetic factors that can’t be changed. Every person’s hair is slightly different, and this affects the weight.
An individual’s hair can also vary slightly in weight daily, depending on their hydration levels. With more water, hair weighs a bit more. These differences are tiny and hardly noticeable on a regular scale. The biggest difference in hair weight is how long and thick it is.
An average hair (about six inches in length) weighs about 0.2-0.4 milligrams or 0.00015 ounces. A healthy person has anywhere between 80,000 and 120,000 hairs on their head. Therefore, most full heads of hair weigh no more than a few ounces.
How Hair Weight Affects You
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In addition to wondering how much your hair may weigh, you may also wonder how it affects your everyday life. Let’s look at how your hair may play a role in your life.
Does My Hair Make Me Weigh More?
If you have hair down to the floor and it’s incredibly thick, it might add a few pounds to your weight. However, an average person with shoulder-length hair could shave their entire body and only see a few ounces difference. With shorter hair, there’s barely enough of a difference to weigh.
Even though there isn’t that much of a difference, it can sometimes feel as though your hair is very heavy. If you have an extra sensitive scalp, you might feel the weight of your hair a little more. If your hair is excessively thick, you might be more comfortable with a shorter haircut.
Read Next: Short Haircuts for Women
Does it Affect Aerodynamics?
While hair doesn’t affect how much you weigh, it can affect your aerodynamics. Professional swimmers often shave their entire bodies to give them a slightly sleeker body in the water. Swim caps reduce the drag of the water through hair. Still, it doesn’t make a difference in their weight.
What is My Hair Made Of?
Hair is mostly made of keratin, a protein that grows from the follicle under your scalp. As your hormones shift, your blood vessels help the hair to grow. After a certain amount of time, hairs fall off naturally and decompose, making room for new hairs to grow in their place.
Hair is not a living organism–this is why it doesn’t hurt to get a haircut. While keratin is a thick protein compared to other proteins, it’s still incredibly small and thin.
However insignificant its weight, hair itself plays a significant role in your life. In addition to being a natural adornment, hair protects your skin from the sun and weather. It also plays a role in helping you regulate your body temperature.
Things to Consider
Here are some things to consider about hair and how its weight affects you:
- The longer your hair is, the heavier it is.
- Your hair won’t affect your overall weight more than a few ounces.
- Hair isn’t a living structure–it’s dead cells of protein.
- The more hydrated you are, the more your hair will weigh. Hair holds water.
- Excessive drying can damage your hair.
- Pulling your hair back into tight buns or ponytails can cause tension headaches.
- Coarser hair is heavier than fine hair.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Here are some frequently asked questions about hair weight and how it affects day-to-day living:
The weight of human hair varies from one individual to another. Genetic factors, hair density, and texture affect a person’s hair weight. A six-inch-long hair strand weighs between 0.02 and 0.04 milligrams, or 0.000076 to 0.00013 ounces. An average person’s scalp grows between 80,000 and 120,000 hairs at any given time. The average head of hair weighs about 0.00064 ounces per square inch. How many grams a bundle of hair weighs will depend on the thickness of the individual strands. A thin hair bundle weighs between 50 and 100 grams. Medium hair falls between 100 and 150 grams. A bundle of thick hair weighs between 150 to 200 grams. Hair absorbs water, resulting in hair strands swelling by approximately 15%. In all cases, dry hair weighs less than damp hair. Since extra weight comes from absorbed water, long wet hair weighs more. Long, wet, natural hair weighs more than its counterparts. In most cases, even thick, long hair will not weigh more than a pound. A human hair wig weighs more than a synthetic wig. It can weigh anywhere between 120 and 300 grams, or three to six ounces. The variations in weight depend on manufacturing processes and styles. Human hair wigs are more expensive but look more natural and prove more versatile. Synthetic hair wigs weigh between 45 and 150 grams, or 1.587 to 5.291 ounces. Synthetic hair weighs less than human hair. Choose synthetic wigs for comfort if you plan on wearing a wig for a long time. Technically, hair is a tiny bit heavier when it’s wet. However, the difference is so tiny that it’s impossible to tell unless you have an extremely accurate scale. When you shower and your hair feels heavier, you’re feeling the water between each hair. There’s no accurate way to measure how much you would weigh without hair, except to remove all your body hair and weigh yourself. However, whether your hair is wet or dry, it’s not going to make a noticeable difference. If you weigh yourself consistently, make sure you’re doing it at the same time of day with the same amount of food and water. People with longer hair often complain of ponytail headaches. While the weight of the hair does affect the severity of the pain, these headaches come from the tightness of the ponytail. When hair is pulled back, it strains the nerves on the head. The more sensitive your nerve endings are, the more likely ponytails are to hurt. If you are truly curious about your hair weight, the only perfectly accurate way to tell is to shave your head and weigh the hair. If you (understandably) don’t want to do that, you’ll have to guess based on your hair length and average hair weight. Thicker or heavier hair doesn’t cause hair loss on its own. Most healthy people shed about a hundred hairs a day because of natural hair decay. Pulling hair back into tight buns or ponytails can cause hair loss because of the strain it puts on the hairs in front of the head. Texture, thickness, and color of hair vary based on genetic factors. However, hair behaves the same way no matter what your race is. Fine hair weighs less than thick hair, but everyone has the same approximate number of hairs on their head.How Much Does the Average Person’s Hair Weigh?
How Many Grams Is a Bundle of Hair?
Is Wet Hair Heavier Than Dry Hair?
Are Human Hair Wigs Lighter Than Synthetic Wigs?
How Much Does Synthetic Hair Weigh?
Is My Hair Heavier When It’s Wet?
How Can I Calculate My Weight Without My Hair?
Does Heavy Hair Cause Headaches?
How Can I Tell How Much My Hair Weighs?
Does Thicker Hair Cause Hair Loss?
Does Race Play a Role In Hair Weight?
So, How Much Does Hair Weigh?
The bottom line is that while it’s impossible to tell how much your hair weighs without shaving your head, it’s safe to bet that it’s under a pound. Unless your hair is extremely long and thick, it’s not going to add more than a few ounces to your overall weight.