Before answering this question, let’s find out what hair is and what it’s needed for.

Mammals have an internal mechanism that allows the brain to regulate the body’s temperature, known as thermoregulation. So when we sweat, our internal organs cool down. But in order for the sweat to do its job and cool us down, the hair can’t be too thick. This is why we have thin hair that does the job perfectly.

Our ancestors were covered with thick hair, but modern humans lost it around 2 to 3.3 million years ago. In the picture, you can see the inner and outer structure of mammals’ epidermis. It consists of dead cells, sweat glands, and nerve endings. The sweat glands produce the fat that keeps the hair healthy, and the erector muscle can make the hair “stand up.” The hair that consists of keratin grows from the follicle that’s attached to every hair on the skin. The hair is a great heat conductor that lets the heat in and out. Hair protects the skin from a lot of bad things.

But through evolution, the hair coat has become thinner and the human body has changed due to the hot climate and an active lifestyle. Some scientists believe that preserving heat has become less important than staying safe from parasites.

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