Huh? The hair of a doll will grow?

There is a Japanese ghost story called "The Hair of the Doll Grows." But could a doll really have actual growing hair? It is true that in ancient Japan, doll manufacturing was an art form, which included the use of actual human hair. Even in the case of a doll with human hair, once separated from the human scalp, hair can no longer grow. In this article, we will explain why hair can’t grow on a doll and see why some people may believe it can and does.

Nutrition from blood is essential for hair cells to divide and grow. Any doll, even if it has real human hair, does not have the blood supply that is required for hair to grow.

Can a doll appear to have growing hair?

Possibly. A doll could in fact appear to have hair that seems to lengthen. The first possibility is the dolls hair has shifted. Doll hair is often created by converting one strand of hair into two by threading it into the scalp. After time, a strand of hair might shift and become uneven. This could give the impression of growth as one side will become longer.

Another factor is hair will lengthen or shrink depending on the humidity. As many experience, the weather is an important factor in the condition of hair. If it's rainy, one's hair might behave different than on a dry, hot day. These changes are due to hair taking in and releasing moisture in the air. Inf fact, hair absorbs moisture so effectively, the hair hygrometer was invented in the 18th century. It utilizes human hair to measure humidity. and is still used for weather observations even to this day.