# "Glue" at base of hair?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140 "2017-09-24T02:30:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140/1 "2017-09-24T02:30:38Z")

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Occasionally I pluck an eyebrow hair and drop it into the porcelain sink. Then when I rinse the sink the hair stays in place, attached at the root end (comes loose eventually). I wonder what is the substance that glues the hair to the sink?

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**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140/2 "2017-09-24T03:20:03Z")

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It’s the root, which is wet when first pulled out, and is covered with skin oils (sebum).

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140/3 "2017-09-24T05:43:47Z")

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The sheath on the root of the hair is called the root sheath.

deeper into the follicle is the matrix that produces keratin.  
But the root sheath doesn’t do that. Its function appears to be to control hair loss. The root sheath can let go of the hair !. thats why the root sheath is so sticky.

Basically its just going to be keratin but made so its sticky.

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**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\
**Post date:** [September 24, 2017, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/glue-at-base-of-hair/797140/4 "2017-09-24T10:46:06Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> But the root sheath doesn’t do that. Its function appears to be to control hair loss.

I wish mine worked better at that.